Interpreting Lisbon
Klouvidaki Marilena Supervisor: Serraos Konstantinos Lecture March 2012
Lisboa, a cidade do meu coração Dedicado à todas as pessoas que encontrei lá e fizeram-me amar esta cidade.
I would like to thank my professor Mr Serraos Konstantinos for his help and the pleasant cooperation that we had,as also Mr Alho Carlos for his help in the beggining of this research. Moreover, I would like to say a big thank you to my friend Evi for her priceless help and her inexhaustible patience.
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Contents_
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1.Introduction 1.1 Preface.....................................................................................p.09 1.2 General informations about Lisbon....................................................p.11 1.3 Historical, social and contemporary facts, which contribute to the urban development and the change of the city.............................................................p.20
2.A first reading of Lisbon’s center 2.1 Introduction................................................................................p.31 2.1.1 Paths...............................................................................p.36 2.1.2 Edges..............................................................................p.48 2.1.3 Districts...........................................................................p.56 2.1.4 Nodes..............................................................................p.66 2.1.5 Landmark.........................................................................p.76 2.2 A first conclusion for Lisbon’s city....................................................p.87 2.3 Supplement...............................................................................p.90
3.Interpreting the elements of urban space 3.1 3.2 3.3
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Introduction.............................................................................p.94 Place.....................................................................................p.97 Content.................................................................................p.105
4.The psychogeography of Lisbon’s center 4.1 International Situationist...............................................................p.114 4.2 Psychogeographic maps of Lisbon’s center...........................................p.120
5.Conclusions Conclusions........................................................................................p.129
6.Bibliography Bibliography.........................................................................................p.134
7.Photographs’ appendix Photographs’appendix...........................................................................p.138
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Introduction_
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1.1 Preface_ Individuals and cities
Two meanings inextricably connected to each other. The cities are human’s creation and they started to come into existence from ancient times. Human’s tedency to gather and organise himself in big groups, indicates his need to participate and cope with different situations as a group and not as an individual. Italo Calvino in his book “Invisible cities” characterises the cities as a sum of things, memories, desires, points of a language. He pointed out that the cities are perceived as lands for exchange, as it’s explained in all history books˙ exchanges that they are not limited just in commercial exchanges, but also in exchanges of words, desires and passions1. So, we could characterise towns as spatial unities, lands where these exchanges become true and this is a result from the combination and the conciliation of different spatial elements˙ elements that are perceived by the citizen-traveller-stroller, when he is walking around the urban environment. However, which are these elements, that create these situations and which are these situations? How all these elements are perceived by the human beings? How easy is the fact to read them and in extension to read a city? How are these elements contribute to the perception, the living and the state of getting familiar with the urban environment. The attempt to go for a stroll around the city , is it easy or not, and if it is which are the factors ,that contribute to this? Which elements that exist in the urban enviroment can have an impact on the walker and give him a stimilus to explore further the city? These are some of the questions that are going to get an answer by this research, using as a field the portuguese capital˙ the city of Lisbon.
1. Italo Calvino: Invisible cities, 2004, p. 16-17 09
Im. 1: Lisboa, Source: Personal file 10
1.2 General informations about Lisbon_ General description Lisbon is a special european capital. Connected to Odysseus the Cunning2 (Ulisses), exudes the air of a bygone era, simple and temperate, dominates imposingly on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary. Its main charesteristic is its geomorphology, which is consisting of the intense anaglyph and the observable presence of the liquid element. The river Tagus played and is still playing a significant role on the economical and social structure and development of the portuguese capital. Lisbon, being built on seven hills3 and the valleys between them, is being presented on space like a continuous “wrinkling”, with steep uphills and downhills and discontinuities on the movement level. This peculiarity of the terrain creates a network of movements and views, which are being “imposed” to the stroller and their endings lead to the miradouro. esplanades with different spatial qualities and dimensions, which are offering to the walker a view to a part of the city, keeping always a visual connection to the river.
Im. 2: Portugal’s map, Source: Personal file
Im. 3: Miradouro Santa Catarina,Source: P.f.
2. According to the myth, the name of Lisbon is attributed to Odysseus the Cunning ( or Ulisses in latin), as it seems that he was founder of the city. The first name of Lisbon was Ulissipona, which changed to Olissipona by the romans. Ulishbona was the derivation from Visigoths, which after a while changed to Lisbona. The arrival of the Arabes gave the name Lixboa to the city, which ended to the current name Lisboa. Another version of the story says that the name Olissipona is attributed to the Phoenicians, who named Lisbon “Allis Ubo”, which means ‘safe port” in phoenician. Source:Justino Mendes de Almeida, De Olisipo a Lisboa:Estudos Olisiponenses 3. The seven hills of Lisbon are São Vicente, Santo André, São Jorge, Sant’ Ana, São Roque, Chagas και ο Santa Catarina. Every hill is named after the Saint, that the church on the top of each hill, is dedicated to. The holiness of the highest places had occurred during the Crusades at 1147, when the church had the vision to built a more religious and conservative identity for Lisbon.
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Im. 4: 25th April bridge, Source: Personal file 12
The natural scenery of the city could be characterised as a field where geological and cultural events were being recorded. With the passage of time, the city embodies to its structure historical events, natural phenomena, design principles, economical and social structures, religious values, traditions and feelings, as well as the way with which the above were interpreted and assimilated by each social and cultural class. Thus, the urban enviroment is a spatial structure, that is inextricably connected to the dimension of time. The city is being developed and mutates over time, building in this way its identity and creating an alloy of various systems.
A first planning Doing a first reading of Lisbon, trying in the meanwhile to recognize the pre-existing records, the first thing that can be mentioned is the observable presence of the river Tagus on the fringes of the city. The river is an obstacle between the area of Lisbon and the areas of Armada, Seixal and Montijo and it cuts the connection between these areas. Nevertheless, the connetion of these areas is succeeded by the bridges of 25th of April and Vasco Da Gama. The first, situated on the west part of Lisbon at Alcântara’s district, and the second situated on the east side at Oriente’s district, they are landmarks for these areas and they subserve the circulation of the vehicles, as also the connection between the central part of the country with the south.
