Artificial Excavation of Edinburgh: A New Vegetal Being

ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATIONS OF EDINBURGH: A NEW VEGETAL BEING

ZAID ZULFIKAR PRASLA

ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATIONS OF EDINBURGH: A NEW VEGETAL BEING

ZAID ZULFIKAR PRASLA

Design Research Project: ARCH11015

MSc in Architectural and Urban Design [2020 - 21] Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture The University of Edinburgh

Supervisors: Dr. Maria Mitsoula and Neil Cunning Course Tutors: Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski, Neil Cunning, Leo Xian and Paul Pattinson

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD

i.

PART 1 1. INTRODUCTION

1- 2.

2. THE CITY OF EDINBURGH AND SIMILAR ANALOGIES

3- 5.

A STUDY OF PIRANESI’S CAMPO MARZIO AND PATRICK GEDDES’S EDINBURGH

3. EXCAVATION OF EDINBURGH 3.1. A NEW VEGETAL WORLD

4. A CITY OF MEMORIES: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

6- 8.

7- 8.

9- 30.

4.1. DIAGRAMS: A GENERATIVE DEVICE

9

4.2. EDINBURGH: A DIAGRAMMATIC STUDY OF ITS METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE

10- 30

5. EXCAVATION SITES

31- 79.

5.1. GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE

31- 57.

5.2. SOUTH BRIDGE

58- 77.

5.3. NEW VISUALISATION

78- 79.

PART 2 6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION

81- 92.

6.1. CANNAREGIO, VENICE: 1978

82- 85.

6.2. IBA SOCIAL HOUSING, BERLIN: 1980

86- 87.

6.3. UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM, LONG BEACH: 1986

88- 90.

6.4. CHORA L WORKS, PARC DE LA VILLETTE, PARIS: 1985 - 1986

91- 92.

7. SMOUT ALLEN: A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE

93- 95.

AFTERWORD

96.

APPENDIX I: ARCHIVE OF PREVIOUS WORKS (DP-1 AND DP-2)

97- 110.

APPENDIX II: MEASURED INTENSITIES - SITE PHOTOGRAPHS

111.

APPENDIX III: A CATALOGUE OF INDIGENOUS PLANT SPECIES FOUND IN HOLYROOD PARK

112- 119.

LIST OF FIGURES

120.

LIST OF DRAWINGS

121.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

122.

INDEX

123- 126.

FOREWORD

Caledonia’ is a Latin word used by the Romans to describe the unexplored wilderness of land situated to the north of River Forth in Scotland. However, today the word is used by philosophical thinkers and poets to describe Scotland as a whole. The thesis therefore intends to employ the word ‘Caledonia’ through a new contemporary urban design technique which commences an enquiry of excavating this ecological world of the past in the city of Edinburgh and in doing so, also the whole of Scotland.

In the thesis of ‘ Artificial Excavation of Edinburgh’ 1 the concept of a ground is investigated as an urban artificial stratum of man-made superficial deposits such as roads, concrete, and urban landscapes. This ground is visualised to hold archaeological layers of history alongside the ecological world in the form of ruins, natural sub-soil, and organic materials (plants) buried underneath the modern city of Edinburgh (see Fig. 1). Although Peter Eisenman in his concept of Artificial Excavation does not depend upon archaeology as his device for excavating the ground, my thesis intends to open up an archaeological narrative which utilises both the concepts of ‘archaeology’ and ‘artificial’ in correlation with one another where archaeological diagrams are used to investigate the historical layers of the city buried underneath the ‘artificial’ urban strata and the concept of a physical cut in the ground is employed to expose these layers in the city (see Fig. 2). This new urban narrative revisualizes the city as a site of continuous rediscovery as the ground is strategically and concurrently cut through different time periods (past, present, and future) revealing artificially [re]constructed fragments of memories unscathed in relation to a new vegetal world. 2 1 | Elizabeth Hooper and M. Edgeworth, Different types of archaeological deposits in an urban context.

2 | M. Edgeworth, Excavations in Causeway Lane, Leicester, UK: Composite Section across the Site 1 The phrase ‘Cities of Artificial Excavations’ was first coined by Peter Eisenman for his presentation entry for the competition of IBA Social Housing, Berlin in 1980. See, Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in Cities of Artificial Excavation: The Work of Peter Eisenman, 1978-1988. (Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture and Rizzoli International Publications, 1994).

