Tell me a Story about Designing Narrative Landscapes by Archileo89

TELL ME A STORY ABOUT DESIGNING NARRATIVE LANDSCAPES Stefan Cassar

Landscape Contextual Studies submitted for the degree of MLA in Landscape Architecture Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture January 2016

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Contents Preface

Pg. 00

The Beginning

Pg. 01

Creating Meaningful Places: Tangibles

Pg. 08

Creating Meaningful Places: Intangibles

Pg. 12

A Narrative About Ecology

Pg. 15

Opening the Narrative

Pg. 25

Managing the Storyline

Pg. 31

Telling a Restorative Narrative

Pg. 41

The Finale

Pg. 49

List of References

Pg. 52

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List of Figures Figure 1: Montage of satellite images showing the geographical relationship the White Sands Quarry site has with its surroundings. Figure 2: Herring Gulls roam around White Sands beach. Figure 3: The steepest of banks struggle not to collapse into the flooded quarry. Figure 4: The recovering landscape of the WSQ site comes into contact with a working quarry. Figure 5: Example of a world-known earthwork called the Spiral Jetty by artist Robert Smithson. Figure 6: Steel structures at Place Emilie-Gamelin directly allude to surrounding urban development. Figure 7: Lawrence Halprin at Levi’s Plaza, 2006. Figure 8: Lovejoy Fountain Park, Lawrence Halprin. Figure 9: Regeneration of what mostly seems like grassland takes over the foreground of this shot taken at White Sands. Figure 10: Changing perspective; the Designer is shown sitting under a pine tree in a minor cluster of woodland near the WSQ site. Figure 11: A wall composed of vertical steel strips strongly defines one of the pathways at the Pedra Tosca Park. Figure 12: Visitors are descended in a world surrounded by steel and volcanic rock. Figure 13: Pathways at Pedra Tosca Park allow the visitor to be immersed in a sea of rocks. Figure 14: Designer’s notes of initial ideas. Figure 15: Designer’s notes of initial ideas. Figure 16: Fire is used periodically to maintain certain exhibits at the Crosby Arboretum. Figure 17: People from all walks of life gather at Place Emilie Gamelin for a State of Emergency event. Figure 18: Hundreds of people gather at PEG for Montreal’s Annual March for Aboriginal Women. Figure 19: Glimpses of the Pantheon evoke a sense of drama in the narrative experience at Stourhead. Figure 20: Barn’s Ness Lighthouse lies prominent in the distance from the western side of the WSQ site from where this photograph was taken.

Figure 21: Erosion is responsible for unravelling this astonishing formation of geological narration for visitors to appreciate. Figure 22: An auger was used to collect soil samples from numerous locations along the WSQ site. Figure 23: Collected soil sample showing homogenous soil lacking pieces of broken bedrock. Figure 24: An illustration depicting intentions for the use of concrete walls alongside major pathways. Figures 25, 26, 27: Experimenting with a sped up process of fossilisation. Figure 28: A mosaic of habitats as envisioned towards the final stages of design development. Figure 29: Layers of tracing paper superimposed on a site plan such as this was used to explore various possibilities quickly by hand. Figure 30: Mature clumps of trees flanking both sides of this narrow pathway encourages better interaction. Figure 31: Suddenly, the narrow path would widen and spill over into an open space for recreational activities such as the one illustrated. Figure 32: From specific elevated viewing platforms, the audience would be able to gain a more holistic understanding of its surroundings.

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Preface This essay stems out from the design process of a project which is being developed as part of Landscape Portfolio 3 during the third semester of a postgraduate degree in landscape architecture. The project has landscape restoration at its core and, given the intriguing dynamics of the selected site at White Sands, I became interested in investigating how highlighting the process of restoration could be among other narratives presented to visitors. Based on the premise that narrative is a fundamental way people make sense of the world around them, I thought that it might be interesting to look into relevant literature and precedents to help me design places that possess identity and meaning through well-presented narratives. During the course of this essay, the reader is walked along crucial milestones in my decision-making, joined with key external sources which influenced me along the way.