Im. 5: Vasco da Gama bridge, Source: Personal file
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Im. 6: Baixa’s plan, Source: Personal file
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Im. 7: Bairro Alto’s plan, Source: Personal file
Im. 12: Castelo’s plan, Source: Personal file
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Regional road axes Bridge axe
Avenidas Novas Important districts Green space
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Im. 14: Map of a general planning of Lisbon Source: Personal file
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3.1 Historical, social and contemporary facts, which contribute to the urban development and the change of the city_ The cities are always preserving memories through the stable cores and the centers, which are progressing with decelerating rates. Religious places, commercial areas, spaces where the social structure is expressing itself and getting action through time, are remaining unchangeable, even if all these are overwhelmed and overbalanced by addiotional roads and squares. Aldo Rossi
Im.15: Lisbon’s map,1650 , Source: www.museudacidade.pt
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Im.16: Gravura of Lisbon, 1650, Source: www.museudacidade.pt
Earthquake 1755 It is really interesting to examine and understand the way and the conditions, under which some of the spatial records of Lisbon’s urban fabric were designed. One of the most important historic events that happened in Lisbon and defined to a great extent the development and the urban fabric of the city, was the earthquake that shook the city the 1rst of November in 1755. The earthquake in combination with the tsunami that was triggered by the earthquake, destroyed completely the today’s district of Baixa and the subsequent fires burnt an extent part of the areas which were between Chaga’s hill, São Pedro’s de Alcantâra hill και São Jorge’s hill, as also a part of the waterfront. The report of this big natural disaster enumerated thousand of victims and huge damages to the properties in the center of the city. Marquês de Pombal was the one who had to deal with the major blow that hit the portuguese capital. Being aware of the importance of the situation, he wanted to begin immediately with the reconstruction of the city, in the interest of taking care of the survivals of this disaster. For this reason, he charged Manuel Maia, the king’s engineer, with the research for the location and the structure of the new portuguese capital. The two basic problems that occupied the authorities, were the site for the new city and the way of the reconstruction. Maia delivered five proposals4 for the site and the way of the reconstruction of the city and the fourth one was accepted. The certain proposal was indencating as a site of the new capital, the part of the city that was completely destroyed by the earthquake and as far as the way is concerned, it was proposed the maintance of the limits of the area and the change of the internal structure of the built-non built environment. Between the six proposals that they were registered, it was chosen the plan of Eugénio dos Santos, which was continued by Carlos Mardel after Santo’s death.
4. The first proposal was indicating as a site and a way the existing one. The second proposed the change of the existing plan, adding only the enlargement of the streets. The third proposal was the same with the second one, having an extra element which was the decrease of the buildings’ height. The fourth one, which was chosen, proposed the reconstruction of the city center, keeping the existing limits and changing the internal interrelation of the built and non-built environment. Finally, the fifth proposal was suggesting the abandonment of the ruins and the rebuilding of the new portuguese capital at Belém district˙ an area that didn’t get too damaged by the earthquake.Source: José-Augusto França, Lisboa:Urbanismo e arquitectura, 2005, p. 36 21
Im. 17: Santos’ plan for the portuguese capital, Source: www.museudacidade.pt 22
Santos proposed the construction of an austure Hippodamian plan, which would be connected with the existing urban fabric. This complex of the horizontal and vertical roads, would accommodate commercial uses with a view to Marquês’s de Pombal vision, who desired to change the character of Lisbon, so he wanted to bring the commerce in the center and transfer the residences to the suburbs. According to Pombal’s vision, Baixa or Baixa Pombalina as it is known, started to get built. Baixa was edged by two big squares, Rossio square and Terreiro do Paço square, which renamed to Commerce Square, within the bounds of Pombal’s vision. The first one had commercial uses on the ground floor and residences on the upper levels, however at the second one were transferred all the administrative services of the city. The connection between Baixa and the river was achieved by the vertical roads of Baixa. Augusta road was the entrance to the new city of Lisbon and it was highlighted by the arc on the beginning of the road˙an arc that was designed that time and it was finished after one century.
Im.18: Gravura earthquake 1755, Source: www.museudacidade.pt
Im. 19: Praça do Comércio at the end of 18th century , Source: www.museudacidade.pt
Passeio Público 1764 In the spirit of a general development and mondernization of Lisbon, there were more suggestions for the change of the urban space. One of them, was the creation of Passeio Público (Public Passage) in 1764. Pombal introduced to portugueses’ everyday life the meaning of the public stroll, because he wanted to give opportunities for relaxation beyond the residence to the middleclass. He aimed to the appropiation of the public space by the citizens.
Im. 20: Passeio Público , Source: www.museudacidade.pt
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A first reading of Lisbon’s center_
2.1 Introduction_ Kevin Lynch in his book “The image of the city� declares that looking at cities, someone can take a special pleasure, however commonplace the sight may be. The cities are spatial structures on a large scale and the components of these structures can create plenty of optical stimuli, with different qualities and varieties. The interrelation of these elements can help the stroller to understand and oraganise the urban space in his mind. None of these elements are experienced by themselves, but always in a relation to their surroundings and the most important role for their interrelation plays the citizens of each city, who through their activities they configurate the character of their city through the passage of time.
