A city with a sense of identity

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 10

A city with a sense of identity

in an introductory article of a series on the cityscape of Christchurch, THELMA STRONGMAN defines the factors that give a city its distinctive character.

Many people describe the character of cities in terms of the architecture of their buildings, public squares, parks and roads. These factors do give a city like Christchurch some of its character, but much more depends on the way we perceive a city in terms of the composite sensual images and humanised landscape which it presents. Everyone has their favourite areas and corners of the city ranging from the grand vista, to interesting clusters of buildings, to a tiny forest of ferns clinging to the edge of a storm drain. The more a city reveals these subjective personal experiences which delight the eye, the more interesting

it becomes. The experience of clear and fast-flowing water of the River Avon threading its way through the city is arguably the most characteristic feature of Christchurch. It is a constant reminder of the natural environment of the city, that of drained swamp — a pact between man and nature.

The cathedral, provincial buildings, old offices and hotels, the museum and old university build-

ings reflect the reason for the early existence of Christchurch — an English county town serving an agricultural region. These images help to give a sense of identity both to the city and to the individual people who live and work there.

Cities, like gardens, are constantly evolving, and their appeal lies within similar dimensions of formal and informal contrasts, open spaces con-

trasted with closure, compositions of pleasing form, line and rhythm, texture, silhouette, interesting vistas and satisfying focal points. Substituting buildings for plants and roads for paths, we can begin critically to evaluate the form and shape of our garden city.

Most of us experience and evaluate the city in terms of sensation such as the relative warmth of the sunny side of the street compared with the shady side, the impact of sudden wind gusts, effects of dryness and humidity and the physical effects of stepping up, or negotiating a slope. The environment affects our emotions and behaviour. Some people feel pressured in confined spaces while others feel secure. Conversely, some delight in the prospect of open space, whilst others feel vulnerable moving through them. Then there are familiar sounds of the street with the occasional oasis of peace and tranquillity. Smells include wafts of appetising food and real coffee, and the commodities of various shops such as leathergoods and perfumes, the sweet smell of woollen goods and the familiar smell of books and newspapers. Like gardens, the provision of surprises tucked away in odd corners of the city, can give great delight. This can take the form of an enticing route which one feels compelled to follow in order to discover where it leads, or the sudden impact of a statue. It could be a glimpse into a sunny courtyard or a shaft of sunlight lighting up interesting spaces between buildings.

Then there are curves in bridges, interesting groupings of building facades and roof shapes, quaint alleys and the satisfying geometry of steps and low walls.

Sadly, we are often una-

ware of these important elements of the cityscape until a particular building is demolished or a newly erected building impinges upon a familiar vista. One aspect of recent change has been the contribution made to the fabric and shape of our city by corporate capitalism. Some of the recent buildings appear to have been erected without reference to their natural environment or to the people of the city which it serves. In days gone by, new buildings were commissioned by individuals who lived in the area and who were imbued with its way of life. Today, we are at the mercy of corporate capitalism which, if insensitive, can leave its deposits as monuments to itself instead of designing according to the spirit of the individual city. But not all change is negative, new buildings can provide good focal points, they can provide interesting humanising features at ground-level such as arcades, throughviews highlighting an existing city feature such as a river view, a statue, or another building.

Features can be designed to reflect the character of the city and pathways and small parks can be made for those living and working in town. This sort of sensitivity towards the people of the city which these large businesses occupy could be an excellent advertisement for them, as the individual would associate the buildings with pleasure. Impressions are personal and subjective, and are important in binding a person emotionally to the city in which he or she works. The impression which a city gives can be considered as a collective art form, an expression of its inhabitants interacting with their environment. In a series of occasional articles, it is proposed to talk with various people who are associated with the city of Christchurch and to discover their impressions of the townscape and the places in the city which they particularly enjoy.