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Influential external sources include kind individuals who offered their time and knowledge to help me during the compilation of this work. Many thanks goes to supervisor John Stuart Murray for his insights and guidance graciously given along the way. My gratitude also goes to course director Kenny Fraser for his support and unceasing dedication towards moulding the landscape architects of tomorrow. Last but not least, I would like to show my gratitude to tutors Ross Mclean, Elise Campbell and Chris who each brought forward their unique insights on how best to proceed with my designs. Overall, I feel fortunate and honoured to have had the opportunity to work with such committed and knowledgeable professionals.

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The Beginning One of the largest cement manufacturing plants in the UK lies in East Lothian in an area found south of Dunbar termed as White Sands. The name has been borrowed from the beach located to the east of the site of a former quarry (Figures 1 & 2). Once sufficient amounts of limestone were extracted, White Sands Quarry filled with fresh water to form the manmade lake seen today (Figure 3). An agreement between the landowners and RSPB Scotland a few years ago led to the White Sands Quarry (WSQ) site, which incorporates the lake as well as surrounding grassland, to be regraded and fenced off to allow it to heal itself naturally. The vision for the site is to eventually transform it into a nature reserve that would provide habitats for high-priority bird species in particular. As a landscape architect, the Designer was asked to create a strategic framework of how this vision is to become a reality. Behind the main goal of the course of landscape restoration lie considerations such as adjacent habitat integration, topographic and hydrology manipulation, and specific technical issues such as utilising heavy machinery for earth-shifting works.

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Figure 1: Montage of satellite images showing the geographical relationship the White Sands Quarry site has with its surroundings.

Figure 2: Herring Gulls roam around White Sands beach.

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3 Figure 3: The steepest of banks struggle not to collapse into the flooded quarry.

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This essay commences by introducing existing and evident narratives in the WSQ landscape which probed the investigation into using those narratives as starting points to bring out more dimensions to the story. Based on the belief that this is an age where it is especially crucial to bring people to engage with the spaces around them, the discussion on how landscape narratives may be integrated in the way spaces are designed needs to be given importance. From tangible to intangible aspects of a landscape, multiple ways of conveying narratives is presented alongside relevant literature and precedents. The way the Designer is influenced by these sources is evident from interweaved revelations about design decisions made. Light is shed on the suitability of choosing to portray narratives using tangible objects ensue, as well as the level of control designers have in such projects where the dialogue is less open. The way mystery and revelation of narratives could be used to motivate visitors to move along the landscape is argued further on. Tackling differences in spatial composition and in what is revealed through visual corridors are important considerations that are touched upon later on in the essay, as are discourses regarding how site-specific narratives about history, geology and processes of natural succession could aid in creating places with meaning.

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Figure 4: Montage of satellite images showing the geographical relationship the 7

White Sands Quarry site has with its surroundings.

Figure 4: The recovering landscape at the WSQ site comes into contact with a working quarry.

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Creating Meaningful Places: Tangibles The same quarrying process the WSQ site was subjected to in the past two decades, can be witnessed at present. High mounds of spoil material enclose the south eastern boundary of the site where it meets an active quarry, giving rise to a juxtaposition of two instances in time (Figure 4).

Caught in between past and present, I stand in awe at the temporal narrative that is presented to me. (SC Diary, September 2015) The above extract from the Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diary sheds light on the power narratives have on people. Visual narratives such as the Bayeaux Tapestry have been used for centuries to convey massages and stories spatially in a linear fashion (Andrews, 1995). When it comes to landscape narratives however, the temporal dimension is just one of many layers through which narratives may be told. Landscapes have the ability to offer continuous narratives simultaneously, such as those regarding historic events, topography, hydrology, ecology, geology and even intangible aspects such as experience and memory (Danto, 1985).

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In the quest to create places with meaning, landscape architects have been utilising narrative by building upon the tangible and intangible aspects of the landscape at hand. One approach designers opt to use is a design-orientated approach based on the belief that meaning is embedded in tangible things. Similar to the work of land and visual artists (Figure 5), form and materials are manipulated to respond to the setting in question (Herrington, 2007).

Figure 5: Example of a world-known earthwork called the Spiral Jetty by artist Robert Smithson.