2 Eduardo Souza, AD Classics: Parc de la Villette/ Bernard Tschumi Architects. ArchDaily, January 09, 2011.

Accessed on July 31, 2021. https://www.archdaily.com/92321/ad-classics-parc-de-la-villette-bernardtschumi. Also as per the feedback given by by the tutors Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski, Dr. Maria Mitsoula and Neil Cunning. Summer Design Research Project. July 02, 2021.

i

The archive is divided into two parts: Part 1 follows the idea of excavation of Edinburgh through a series of diagrams and similar studies of excavation and Part 2 concretises the concept of ‘Artificial Excavation‘ in Edinburgh by providing further case studies of Peter Eisenman and his projects of excavation as well as a contemporary perspective of the ground and its relationship to the vegetal world through the works of Smout Allen.

ii

PART 1

1. INTRODUCTION

‘History is not continuous. It is made up of stops and starts, of presences and absences. The presences are the times when history is vital… the absences are the…voids in between one “run” of history and the next. These are filled by memory. Where history ends, memory begins.’ 3

History plays a vital role in the excavation of the city of Edinburgh. Without knowing the city and its history, it is impossible to trace its memory in order to generate a new presence. Therefore, during Design Project-1, the city of Edinburgh was analysed through an enquiry of historical plans tracing the city through strategic moments in history (1742 A.D., 1787 A.D., 1823 A.D. and 2020 A.D.) following the variations along the South Bridge in order to generate new architectural patterns (see Fig, 3). The theory of a palimpsest of visual memories opened a chapter for further investigations of Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’ where the fictional relationship between the architecture and the city is studied through the project of Moving Arrows, Eros, and Other Errors 4 (see Fig. 4 and 5).The concept of loose leaves of history in the narration of Romeo and Juliet through the city of Verona allows the reader to move in between layers of pages rather than in a linear reading of the archive generating a fictional narrative for each reader as he or she moves through random entry points in reading the archive. Thus, in order to allow different narratives of the same archive and use diagrams as a visual narrator of archaeology, the concept of a palimpsest of loose transparent sheets were adopted for framing the archive visually for the submission. The archive itself is imagined to be sealed in a box: a memory of the city itself as Marcel Duchamp creates an archive full of scraps of papers, comments, writings. and collotype reproductions as shown in Fig. 6. The archive becomes one huge bank of data waiting to be deciphered which engages the reader to interact with the work. 5 The archive thus becomes an artifact of the past which is envisioned to be rediscovered in the year 2050 A.D. where the thesis becomes a guide for the future city to dig artifacts of the past with regard to their new city of Edinburgh.

3 | Zaid Prasla, Generating new architectural patterns through the concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’.

4 | Zaid Prasla, Tracing South Bridge’s history by

5 | Peter Eisenman, Moving Arrows, Eros and

superimposing historical maps.

Other Errors: An Architecture of Absence.

3 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Berlin’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 73.

4 For further study, refer Peter Eisenman, Moving Arrows, Eros, and Other Errors: An Architecture of Absence.

(London: Architectural Association, 1986).

5 Marcel Duchamp, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Green Box). (New York: The Met Museum, 2002). Accessed on August 11, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492389

6 | Marcel Duchamp, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Green Box), 1934. 13 x 11 1/8 x 1 in. (33 x 28.3 x 2.5 cm). The Met Museum, New York. Anonymous Gift, 2002 (2002.42a–vvvv)

1

With the introduction of the ‘New Caledonian Forest’ in the second semester, the city needed to be investigated further back to its origins where there was nothing but the forest in order to trace its memory in the city and vice versa.

With the primary objective of establishing the new vegetal world in the city of Edinburgh, the study of Campo Marzio by Giovanni Piranesi offered a simple question for the thesis, that is, what if this great forest was retraced as it used to exist during its peak glory while searching the ground for artifacts in the modern-day city of Edinburgh? 6 And how can this excavation embrace a new ideology in the relationship between architecture and the forest as it embraces the connection between the architecture and the city? The following question enabled me to reinterpret the ‘ House of Leaves ’ 7 model of South Bridge shown in Fig. 7 through a new vegetal turn. The model was built using leaves from Edinburgh’s ground to understand the concept of the leaf as an architectural device. But the reading of the model through a new understanding in Design Project-2 saw the bridge become a memory of the past buried underneath the current soil which is visualised to be invaded by the plant life. Similarly, it is apparent that the ruins that will be discovered in the thesis will also be covered by plant life and other organic materials which are buried underneath the soil.

While the key research for the thesis revolves around Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘ Artificial Excavation ’, further study was conducted in regard to the new vegetal world through the philosophical perspectives of the Luce Irigaray and Michael Mader’s ‘ Through Vegetal Being ’ 8. The correspondence between the two authors influenced the design project in constructing a new urban design paradigm which recognises the need to abandon the artificial boundaries which separates the human and the vegetal world. The similarities between Michael Marder’s theory of a vegetal being and Patrick Geddes’s gardens in the city is studied further to incorporate the vegetal world through a new perspective.