Qualities of the mental image Lynch through his research tries to read,name and rate the qualities that a city should have, as also the elements which are composing these qualities, in order to create the mental image of the citizens-travellers-strollers. So, the first thing that he points out is the legibility of a city. By this he means the ease with which its parts can be recognized and can be organised into a coherent pattern. The easier the recognition and the hierarchy of each part is, the easier the reading of a city becomes. Despite the fact that clarity and legibility contribute to a perfect urban fabric, they are not a necessary and sufficient condition for this characterization, as the city must not be considered as a thing in itself, but in a relation with its inhabitansts and how is being perceived by them. In addition, Lynch mentions the meaning of orientation. Orientation is extremely important factor for a pleasant walk around the city. The sense of orientation is achieved by various ways, either supported by different techniques like maps, route signs, street numbers, or by senses such as smell, sound, touch, kinesthesia. In this way, a legible spatial unity in combination with the ease of a walker to orientate himself in the city, provides him with an important sense of emotional security, while he is wandering around. 30
Lynch as he studies the urban environment, he is looking for the physical qualities of the objects, which are related to their identity such as shape, colour, size. This research leads him to the creation of the word “imageability”˙the quality in a physical object which gives it a high probability of evoking a strong image in any given observer. In conclusion, defining the identity of each physical item it’s easier to compose the mental image of the city. The factors that mentioned above contributes catalitically to the imageability of the urban fabric. Its image is a result of a two-way process between the observer and his environment and the elements which are composing this image is the identity, the structure and the meaning. The environment’s objects should have their own identity and be distinguished as a separable entity. Moreover, it must be cleared their spatial relation to the observer and to other objects and finally it must have some meaning for the observer, whether practical or emotional, in order to achieve the stimulation of someone’s vision and to have an optical impact on him.
Building the public image In this chapter, is going to be an attempt of visualising the urban space of Lisbon’s center, trying to discover and read the extra elements, which are constructing it. Each individual, each citizen, each stroller, has long associations with some part of his city and his image is soaked in memories and meanings. The spatial elements are being interpreted in a different way from each one and that’s means that everyone perceive his city in a totally different way. The aim of this chapter is to homogenize the environment’s elements and images, in order to built the public image of the city. The field of the research includes the district of Baixa and the areas around it (Bairro Alto, Chiado, Mouraria, Alfama). The public image of the city is going to be divided in five parts, which are the paths, the edges, the districts, the nodes and the landmarks¹. Each part will be studied seperately, attempting to find its components with the purpose of synthesizing the mental image of Lisbon’s center. 1. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 08
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Im. 1: Map of the field of the research, Source: Personal file 33
2.1.1 Paths_ Definition The first part of the image are the paths. Paths are the channels along which the observer customarily, occasionally, or potentially moves. They may be streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, railroads. For many people, these are the predominant elements in their image. People observe the city while moving through it, and along these paths the other environmental elements are 2 arranged and related .
Activities and uses The qualities that can characterize a path are variated and every path is printed and being distinguished in observer’s mind for different reasons. One of them, is the concentration of a Im. 2: Under Augusta’s arc, Source: Personal file special use or activity along a street. Usually the commercial streets are getting an important place to observer’s mental image and they are easily recognisable. Rua Augusta is one of these roads. The most central street of Baixa is being marked out for its commercial character and the materiality of its ground, as it is paved along the biggest part of its extent. It unites two important squares and it is highlighted by the arc at the start of the street. Augusta’s arc frames the Commerce square and gives to the stroller the stimulus to follow this direction in order to discover the Commerce Square and to walk along the river Tagus.
2. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 47 34
Futhermore, the complex of Baixa has two more roads, which are distinguished for their commercial use and these streets are Rua Áurea and Rua da Prata. The circulation of the vehicles along these roads weaken to some extent their character. However, it is noticied a constant flow of people who subserve their needs at the shops which are placed along them. Rua da Prata, except from its uses, distincts on the walker’s mind because of the tram lines, which are subserving with this certain service the connection between the occidental areas with the city center. To sum up, these three streets are intensive linear elements which connect Rossio square with Commerce Square and they are paths of the city. Continuing the research on Baixa’s complex, two more streets which can catch someone’s attention are Rua da Vitória and Rua da Santa Justa. The beginning of Rua da Vitória is at the exit of Baixa-Chiado metro station and it’s an important junction which channel the people into Baixa district. From the other hand, Rua da Santa Justa is recognisable because of the metal tower of Santa Justa. This tower is one of the miradouros of the city which are dispersed around the city and offer amazing panoramic views to some parts of the city.
Im. 3: Rua Augusta, Source: Personal file
Im. 4: Miradouro Santa Justa, Source: Personal file
Im. 5: Rua Santa Justa, Source: Personal file
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Im. 6: A building’s facade in Bairro Alto, Source: Personal file
Leaving Baixa behind and going up to Chiado distric, two more commercial paths, which attract the stroller are Rua do Carmo and its vertical street, Rua Garret. Their junction is coinciding with the entrance of Armazéns do Chiado commercial center and Rua Garret leads to Luis de Camões square. Moreover, streets with recreation spaces such as restaurants, clubs, bars, can be characterised as paths. Such paths are the vertical streets of Bairro Alto district, which are distincted to the popularity of the citizens. Rua do Norte, Rua da Barroca, Rua das Notícias, Rua da Atalaia and Rua da Rosa are streets with an intensive night life and an attractive pole for the crowd. Vehicles’ circulation is controled, giving in this way the opportunity to the users of the recreation spaces to take advantage of their outdoor space. Except from the roads mentioned above, the streets Travessa da Queimada, Travessa da Cara και Travessa da Boa-Hora are also paths which are connecting the main arteries and they are also accomodating recreation spaces, specially Travessa da Cara, where a lot of people are gathering there at the end of the day.