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Figure 6: Steel structures at Place Emilie-Gamelin directly allude to surrounding urban development.

The landscape narrative articulated in Place Emilie-Gamelin embraces the aforementioned approach. Significant features of Montrealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscape are highlighted through stainless steel structures (Figure 6), for instance, which literally symbolise the surrounding urban fabric. Water is channelled down a gentle slope to depict eradicated streams and a grassy slope reflects the image terraces (Charney, 1989).

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Figure 7: Lawrence Halprin at Levi's Plaza, 2006.

Figure 8: Lovejoy Fountain Park, Lawrence Halprin.

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Creating Meaningful Places: Intangibles Narratives need not be necessarily delivered directly from objects that are added to landscapes. Depending on the context, there are conditions which dictate a more subtle hand from the designer, where narratives are more suited to be conveyed through materials, experiences and processes as opposed to objects.

Influenced by the writings of influential landscape architect Lawrence Halprin (Figure 7), the Designer tended to think that such an approach would be more suited for the WSQ site due to its complexity and narrative potential. Gabor describes how Halprin â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;set out to design not

an object but an experience over timeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and how he used the processes of nature to deliver this experience. These processes not only become main characters in the plot, but also build the content of the story (Gabor, 1997). Halprin is one of an increasing number of landscape architects whose work seeks to set up conditions for continuous change and evolution (Figure 8). The strength of these type of narratives lies in not needing to be set pieces that require prior knowledge and controlled settings to be read successfully. The following quote from Landscape Narratives assists in solidifying this line of thought; Pro o f C o py: No t o ptimise d f o r high quality printing o r digital distributio n

Figure 9: Regeneration of what mostly seems like grassland takes over the foreground of this shot taken at White Sands.

successfully. The following quote from Landscape Narratives assists in solidifying this line of thought;

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Working with landscapes offers the potential for unique narrative forms: spatial stories, continuous narratives, or the anchoring of memories and history to sites. (Potteiger & Purinton, 1998) It was clear in the Designer’s mind that the experience he wanted to facilitate would be continuous between two different realities, embodying stories of what happened in the past while simultaneously setting an optimistic mood toward the future. The encouragement of a conversation between what is unsettled and what is in harmony, what is inert and what is alive, what was and what will be (Figure 9). Interestingly enough, according to philosopher Mircea Eliede, the desire to return to origins is deeply ingrained within the human’s psyche, whether it takes the form of childhood, or a place’s history or ecology. The site at White Sands has been regenerating itself gradually since the quarry became obsolete. Without human intervention, a strong narrative has taken over the observer’s experience. Emotions of hope, life, health, morality and local identity are conjured by the reappearance of lush grassland and creatures such as butterflies, moths, invertebrates, mammals and birds.

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A Narrative about Ecology Experiencing the aforementioned reality for himself at an early stage in the design process, the Designer was presented with a challenge to create places where both humans and nonhumans can coexist in harmony. The degree to which current narratives would be extenuated, must not be done to the detriment of biodiversity. The clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs were clearly stated in the given project brief that the highest priority would need to be given towards the establishment and nourishment of safe habitats for birds in particular. The requirements posed in the brief would make it counterproductive to immerse humans in sensitive habitats. Unlike verbal narratives, spatial narratives require their audience to be fully immersed in them to move or stop freely (Figure 10), to inspect and criticise (Chatman, 1978). Telling a convincing story through landscape about the evolving ecology, while keeping the interests of that same ecology in check, seemed like an unsolvable paradox.

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Figure 10: Changing perspective; the Designer is shown sitting under a pine tree in a minor cluster of woodland near the WSQ site.