6 Stanley Allen and G. B. Piranesi, in ‘Piranesi’s “Campo Marzio”: An Experimental Design’., in Assemblage, no. (10). p. 71-80. Accessed on March 18, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171144 7 The initial title for the thesis at the start of the programme was ‘House of Leaves’ which was inspired by the works of the contemporary novelist Mark Z. Danielewski with the same title. However, on further research and investigation of Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’, the title for the thesis was eventually changed to ‘Artificial Excavation of Edinburgh: A New Vegetal Being’.

8 For further details, refer Luce Irigaray and Michael Marder, in Through Vegetal Being: Two Philosophical Perspectives. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2016).

7 | Zaid Prasla, ‘ A House of Leaves’: Study of South Bridge Ruins visualised to be invaded by the ‘New

Caledonian Forest’.

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2. THE CITY OF EDINBURGH AND SIMILAR ANALOGIES A STUDY OF PIRANESI’S CAMPO MARZIO AND PATRICK GEDDES’S EDINBURGH The city of Rome which was once considered as a pinnacle of urban civilisations around the world during the reign of the Roman Empire is still considered to be a paradigm for the new modern civilisations. If we look at Rome today, we can see the city’s past still thriving on the modern streets of Rome as a juxtaposition of different timelines (see Fig.8). As we look back in time, it can be observed that the city endured phases of continuous construction and destruction through different ages with its past getting buried underneath the ground making way for the new Rome to grow. Thus, as the city grew, it became a labyrinth of many cities accumulating layers of history on the very same ground as a memory of its rich past. 9 Sigmund Freud therefore considers the city of Rome not only as a city of human inhabitation but rather a physical entity stimulating the history of its past endeavours where the present city stands tall among the ruins of its memories. The ground which today acts as the foundation for the modern-day church of Christianity is also realised as the ground for the ancient temples of the past Roman Empire over which the church was constructed and its memories buried underneath it. 10 Piranesi’s experimental study at Campo Marzio therefore utilises the concept of Rome by Freud in his work. By focusing his visualisation for the city of Rome to a mere district of Campo Marzio, he generates a fictional reality where the ground exists suspended in time on a shifting indeterminant plane which oscillates between the classicism of the past Rome and the modernism of the today’s city as they both temporarily coincide through time. Piranesi achieves this feat by halting the search for origins of the city and rather proposing to enter time at strategic intervals reconstructing ancient Rome in traces and fragmented ruins in its earliest forms through an excavation of drawings and textual analysis 11 (see Fig. 9 and 10).

9 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Eisenman/ Roberston’s City of Artificial Excavation’ in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 19 10 Ibid. p. 23.

11 Stanley Allen and G.B. Piranesi, in ‘Piranesi’s “Campo Marzio”: An Experimental Design’, in Assemblage, no. (10). p. 71-72. Accessed on March 18, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171144

8 | Zac Thompson, The Site of Julius Caesar Assassination in Rome: A juxtaposition of ancient Rome with the modern one.

3

In following diagram of Piranesi’s study of Campo Marzio, a glimpse of the fragmented traces of the Ancient Classical Rome in a chronological manner from its earliest form as a hill town to the periods of 400 B.C. and 275 A.D. which saw the construction of the frames and borders of the city in the form of the Servian Wall and Aurelian Wall respectively can be seen.

9 | G.B. Piranesi and Stanley Allen, Diagrams showing the chronology and framing of the Campo Marzio in Rome

10 | G.B. Piranesi and Stanley Allen, A collage of fragmented borders and frames on the

city of Rome

4

As Rome, the city of Edinburgh can also be considered as a living memory of its past with the dust of the old city accumulating onto the modern one.

Patrick Geddes, a Scottish town planner and biologist uses similar techniques to Piranesi’s study of Campo Marzio to survey the city of Edinburgh. As Piranesi proposes to record history as ruins and decay through strategic moments in the past, Geddes also envisages the city of Edinburgh not only through the contemporary methodologies of previous surveyors but rather by connecting the modern city with its origins, geographically and historically, tracing the progress of the city through strategic periods of Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and Industrial ages and recording the city through its former and later developments in each era 12 (see Fig. 11 and 12).

11 | Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The beginnings of

12 | Zaid Prasla, The present city of Edinburgh

the first human settlements as a hill fort.

Therefore, in order to excavate artifacts of ancient Edinburgh, it is a prerequisite to understand the city’s history in some degree. Geddes’s survey offers that reading of the city from its origins to the contemporary era. The first human settlements in the city can be traced back to the beginnings of the town as merely a hill fort at Castle Rock with a small fishing dock at Leith across the agricultural plains of the Lothian. The city was a small agricultural village with farming and animal husbandry as the main occupation of the people. During this period, as the city grew, more land belonging to the vegetal world was replaced by new agricultural farms and houses confined to the High Street from the Castle Rock to the Canongate. The city was surrounded by the King’s Wall as a defence against enemy attacks from the south and the ‘Nor Loch’ to the north 13 (see Fig. 13).