Im. 7: Rua do Carmo, Source: Personal file
Im. 8: Travessa da Cara, Source: Personal file
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Im. 9: The starting point of the tram lines in the field, Source: Personal file
Tram lines Moreover, one more use that can turn a common street into a city’s path is the tram lines. The lines of the tram 28, are being imprinted on city’s urban fabric and they are passing by the seven hills of the city and by important momuments and landmarks. The street, where the tram lines are being imprinted, changes names and spatial qualities along its length, depending on the area that is passing through. On our field, the street with the tram lines is beginning at Camões square and its name is Largo do Luís de Camões. The street continues through the calm, narrow streets of Chiado and is reappearing at the busy streets of Baixa, as Rua da Conceição. As the street is being directed to Castelo district with the name Largo da Sé,is passing by the São Jorge’s castle and the miradouros of Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol (the gates of the sun). Then, it is dissapearing into the narrow steets of Graça district. The tram’s street is not stamped to the stroller’s mind as a whole, but as fragmentary parts and this is a result of the its length and the uses that its part of Im. 10: Tram 28, Source: Personal file the street has. The junctional position of the Camões square is being easily recognisable in comparison with the calm streets of Chiado, which they don’t have an attractive public use, in order to go there and look around. To sum up, this path even if it keeps its continuity, it’s divided into strong and weak parts. One more road that can be a city channel’s because of the tram lines is Rua do Arsenal. Begging from the circular node in Cais do Sodré, passes through praça do Município and reaches Praça do Comércio, where its name changes to Praça do Comércio. A little bit further the road enters into Baixa, where it is connected with Rua da Prata and it ends to Praça da Figueira.
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Im. 11: Tram lines in Chiado streets, Source: Personal file
Im. 13: Tram 28, Castelo, Source: Personal file
Im. 14: Tram lines at Rua da Conceição, Source: Personal file
Im. 12: Tram 28 at Graça district, Source: Personal file
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Im. 15: Watching at Tagus River, Source: Personal file
Moreover, the alignment of a street with a natural element, like the water, can make it a path of the city. Avenida Ribeira das Naus is following the banks of the River Tagus and connects Cais do Sodré with Praça do Comércio. Even if the avenue doesn’t have really attractive spatial qualities, you can see people walking and working out along this steet. Tagus can be compared to a cradle, an amphitheater, a dock of a destiny. It extents there, where for centuries, a human being and a veil seemed to flow to other worlds and to other places, a taste of a bitter fruit. Lisbon is this endless river, this infinite horizon³, which excites the senses of the passerby and creates a pleasant and nostalgic environment along the river, converting in this way the streets that they are passing along Tagus to important paths to the stroller’s mental image.
Additional qualities In conclusion, the factors that mentioned above can contribute to the synthesis of a path network, which are maping the center of Lisbon. However, there are additional spatial qualities which can strengthen the character of each path, such as the size. Some streets are distinguished in someone’s mind for their wide width like Rua Augusta and Rua do Carmo, while others for their narrow width, which can juxtapose to the building’s height and these antitheses are enriching the path, like it happens to the small streets of Bairro Alto. Moreover, the directional quality is an important one for the path’s character. It is related to the shape of the road,if it is linear or not and to the topography of the space. The crarity of the direction of Baixa’s paths, as also the linear paths as also the linear, inclined paths of Chiado and Bairro Alto, help the pedestrians to wander easily around. In addition, the paths that they have the quality of direction, they are inextricably connected to the significance of the scale, giving in this way the opportunity to the stroller to define his position, using as a metric system the blocks of the buildings or some landmarks that they are situated along the paths. Futhermore, the planting of a street, can attract the walker and can create pleasant conditions for a pleasant wandering along the street. The quality of the planting is intensively
3. Pédro Brandão, Filipe Jorge: Lisboa do Tejo, a ribeirinha, 1998 43
Im. 16: Rua da Prata. It is shown the Pombalina Architecture and the cube stones of the pavement, Source: Personal file 44
introduced to Αvenida da Liberdade, which is will not be examined as it’s out of the field’s limits. What is more, Avenida da Ribeira das Naus has a dense planting, a fact that enriches its character. Moreover, the buildings’ facade can stimulate someone’s mind. Baixa’s path could be distinguished by their buildings’ facades, which represents the . portuguese architectural style Pombalina a style named after Marquês de Pombal. Finally, the materials of the ground of a path it’s not so important, however in Lisbon is different. Calçada Portuguesa is a famous pavement art, where the pedestrians’ paths are covered by cube stones in different patterns, attract in this way someone’s eye.
Im. 18: Narrow streets of Bairro, Source: Personal file
Im. 17: Planting along Av. Ribeira das Naus, Source: Personal file
Im. 19: Narrow streets of Bairro, Source: Personal file
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The streets mentioned above are constructing the path network that is found in Lisbon’s center. It is not so difficult to read and recognise the paths as the majority of them have a clarity and a continuity that help to their recognition. The paths that we could argue that it is difficult to be understood as an entirety, are those with the tram lines. This is happening because of the path’s extent and its changes as regarded to its spatial qualities such as the name, the size, the use, the direction. This has as a result the weakening of its character at some points, confusing in this way the stroller and altering his image for these points.
Paths with increased circulation
Paths with normal circulation
Paths with decreased circulation Tram lines
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Im. 20: Map of the paths, Source: Personal file 47
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Im. 21: The edge of Tagus River at Cais do SodrĂŠ, Source: Personal file
2.1.2 Edges_ Definition The next part that is going to be examined fot the construction of the image of Lisbon’s center are the edges. Edges are the linear elements not used or considered as paths by the observer. They are the boundaries between two phases, linear breaks in continuity: shores, railroad cuts, edges of development, walls. They are lateral references rather coordinate axes. Such edges may be barriers, more or less penetrable, which close one region off from another, or they may be seams, lines along which two regios are related and joined together. These edge elements, although probably not as dominant as pathsm are for many people important organising features, particularly in the role of the holding together generalized areas, as in outline of 4 a city by water or wall .
Edges
4. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 47 49
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Im. 22: The edge of Tagus River next to Cais do SodrĂŠ, Source: Personal file
Im. 23: The edge of Tagus River at the Miradouro Cais das Colunas , Source: Personal file 51
Im. 24: An entrance to Alfama, Source: Personal file
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Im. 25: An entrance to Alfama
Im. 26: The closed facade to the river, Source: Personal file
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Im. 27: Map of the field of the edges, Source: Personal file 55
2.1.3 Districts_ Definition The districts are the next element that we are going to look through. Districts are the medium-to-large sections of the city, conceived of as having two-dimensional extent, which the observer mentally enters “inside of� and which are recognizable as having some common, identifying character. Always identifiable from the inside, they are also used for exterior reference if visible from outside. Most people structure their city to some extent in this way , with individual differences as to whether paths or districts are the dominant 5 elements. It seems to depend not only upon the individual but also upon the given city .