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The Designer needed to devise creative methods to bring the audience into the narrative, without disrupting sensitive habitats. The main method which would start solving the presented problem was to use pathways that are descended into the landscape. These pathways would enable better control over where visitors would circulate, while also having control over the sequence of narration that they will experience. Moreover, lowering the average eye-level of people would bring them closer to the dynamics of life happening above and below the soilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface. A prime manifestation of what the Designer was trying to achieve is found at Pedra Tosca Park in Les Preses in Spain (Figures 11 & 12). A segment from an interview carried out with architects RCR Arquitectes reveals intentions to make use of the mataphor pertained from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;.. sea of

rocks resulting from the basalt defile of the Croscat Volcano and man's strenuous labors to win over a miserly bit of earth for cultivation by leveling and de-stoning the land and amassing all the rocks, stones and rubble into stout walls, burial mounds and huts.â&#x20AC;? (Fairs, 2007)

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Figure 11: A wall composed of vertical steel strips strongly defines one of the pathways at the Pedra Tosca Park.

Figure 12: Visitors are descended in a world surrounded by steel and volcanic rock.

"The morphological and tactile ruggedness of the spot captures the eye. The project attempts to foreground the singularity of this landscape and to stimulate the surprise factor in its discovery.â&#x20AC;? (Fairs, 2007)

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19 Figure 13: Pathways at Pedro Tosca Park allow the visitor to be immersed in a sea of rocks.

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By physically lowering the audience (Figures 14 & 15), the Designer thought that greater attention would be given to the way topography changes. Unique narratives will be told about the way landscape was used in past activities such as agriculture and quarrying that is attributed to only that particular location. The same applies for the intimate relationship between the landscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tectorial makeup and the alkaline nature of the soil below it. On a practical level, immersing people into the landscape will conceal them better from easily disturbed fauna.

Figure 14: Designer's notes of initial ideas. 21

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Figure 15: Designer's notes of initial ideas. 22

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A series of pathways structure the narrative sequence experienced in the Crosby Arboretum located in Picayune in Mississippi. The arrangement intertwines through a mosaic of interlocking ecotones that are essentially reconfigured patterns found in the larger landscape of Mississippi. Each of the sectors is managed to reflect different stages of ecological succession (Figure 16), hence becoming representative of varying points in time (Potteiger & Purinton, 1998). It was felt that a similar approach might be suitable in the case of the WSQ site;

I have a feeling that the site was wiped clean when it was extensively quarried. It is as though the clock started ticking only a few years ago. Traces of succession seem early and even throughout the site. (SC Diary, October 2015) The Designer wanted to create as diverse of an experience as possible, for the benefit of both humans and non-humans. Borrowing the idea of creating a series of synecdoches from the Arboretum in Picayune, the Designer started thinking in terms of how the enhanced plot lines could be more dramatic and engaging. This is the point where the idea of designing strong linear pathways in the landscape was fully decided as a way to transect through changing habitats. Rather than utilising signs or words to narrate and educate, these transects would be the means by which the reader would read signatures and processes in the landscape.

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Figure 16: Fire is used periodically to maintain certain exhibits at the Crosby Arboretum.

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Opening the Narrative Generally it is tough for landscape designers to accept that they cannot make meaning, for meaning resides in and evolves with the layers of personal and social experience that are attached to a place. Thus, the opening of landscapes begins with an understanding of the site as a culmination of layers of stories connected to other stories. It is not only the people who live in, work in, experience, and remember the landscape that create ever-changing and multiple meanings, but also the medium itself, which is continuously shifting (Young, 1993). The idea of open narratives derives from contemporary theories that stress the importance of the role of the audience in producing meaning. Opening the narrative shifts the production of meaning from the author to the reader so that the vitality of the work is created by the active and multiple engagement of the reader. According to Treib (1995), the search for meaning is ‘planted’ in the landscape by designers, and subsequently ‘harvested’ by the audience as it evolves.

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Furthermore, Taylor (1997) notes that the users’ experience depends upon a multitude of conditions related to the designer’s capacity to communicate shared values, the users’ willingness to interpret and understand them, and the longevity of the values themselves. It is definitely worth challenging the assumptions designers make that users would be fully engaged in the narratives they try to convey, and that they will fully understand the intricacies in the story line. Referring back to Place Emilie-Gamelin, the narrative brought about by the designed layout and sculpture did resonate with the requirements set by the municipality, however not much so with the actual needs of the community. The fact of the matter is that the design of the public space seemed to appeal more to the tastes of landscape professionals and politicians than those the general public. It was thought that the designer’s need for expression must have blinded them from considering more practical considerations, such as offering shelter for the increasing number of homeless people in the area (Filion, 1993).

