Style: January 11, 2019

38 STYLE | architecture
THE FOUNDATIONS
FOR A GREAT TOWNSCAPE
Architect Richard Dalman highlights why variety is the spice
of life – even when it comes to town planning.
The Crossing, central Christchurch. Supplied by Wilson and Hill Architects.
In 1961, an Englishman called Gordon Cullen wrote
a little book that has become a go-to thesis on good
urban design – how to make cities enjoyable places to
live and experience through careful attention to design.
The Concise Townscape has been republished many
times since, and I first came across it as an architectural
student in the 1980s. Through photographs and hand
sketches, Cullen describes and explains the mix of
buildings, streets and open spaces that make up
our cities.
The key concept Cullen explained that has always
stuck with me is that of ‘serial vision’. He says,
“Although the pedestrian walks through the town at a
uniform speed, the scenery of towns is often revealed in
a series of jerks or revelations… Our original aim is to
manipulate the elements of the town so that an impact
on the emotions is achieved. A long straight road has
little impact because the initial view is soon digested
and becomes monotonous. The human mind reacts to
a contrast, to the differences between things, and when
two pictures (the street and the courtyard) are in the
mind at the same time, a vivid contrast is felt and the
town becomes visible in a deeper sense. It comes alive
through the drama of juxtaposition.”