Structure and boundaries
5. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 47 56
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Im. 28: Neighborhood in Mouraria, Source: Personal file
Im. 29: Mouraria, Source: Personal file
Im. 30: Alfama, Source: Personal file
Im. 31: Bairro Alto, Source: Personal file
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Im. 32: Miradouro Portas do Sol, Castelo, Source: Personal file
Im. 33: Everyday life in Alfama , Source: Personal file 61
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Im. 34: Map of the districts as they are in reality, Source: Personal file 63
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Im. 35: Map of the districts as they are perceived by the pedestrians, Source: Personal file 65
2.1.4 Nodes_ Definition Continuing with the construction of the city’s image, it’s the turn of the nodes. Nodes are points, the strategic spots in a city into which are the intensive foci to and fro which he is travelling. They may be primarily junctions, places of break in transportation, a crossing or convergence of paths, moments of shift from one structure to another. Or the nodes may be simply concetrations, which gain their importance from being the condensation of some use or physical character, as a street-corner hangout or an enclosed square. Some of these concentration nodes are the focus and epitome of a district, over which their influence radiates and of which they stand a symbol. They may be called cores. Many nodes, of course, partake of the nature of both junctions and concentrations. The concept of node is related to the concept of path, since junctions are typically the convergence of paths, events on the journey. It is similarly related to the concept of district, since cores are typically the intensive foci of the districts, their polarizing center. In any event, some nodal points are to be found in almost every image, and in certain cases they may be the dominant feature6.
Crossroads
6. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 47-48 66
Im. 36: The entrance to the train station, Cais do SodrĂŠ, Source: Personal file
Im. 37: Tram station at Cais do SodrĂŠ, Source: Personal file
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Im. 38: ‘‘These roads are beloging to us.Come out’’, Alfama, Source: Personal file
Im. 39: Gathering at Praça Luis de Camões, Source: Personal file
Im. 40: Gathering at Praça Luis de Camões, Source: Personal file
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Im. 41: Quiosque at Praça Luis do Camões, Source: Personal file
Im. 42: Skateboard at Praรงa da Figueira , Source: Personal file 71
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Im. 43: Festival at Praça do Comércio, Source: Personal file
Im. 44: Lisboa, Cidade da Toler창ncia, Source: Personal file
Im. 45: Erasmus Corner, Source: Personal file
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Crossroads Transport network Thematic concentration
Thematic concentration ar miradouros
Note: The fluctuation of the size of the transportation nodes is depending on their rage, while the size of the rest of the nodes are changing depending on their extent.
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Im. 46: Map of the nodes, Source: Personal file 75
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Im. 47: S達o Jorge Castle, Source: Personal file
2.1.5 Landmarks_ Definition The last part of the image of the city is consting of the landamarks. Landmarks are another type of point-reference, but in this case the observer does not enter within them, they are external. They are usually a rather simply defined physical object: building, sign, store or mountain. Their use involves the singling out of one element from a host of possibilities. Some landmarks are distant ones, typically seen from many angles and distances, over the tops of smaller elements, and used as radial references. They may be within the city or at such a distance that for all practical purposes they symbolize a constant direction. Such isolated towers, golden domes, great hills. Even a mobile point, like the sun. whose motion is sufficiently slow and regular, may be employed. Other landmarks are primarily local, being visible only in restricted localities and from certain approaches. These are innumerable signs, store fronts, trees, doorknobs, anf other urban detail, which fill in the image of most observers. They are frequently used clues of identity and even of structure and seem to be increasingly relied upon as a journey becomes more and more familiar9.
Distant Landmarks
9. Kevin Lynch: The image of the city, 1960, p. 48 77
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Im. 48: Panoramic view from miradouro S達o Jorge , Source: Personal file 79
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Im. 49: Miradouro Cais das Colunas, Source: Personal file
Im. 50: Arc of Rua Augusta, Source: Personal file
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Im. 51: Detail from the entrance of ArmagĂŠns do Chiado, Source: Personal file
Im. 52: A Ginjinha, Source: Personal file
Im. 53: Cathedral Da SĂŠ, Source: Personal file
Im. 54: Statue of Fernando Pessoa, Source: Personal file
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Note: The big points are respresenting the distant landmarks, while the small ones the local landmarks
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Im. 5: Map of the landmarks, Source: Personal file 85
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2.2 A first conclusion for Lisbon’s city_ The public image of each city can be constructed by the synthesis and the interrelation of a set of smaller images, which are the result of the natural objects of the urban space. The whole of the images, are the outcome of the two-way process that is being happening between the observer and his environment. Consequently, through this process is born a row of successive situations in which the stroller is entangled and he starts to assimilate and organise in his mind the urban environment. His perception for the urban space is being built gradually and his image for the city is an achievement of finite and continuous experiences. The parts that were analysed in this chapter, are the raw material for the construction of Lisbon’s public image. The informations that were collected through this research have to be interrelated, in order to see how they are reacting together. Each element is not capable of stimulating someone’s eye, but its connection with another one can either increase or decrease its importance. To sum up, the districts as they tend to be of larger size than the other parts, they contain within themselves most of the other parts and to some extent their internal structure is organised owing to them. Moreover, the paths which are recognisable by the majority of the walkers, are crossed, creating in this way important nodes, which are defining the districts, where they are passing by. Also, along these paths, the landmarks are being organised by being juxtaposed to the whole, breaking through a spatial continuity or intensifying it. Therefore, all the spatial elements are cooperating within a general framework, which obtains a certain structure and is perceived by the passers-by as a complex. 0
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Im. 56: The public image of Lisbon, Source: Personal file 87