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Prior to Place Emilie-Gamelin being constructed, in the same site used to stand a home for the destitute that was run by the Sisters of Providence for over 120 years. Critics argue that none of the powerful narrative of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social and historical context was embodied into the new square (Poullaouec-Gonidec, 1995). Nonetheless, the epitome of the true meaning of the place takes shape in the form of social events such as the State of Emergency (Figure 17). These events gather multitudes of people from varying social and cultural backgrounds to transform the square into a village for the destitute (Valois & Paradis, 2010). Although it has to be said that large-scale gatherings of people are only possible due to issues of scale and flexibility being forethought, the same cannot be expressed for the integration of underlying deep social roots. The true narratives conveyed to most users are not the symbolism alluding to features in Montreal, but those revolving around social diversity and inclusivity. This is so true that over the years, Place Emilie-Gamelin became the symbolic site for several social and political causes (Figure 18). Some say that this is most fitting since it reflects the charitable actions carried out for the less privileged by the Sisters of Providence (Favreau, 1988).

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Figure 17: People from all walks of life gather at Place Emilie-Gamelin for a State of Emergency event.

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Figure 18: Hundreds of people gather at PEG for Montreal 's Annual March for Aboriginal Women.

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The Designer kept in mind that the use of narrative to give meaning to places created must be done through strains in the landscape which have deep roots. Furthermore, it might be the case that this method of creating places was not suitable for the context at White Sands. Barnett (1997) particularly articulates how the narrative approach must not be used as a universal thought structure to forcibly achieve places. In some contexts, Treib (1995) and Taylor (1997) argue that achieving pleasure is more readily achieved and measured than achieving places with meaning. It is the Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tendency to argue that the two concepts in reality overlap each other; places which are pleasurable are generally meaningful and meaningful places are pleasurable. Drawn from personal experience, pleasure is only one emotion of many that could be experienced once a meaningful relationship is established with a place.

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Managing the Storyline Creating mystery continues to be a fundamental means for engaging the reader and a key criterion for evaluating the success of design in engaging the participant (Schama, 1995). A midterm seminar session led by lead tutor Ross Mclean brought the Designer to think about creating elements of suspense and mystery into the way the story is told to the audience. The concealment of secrets and a sense of mystery builds suspense and creates opportunities for personal revelation as well as revelation of the spirit of the place. Many historic picturesque gardens also created suspense by building a series of revelations. At Stourhead in Wiltshire, for instance, a path winds down around the main lake along which the audience gets glimpses of distant temples, grottoes, and other visual climaxes (Figure 19). Similarities in topography and visual corridors with the WSQ site at hand were observed and the Designer intended to work with distant landmarks such as Barns Ness lighthouse (Figure 20) and Torness nuclear power station in a similar fashion as described below;

The landscape is loaded with layers of information. Delivering that information to visitors in digestible segments would be the guiding principle for designing the narrative. (SC Diary, October 2015) 31

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Figure 19: Glimpses of the Pantheon evoke a sense of drama in the narrative experience at Stourhead.

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Figure 20: Barn's Ness Lighthouse lies prominent in the distance from the western side of WSQ site from where this photograph was taken. 33

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One of the layers of information to be conveyed is one concerning the formation of limestone as soft sediment hundreds of millions of years ago, in a time when Scotland was located near the Equator. In fact, the site at White Sands is surrounded by Local Geodiversity Sites that attract the attention of geologists, tourists and historians (Figure 21).

