Spirit of place : an examination of the concept for the purpose of formulating a criterian for the appraisal of architectural quality in building

Abstract

Today architecture has become primarily a supplement of quantitative, rather than qualitative need. The contemporary word architecture has been successful in surveying its due purpose on many occasions. In this century the world has seen rapid urbanization frequently associated with the disruption of habitual social support to accept moral codes. There are endless social aspects of the new environment as many people intermingle with each other. Just considering the architectural surroundings, the predominant tendency has been to produce quantitative aspects such as forms, spaces, lines, colors, and relationships between elements, used without having a meaning . Half a century ago Radolf Steainer remarked that there is a much lying and crime in the world as there is lack of art. In the absence of art, aesthetic nourishment, the emotional part of the human is left to seek fulfillment by indulgence in desires. As this statement depicts , art becomes the fundamental tool to develop man's emotional part. The aesthetic aim at determining the essential qualities common to all arts, of all ages, and all of claims. This quality has been for the pleasure of man to appreciate at all ages with many other aspects that are involved in art, which has been defined with these other aspects. The essential aspects of any art form is the beauty that man is affected by it. Architecture as a complex art form has been subjected to many explanations and criticism in defining its beauty. Assimilation of beauty of any art from is similar to the assimilation of quality of architecture. A good piece of work in architecture provides man's desires, physical comforts, as well as the psychological well-being. Its expression should evoke a continuous dialogue with its beholder. Architecture is a powerful agent it should have a set of responsibilities. It is responsible for ecological damage and be responsible for harmonizing the surroundings. It is mainly responsible for the visual aesthetic sphere through the outer sense and also the intangible perceptible spirit of place. The sense - altogether give a picture of an essence of reality which we call spirit. The essence of place is the 'spirit of place'. This spirit affects us deeply as it nourishes the body as well as the mind. This spirit of a place is gathered by means of studying the entire property surrounding it and bring the surroundings closer to man. Then the building harmonizes with its surroundings. It will not destroy the entire setting. Although very few in number achieve this, some architects have successfully overcome this challenge and created architecture. Architecture is an unavoidable art, the only art to which he is exposed throughout his life. It should give the perceives the requires quality to nourish the body as well as the mind. The study may thus provide both, the practitioner or researcher the basic information for the creation - (identify the spirit, to see how the language responds) as well as further research in this field. This silent art is the basic tool in the creation of architecture.