Observing the map of the public image of the city, the first thing that it can be metioned is the density of the spatial facts in the districts of Baixa and Bairro Alto. To its large extent, Baixa is structured by significant paths and its entrance is highlighted by the Arc of Rua Augusta. The connection of the paths is sufficient in order to create a united image for the district and as someone can see on the map, the paths are ending to either nodes or landmarks, enriching in this way the character of each element that is part of the complex of Baixa. Baixa is perceived by the stroller almost to its large extent, while Bairro Alto is perceived partially. The part that is more clear to someone’s mind is the one with the nightlife, which is full of important channels and the egde of Rua do Alecrim is delimiting the district. You can not find more elements than the paths in this district except from a node, so the strucuture of Bairro Alto is exclusively made by the paths. The rest of the districts have inside their boundaries some elements that are scattered around but they are capable of creating a strong image to the observer. Thus, Cais do Sodré is distinguished from the the large transportation node, Castelo from the Moorish castle, which is located on the top of São Jorge hill and Chiado from the paths that are accomodating commercial uses as also from the landmarks and the nodes that are located at the cross of the paths or along them. It is noticed that the complexes which are crossed by the commercial or recreation paths, concentrate more focal points. However, the areas that they are occupied by residences, they have a special character, which gives the stimulus to the stroller to go around them in order to discover them. The fact that important channels are crossing these areas, increasing the chances that someone will go to visit them and be part of the everyday situations, which are taking place in these neighborhoods. Generally, Lisbon could be characterised as a legible city. The clear identity of its physical objects is decreasing the difficulty level of reading its urban environment. The intense geomorphology helps the stroller to orientate himself, as he always has a visual connection to the river and to the distant landmarks, giving him the opportunity to define his position in relation with the environment and providing him with the sense of emotional security, while he is wandering around. The point that occurs to be problematic for the public image of Lisbon is the relation between the river and the city. Observing the map of Lisbon’s center, someone can see that the east part, is almost unaccessible to the public as it is occupied by warehouses and parking slots, so it is extremely
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difficult to approach the river. The same situation is prevailed to an extent part of the river’s facade outside field’s boundaries and this occurred because of the fact that the city turned its back to the river and started to get develop to the north part at the end of the 19th century. The spatial elements that they were analysed in this chapter, are an outcome of a research on the field as also of discussions with the citizens and travellers, who stayed at the town for a certain time. It is interesting to study these elements on the human scale, looking for the interrelation of smaller components, which strenghten the ability of the whole to be visualised and to have a strong visual impact on the observer. These elements are scattered around the city and they could be located to areas that are not part of the field which was examined in this chapter. To the next chapter we will try to find and interrelate these smaller components, because of which the city of Lisbon exudes a special atmosphere.
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2.3 Supplement_ Different answers on the question: Which is the most intense image that you have from Lisbon?
The most intense image that i have is from the miradouro next to Erasmus corner. I had great time there, specially during my first days at Lisbon, when it was hot and we were hunging around. Evi Sagropulu
The most intense image that i have from Lisbon is the view from the top of the Parque do Eduardo VII. If you look thoroughly you will see a straight line that ends to the river. You can see the park that stops to the statue of Marquês de Pombal and in the horizon is coming into view the river and the opposite side of Lisbon. Irini Faradatu
The most important place for me in Lisbon is the Luis de Camões square, because i think that is the beginning and the end of all the situations that they are taking place in the city. Klouvidaki Marilena
I dont have a certain image from the city, but from an attitude and that is that portuguese people know how to live out.
I am in love with Alfama. I like the sensation of this district. The narrow streets, the old buildings, the countless stairs, the laundries out of the windows. All these look so familiar and exude an affection. Fay Ioanidu
The place that i love the most in Lisbon is the pathway along the river from Cais do Sodré to Praça do Comércio. Ana Maia
To Klouvidaki Marilena
From Watanabe Thais
I really like Mosteiros dos Jeronimos, because it is too detailed and every time that i look at it a discover something new. Diana Poe
I like to spend time in Praça Camões. You can find there persons from different countries, who are socializing, changing points of view, having fun. Its a multicultural hotspot. Tatiana Cristina Canselinha Sousa Araújo
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The most intense image that i have from Lisbon is the view of my balcony. Sfakiotaki Irini
I dont have a specific image from the city, because i think that you can find the same sceneries to another countries. However, one thing that i can say is that wherever i look i will find nice details. Even in the garbage bins you are going to see the badge of the city. This is why Lisbon is special. Stefanie Weingartner
I like to walk around the small streets of Bairro Alto during daylisght. It is too calm and it has a totally different character during day in comparison with night.
The most intense image that i have is from the period i used to live in Bairro. I was opening my window and i was looking down the people passing by. They looked like ants. Eleonor Ekevik
One thing that i can say for Lisbon is that when i look it from the aeroplane, i think that it is white. I could say that Porto is brown or grey. For me Lisbon is white but when you look it more closely in the human scale you can see that is colourful.
I like to go up and down Rua Garret and take photos. I am doing circles and nobody can understand it. Miltiadis Konstantinos
Conny
Flavio Peralta
The most intense image that i have from Lisbon is the memories that i have from the persons that i met there
It was a summer night. It was too hot and i was looking to park my car. I was to a street near Praça Alegria, where i left my car. I went out of my car, i locked and i was walking when suddenly a beautiful sound broke the night’s silence. It was a man playing his saxophone. This is Lisbon for me. Carina Cruz
The small streets of the traditional neighborhoods, which in relation with Lisbon’s light, are creating a set of attractive images. Filipa Moura
Federica Castegnaro
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Interpreting the elements of urban space_
3.1 Introduction_ The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of the streets, the gratings of the windows, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightning rods, the poles of the flags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls. Italo Calvino
Gordon Cullen in his book “Townscape”, mentions the visual impact that a city can have on someone. He characterizes a complex of buildings as a piece of art, that is not only limited in architecture but is a space full of surprises, which is revealed to the stroller gradually, without letting him know its content, except from the things that they are on his visual field. The buildings with the urban environment are composing a masterpiece which aims to the interrelation, the combination and the administration of its components, in order to create an urban event. The main mean to perceive these events which are taking place in the urban environment is the faculty of sight. Someone’s eyes everytime gets more informations than the ones he bargains for, obtaining in this way a sum of finite experiences and memories, which can be recalled any time he has an optical stimulus related to these experiences and memories. In consequence, the urban space is a field of emotional reactions which are being evoked, with or without one’s will, and they are accomplished by three ways: the serial vision, the place and the content. The serial vision is the absorption of successive images along a route. The variety of the elements that are placed along the route, can evoke an intense optical stimilus, as long as these elements are being juxtaposed in order to create a series of contradictions. On the other hand, an easily digested image cannot catch someone’s attention and it could be characterised as monotonous. In addition, the place is concerned with someone’ s reactions
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to the position of his body in its environment, as also with someone’s comfort to possess the urban space. Finally, the content examines the elements which constitute the fabric of the city like colours, textures, scale, style, character, personality, uniqueness, as also the way that they are expressed depending on the period and the tendencies of each period. In this chapter, are going to be examined the components of the place and the content having as a field the city of Lisbon, in order to understand better the urban environment of the city and see in a smaller scale the qualities of the elements, which compose the public image of Lisbon.