Figure 21: Erosion is responsible for unravelling this astonishing formation of geological narration for visitors to appreciate. 34

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The Botanical Garden in Bordeaux displays an arrangement of eleven separate regional habitats which are shaped by their natural substrate and soil makeup. Visitors are encouraged to walk among the landscapes to observe sections through the varying rock and soil compositions (Reed, 2005). Inspired by this precedent, the need was felt to investigate what lied under the surface of topsoil where the designed trenched pathways were to be excavated. If the limestone bedrock were to be close enough to the surface that it would be revealed along the sides of the pathways, a similar spatial character to that generated at the Garrotxa Volcano Park would have been used to tell a story about the origin of ongoing actions and events in the area. Fieldwork was carried out where soil samples were obtained at certain points along the western perimeter of the WSQ site (Figures 22 & 23). The exercise clearly demonstrated that the depth of the topsoil was deeper than expected. The samples gathered were largely homogenous throughout, leading to the assumption that the soil belonged to undisturbed land prior to excavation and stored in the periphery. Soil profiles observed in adjacent sites were mixed with pieces of bedrock, which correspondingly would have described narratives about disruption and destruction of natural order.

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Figure 22: An auger was used to collect soil samples from numerous locations along the WSQ site.

Figure 23: Collected soil sample showing homogenous soil lacking pieces of broken bedrock.

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Knowing that exposing sections of the disturbed landscape would have little narrative value, an alternative strategy was devised that would utilise concrete as the medium that would act as a catalyst for narration. This versatile material seemed suitable since it tied with the reason as to why limestone was extracted from the site in the first place. More importantly however, concrete walls that would run along the sides of the trenched pathways would serve both as informational media and as agents that would enable the concealing and revealing of views (Figure 24).

Figure 24: An illustration depicting intentions for the use of concrete walls alongside major pathways.

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Given the sedimentary nature of the bedrock at White Sands, the Designer thought it fitting to attempt to fossilise tectorial elements that were found on and around the site (Figure 25). What ensued were a series of experimental and conceptual episodes in the workshop facilities in Hunter Building. Plaster was used as an easily accessible medium that would simulate the ability of concrete to fossilise elements in its matrix (Figures 26 & 27). Seashells collected from the shore of White Sands beach would refer to the decomposing sea creatures that built the bedrock below and fragments of varying aggregate sizes refer directly to the quarrying process. Even the harshness of the clinical straight paths cut through the landscape would allude towards the harsh ways quarrying abruptly disturbed established ecosystems in both space and time.

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Figures 25, 26, 27: .Experimenting with a sped up process of fossilisation.

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Telling a Restorative Narrative Reversing the negative repercussions brought about from excavation is what nature has been doing since human activities at the WSQ site ceased. Although the project brief strictly called for the creation of wildlife habitats, it was the way how this was done in a sequential manner that interested the Designer. A convincing narrative needed to be told by the time the first visitors walked in and thereon after. Picking up principles from the Bordeaux Botanical Garden and the Crosby Arboretum, a series of zones started to be configured; zones representing different types of habitats (Figure 28). The edge habitat around the lake was to be regarded as the most sensitive of habitats where access would be restricted. Shingle from spoil material produced from the adjacent working quarry would be used to aid in the historical narrative, as well as encourage priority bird species to feed and nest there. Zones further away from the lake would be designed and maintained quite differently to enable metaphors of richness and ecological succession to come through.

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Figure 28: A mosiac of habitats as envisioned towards the final stages of design development.

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According to historian William Cronon, â&#x20AC;&#x153;where one choses to begin and end a

story profoundly alters its shape and meaning.â&#x20AC;? (Cronon, 1983). This is exactly why it was important not to solely reflect on the body of the story, but how it begins and ends. Points of entry and exit were strategically located at an early stage in the design process to correlate with the alignment of the coastal John Muir walkway. Due to this arrangement, the beginning and end had to be interchangeable and the suggested narrative be informal and dynamic.

The interweaving of routes would offer choices in the way the narrative would unfold. (SC Diary, November 2015) Routes are designed to pass through spaces that exhibit varying characteristics, both spatial and narrative (Figure 29). A way the temporal dimension of the story would be helped, for instance, would be to plant an array of deciduous trees at multiple phases of the project. Different tree species of various rates of growth and age would engage the audience in a symphony of time (Figures 30 & 31). Seasonal changes of leaf colour and the shedding of leaves would also help in this respect on an annual scale.

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Figure 29: Layers of tracing paper superimposed on a site plan such as this was used to explore various possibilities quickly by hand.

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Figure 30: Mature clumps of trees flanking both sides of this narrow pathway encourages better interaction.

