Studies And Comparisons Of Genius Loci In Landscape Architecture.pdf

The soul of the place – studies and comparisons of genius loci in landscape architecture

The purpose of this essay is to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of genius loci, or the soul of a place. Through theoretical texts on the concept of place and qualitative interviews with landscape architects and architects, it is investigated whether there are similarities between their practice and the theoretical framework behind genius loci.

The essay discusses questions such as: what is a place and what does it mean for a place to have unique conditions? What is the opposite of a place? How does human activity affect a place's identity? How can a place's genius be made visible and how can a landscape architect work to preserve genius loci today?

The theoretical perspective is largely based on Christian Norberg-Schulz's phenomenology of place. To come closer to an answer of what a place is not, Rem Koolhaas and Marc Augé's ideas and thoughts have been studied. To concretize the purpose of the essay, interviews have been conducted with landscape architects and architects to see if the concept of genius loci is relevant in today's practice.

The interviews show that even if the concept of genius loci is not explicitly used in landscape architecture, the essence of a place is often instinctively noticed by landscape architects. Through studies and work, landscape architects become skilled at understanding a place's conditions, which can be seen as a way of using the concept of genius loci.

Key words: genius loci, Christian Norberg-Schulz, place, non-place, phenomenology, landscape architect, practice