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Possession of the public space through the movement² The human’s perception for the possession of the public space is not limited only to the static possession but also to the possession through the movement. Demarcated paths can be an object of possesion through movement, as it happens to the paths along the river, where some people are working out, while some others they just like to walk along the river. Im.12
2. Gordon Cullen: Townscape, 1961, p. 23
Im.13 Im.10
Im.11
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Im. 10: Running along the river, Santos Im. 11: Cycling along the river, Alcântara Im. 12: Walking along the river, Cais do Sodré Im. 13: Public path along the river, Belém Source: Personal files
Privileged areas³ Moreover, the privileged areas are being examined as an additional element of possesion the urban space. Privileged areas are appearing along the river. The certain path along the river has different qualities along its extent and is being possessed by the walkers with different ways. So, we can see people sitting next to the river or fishing. 3. Gordon Cullen: Townscape, 1961, p. 24
Im.16
Im.15
Im.14
Im. 14: Fishing time, Casilhas Im. 15: Cais das Colunas Im. 16: Fishing time, Belém Im. 17: Cais das Colunas Im. 18: Privilege area next to the river, Belém Source: Personal files
Im.17
Im.18
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Lettering¹⁶ The letters are everywhere in the urban environment. Shops’ signs, street names and numbers, road signs are elements that are used in order to give an information to the passer-by. Successful signs are those who can pass the message that they want from the distance that they are supposed to be read. The letters can be bold, typed, italics, colourful and they are placed into different frames. 16. Gordon Cullen: Townscape, 1961, p. 93 Im.76
Im. Im. Im. Im.
76: 77: 78: 79:
Come out Lisbon Shop sign Letters in Alfama Letters on the ground
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Im.78 Im.77
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Im. 80,81: Alfama streets Im. 82,83,84: Street signs Source: Personal files
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Im. 85: “Have a nice trip. Lisbon is waiting for you�, Miradouro Senhora do Monte Source: Personal file
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The psychogeography of Lisbon’s center_
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4.2 Psychogeographic maps of Lisbon’s center_ Atmospheres’ map This map is representing the atmospheres, which can be noticed at the center of Lisbon. Each colour represents a different urban situation and all together are mixed up into an urban game. The yellow defines the atmoshere of the residence, which implicates a state of calm and tranquility. The red one is used for the commerce and the spaces of recreation. uses with intense annoyance. The blue colour represents the water’s atmosphere and the nostalgic scenery of Tagus River, which offers a sensation of piece and tranquility to the strollers. Finally, the green indicates the green open spaces, which are vital for the city. Observing the map, someone can see that the atmospheres whether they are coming one after the other or they are mixing up, creating in this way different kind of situations, which are being experienced by the walkers, while they are going around the urban environment.
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Psychogeographical map during the day This map is representing the density and the circulation of the people, on the urban environment, during the day. The datas to make this map are changing depending on the day, so it is supposed that this one indicates a day, when the people are working and all the kind of services are open to subserve the public. Looking the map, you can see that the larger density of the people is observed on the commercial roads, the transportation nodes and the sightseeings of the city. The arrows represent the circulation of the pedestrians and how they are moving around the urban space.
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Psychogeographical map during the night The image of the city changes at night. The center is getting empty and everybody is gathering at Bairro Alto district looking for entertainment in the narrow streets of Bairro. Moreover, you can meet a lot of people at Cais do Sodré, where the discotheques are located, as also at the Miradouro São Pédro de Alcântara, where a lot of individuals are socialising, playing music, singing, enjoying their drinks.