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Figure 31: Suddenly, the narrow path would widen and spill over into an open space for recreational activities such as the one illustrated.

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As people walk along chosen routes, changes in topography and gaps in between trees would allow glimpses at succeeding narratives to come. In particular, an engineered mound would be positioned so that it would be visible as visitors experience the site. Suspense is built as they draw nearer, as they pursue a sense of curiosity and mystery. Depending on what is known in advance would affect the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding and interpretation of the events to follow. The mentioned mound would be both a monument to the past and a place to being anew. Upon reaching the climax, visitors would have the opportunity to learn about the historic Battle of Dunbar and viewpoints would be opened to reveal where exactly it took place. By taking in panoramic views, visitors would be able to grasp an overall understanding of their surroundings, with respect to their elevated position (Figure 32). Contrary to what was discussed at an earlier stgae in this essay about linear and sequential narratives, the experience desired at designated viewing platforms along certain routes would be that of expansiveness, scale and orientation.

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Figure 32: From specific elevated viewing platforms, the audience would be able to gain a more holistic understanding of its surroundings.

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The Finale Narrations in landscape are not linear, and neither is the design process of any project in the realm of landscape architecture. This essay is an attempt at documenting this rather non-linear process in an organised manner, from one consideration to another. To start off, it was described how the Designer came about selecting landscape storytelling as an umbrella under which the design process was explained. Inspired by the tension currently existing at the WSQ site between past and present, thoughts about how the concept of time is narrated and possibly could become a starting point for other narratives that are similarly brought forward from existing materials, events and processes existing already. In that respect, comparisons were made between conveying messages directly through tangible objects that might capture the attention of the more passive user, or fail to truly resonate with the user on a non-superficial level. This is where a discourse about what level of control the designer should have on the spaces created came in, where generally meaning is personal and requires engagement from the audience.

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Controlling spatial characteristics along pathways, for instance, as well as devices that conceal and reveal certain visual corridors are techniques discussed in this essay as ways of creating suspense and mystery. The creative use of locally manufactured materials, as well as that of trees and landform, were among the means by which the Designer attempted to create not only dramatic and pleasurable places, but also those that have meaning.

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List of References Andrews, L., 1995. Story and Space in Renaissance Art: The Rebirth of Continuous NArrative. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Barnett, R., 1997. Gardens without meaning. Landscape Review, 3(2), pp. 21-50. Charney, M., 1989. Un jardin pour le Centre Canadien d’Architecture. Montréal: Centre canadien d’Architecture, pp. 87-102. Chatman, S., 1978. Story and Discourse. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. Cronon, W., 1983. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang. Danto, A., 1985. Narration and Knowledge. New York: Columbia University Press. Favreau, M., 1988. Enfin le Sqaure du quartier latin. La Presse, Issue A7. Filion, S., 1993. Pas en amour. Le Devoir, Issue A10. Gabor, A., 1997. Even Our Most Loved Monumnets Had a Trial by Fire. Smithsonian, Issue May/June. Herrington, S., 2007. Gardens can mean. Landscape Journal, 26(2), pp. 302-317. Potteiger, M. & Purinton, J., 1998. Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories. s.l.:John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Poullaouec-Gonidec, P., 1995. La place Berri à Montréal. In F. Vanlaethem (ed.) La place publique dans la ville contemporaine. Montréal: Éditions Méridien, pp. 101-108. Reed, P., 2005. Groundswell: constructing the contemporary landscape. New York: Art Publishers. Schama, S., 1995. Landscape and Memory. New York: Knopf. Taylor, K., 1997. Design with Meaning. Landscape Review, 3(2), pp. 3-19. Treib, M., 1995. Must landscapes mean? Approaches to significance in recent landscape architecture. Landscape Journal, 14(1), pp. 47-62. Valois, N. & Paradis, J., 2010. Place Émilie-Gamelin in Montréal – landscape narrative, meaning and the uses of public space. Journal of Landscape Architecture, 5(2), pp. 72-83. Young, J. E., 1993. The Texture of Memory: Holocaust Memorials and Meaning. New Haven: Yale University Press.

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