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Conclusions_
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Lisbon. The city of the seven hills. Located imposingly on the nothern banks of Tagus RIver estuary, the portuguese capital exudes a special atmosphere. The natural scenery of the city evidence the facts that happened through time and left their stigma on the its anaglyph. Spatial proofs, which can be read by any user of its urban environment. The first conclusion that someone can be lead to, by this research, is the natural elements, which construct the indentity of Lisbon. Queries related to the urban enviroment and its use from the citizens, as also from the travellers, triggered off the start of this research. The aim was to present the pulse of the city, using photographical material and phrasal descriptions. The scientific base, which had been chosen to be used, included methods of famous urban planners like Kevin Lynch, Gordon Cullen and International Situationist, in order to interpret the urban environment of Lisbon. Each method approached a different scale of urban space and aimed at a certain result. The selection of different facts of each method, as well as the appropriate composition of these elements, leads to the reading of Lisbon’s environment, showing in this way the city’s character and its identity. The certain method wasn’t created exclusively for the portuguese capital, but it can be applied to any city. To sum up, the aim of this research was to built the mental image of Lisbon’s center and specifically to understand how the strollers are conceiving the city, while they are wandering around. The image, that is perceived my each walker for the city, is an outcome of the smallerscale elements that he is encounting with while he is walking around the urban space. The composition of these elements leads to the construction of the bigger mental image. Moreover, their variety, as also their qualities, transform the urban environment into a living organism, which has an impact on users’ psychism. In conclusion, the reading of Lisbon’s center is an easy task. The clear forms and the intensive identity of the elements that they compose the portuguese scenery, offers to the stroller a pleasant field of an endless wandering. Attractive sceneries, beautiful details, people out on the streets, are some of the images that someone can capture, walking around the city. The geomorphology of the city is a helping component to the urban promenade. The fact that Lisbon is built on seven hills, gives the possibility to the pedestrian to have always a visual connection to the river and to other recognisable spatial points. In this way, he can every time orientate and locate himself in the city. 129
In addition, some parts of city center may not be so clear to someone’s mind, but this is not enough to play down their significance or be in a subordinate position in comparison with other parts. For example, even though that the majority of the strollers confuse the district of Castelo with Alfama’s district, that doesn’t mean that this can undermine the character of each district and the impact that they have on the passers-by. The authenticity and the variety of the images that someone can get walking through these districts, make them special and their charm is that they are being revealed gradually to the strollers. The major problem that is detected on the public image of the city, is its relation with the River Tagus. The places that they are totally open to river are located at Belém at the west part, at Cais do Sodré and at the Miradouro Cais das Colunas at the center and at the Oriente district at the east part. Along the rest of facade of the river, the access to Tagus is variated. Thus, there are places where you cannot access directly to the waterfront but the attempt to reach it is not so difficult. Mainly, the detachment of the river with the city is observed to the east part, where the warehouses and the industrial infrastructures are located. Doubtless, if someone continues the research beyond the field that it was chosen, he can find more problems on the urban environment of Lisbon, which impede its public image. The urban space of the portuguese capital distinguishes for its simplicity and the attractiveness of its components. Components, which are given to the passer-by either as an information or as a stimulus for further exploration. Lisbon’s urban environment reminds of theater’s settings, where citizens and travellers are being interchanged into the roles of the actors and the viewers and all together as one, they are involved into the urban actions and events. The huge theatrical setting of the city is emotionally charged with meanings, senses, significances, which are evoking the stroller to discover them and in this way he is becoming an ingredient of the emotional reactions that they are taking place into its urban scenery. Because, as the famous portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa says, through his heteronym Álvaro Campos:
“Afinal, a melhor maneira de viajar é sentir” “Finally, the best way to travel is to feel”
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Im. 1: Cabo da Roca, westernmost extent of Mainland Europe , Sintra, Source: Personal file
“Afinal, a melhor maneira de viajar é sentir” F.P. 131
Bibliography_
Books • • • • • • • • • • •
Calvino, Italo, “The invisible cities”, Publications Kastaniotis, Athens, 2002 Correia Filho, Jõao, “Lisboa em Pessoa”, Livros d’ Hoje, Lisboa, 2011 Cullen, Gordon, “Townscape”, The architectural press, London,1961 França, José-Augusto, “Lisboa: Urbanismo e Arquitectura”, Livros Horizente, Lisboa, 2005 Lynch, Kevin, “The image of the city”, Τhe M.I.T. press Cambridge, London, 1960 Lorrain, Claude, Turnikiotis, Panos, Translation, “Urban planning”, Akmon, Athens, 1979 Martins Barata, J.P., “Pensar Lisboa”, Livros Horizente, Lisboa, 1989 McDonough, Tom, “ Guy Debord and Situationist International, texts and documents”, The Μ.Ι.Τ. press Cambridge, London, 2002 Mendes de Almeida, Justino, “De Olisipo a Lisboa,Estudos Olisiponenses”, edicões Cosmos, Lisboa, 1992 Pessoa, Fernando, “O que o turista deve ver”, Livros Horizente, Lisboa, 1992 Southwork, Michael, Banerjee, Tridib, “City sense and city design : writings and projects of Kevin Lynch”, The M.I.T. press Cambridge, London, 1995
Lectures from NTUA’s library • Alevizu, Panagiota, “Psycogeography classes: two axes and one city”, Lecture: 2011/16 • Chranioti, Anastasia, “Readings_ Lisbon”, Lecture:2010/46 • Chatzifoti, Olga, Chrisanthopulu, Christina, “International Situationist: For architects”, Lecture:2011/03 • Gedimi, Melpomeni, “Lisbon: spatial expressions of theatricality_ the place as a scene”, Lecture:2008/41
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• Kalogera, Panagiota, Tsafulia, Lukia, “One route on Almirante Reis avenue: the road as a mean to read the city of Lisbon”, Lecture:2008/10 • Sfadu, Eleni, “Psyco-geographical impression of a random route”, Lecture:2005/84
Internet www.museodacidade.pt www.wikipedia.org www.maps.google.com www.lxplantas.cm-lisboa.pt www.flickr.com
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Photographs’ appendix_
Note: The certain photographs had been chosen to be part of this book but in the end they weren’t used, so they are gathered in this appendix. All the photographs are personal files.
Im.1: Cais das Colunas 138
Im.2: Working out near the river, Cais do SodrĂŠ 139
Im.3: Fishing at Tagus 140
Im.4: Watching river Tagus 141
Im.5: Painting at Cam천es square 142
Im.6: Praça Luis de Camões 143
Im.7: Jardim do Torel 144
Im.8: Chilling out at Cais do SodrĂŠ 145
Im.9: Tango night at Portas do Sol, Castelo 146
Im.10: Miradouro Senhora do Monte, Graรงa 147
Im.11: Miradouro Cais das Colunas 148
Im.12: Night at Castelo 149
Im.13,14: Scenes from Alfama 150
Im.15, 16: Scenes from Alfama 151
Im.17: Rua do Carmo, Chiado 152
Im.18: Praรงa do Carmo 153
Im.19: Street musicians 154
Im.20: A spectacle under the Augusta’s arc 155
Im.21: Scaning the river Tagus 156
Im.22: A scene from Alfama 157
Im.23: A scene from Alfama 158
Im.24: The boat to Cacilhas 159