As we enter the Middle Ages, we see Scotland in a state of constant conflict with England and in the events that followed in the wake of the disastrous Battle of Flodden in 1513, the city saw the rapid construction of the Flodden Wall around the Cowgate and Grassmarket which was outside the boundaries of the King’s Wall. Due to scenario of an imminent war, the citizens started taking refuge within the safety of the walls causing the city to build over the existing city, deteriorating the once spacious open-air houses in the Old Town to a slumlike condition with buildings within close proximity of one another. 14 The Industrial Age saw the Old Town to decay further into a state of ‘ruin’, neglected by the council and left to die as people moved to the New Town across the Loch which was built for the increasing population of high-class citizens belonging to city nobles, merchants, and lawyers. The New Town yet lacked the basic backbone of workshops and factories which were still located in the Old Town which became a place of ancillary services filled with filth and diseases and occupied by the poorest communities of the city. 15 The city therefore became two cities where one city belonged to the rich and the other belonged to the poor (see Fig. 14).

12 Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The Civic Survey of Edinburgh. (Edinburgh: Civics Department, Outlook Tower, 1911). p. 537.

13 Ibid. p. 542- 548.

14 Ibid. p. 548- 550.

15 Ibid. p. 557.

13 | Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The early town of

14 | Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The two cities of

Edinburgh surrounded by the King’s Wall in 1450 A.D.

Edinburgh

5

3. EXCAVATION OF EDINBURGH

The following study of the city and its history provided the strategic moments in time that is required to reconstruct the ruins of Edinburgh’s past in a fragmented trace. With the introduction of a new networks of architectural agencies in the city, the project revisualizes the city as a series of enzymatic territories where the excavation of the city and the architecture can be read in relation to one another. These agencies are envisioned as the architecture of the future, an intervention by the future city on the ‘artificial’ urban stratum in 2050 A.D. It is the intention of the thesis to deliver the city potential sites of excavation in the future. The location of these agencies is therefore situated along strategic landmarks along the Cowgate which have a rich history, that is Grassmarket, George IV Bridge, South Bridge and Holyrood Park with other potential sites of excavations to be explored in the future (see Fig.15).

Excavation Site 01: Grassmarket

The concept of ‘ Artificial Excavation ’ here diverts significantly from Peter Eisenman’s concept. While Eisenman focuses on artificial devices like grids to excavate the ground and to also recreate artificial fragments of memories which might not even exist on site, the thesis on the other hand focuses on the concept of archaeology as a device for excavation. 16 The traces discovered in Edinburgh’s ground holds these memories in reality and grounds the project in an actual context of history as Piranesi does in his project of Rome. The term ‘artificial’ here identifies the ground, that is the man-made superficial urban layer which holds these memories (see Fig. 1 and 2). The excavation of these memories therefore generates a fictional reality, a reality nonetheless, which is seen as an archaeological milieu, a narration of the city’s historical fragments that are continuously superposed on top of one another in the near future.

Excavation Site 02: George IV Bridge

Excavation Site 03: South Bridge

Excavation Site 04: Holyrood Park

16 For reference regarding Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’, please refer to chapter 6 of the archive.

15 | Zaid Prasla, The locations of the excavation sites along the Cowgate

(2050 A.D.)

6

3. EXCAVATION OF EDINBURGH 3.1. A NEW VEGETAL WORLD Today we live in a heavily artificial world surrounding ourselves with glooming walls and isolating our lives from the diverse world of colours and scents of plants belonging to the ecological being. The theme of the project thus aims to build in association with this ecological world of plants which is excavated in the city projecting the architecture and the new urban design within the memory of the ancient forest which once covered the entirety of Scotland. 17 In an era of climate emergency, the need of the lost ecological world becomes more crucial than ever for the survival of human race as well as endangered plants and animal species. Human intervention through time by pollution and no regards for the realms of the vegetal being has led to global climatic changes which affects our daily weather patterns causing few parts of the world like Sahara to turn into a dry desert while on the other hand places like the UK today experiences more wetter conditions and stronger heatwaves than it used to before cities took over the forests. Such adverse conditions will sooner or later make places unsafe and unhabitable for both plants and humans.18 Therefore, the thesis aims to display a project where the urban territories and the ecological world can co-exist together as one universal garden, a space of appearing where the city exists to be in a forest and a forest appears to be in a city through a series of archaeological excavations. 19 The need for a vegetal world has always been increasing in the cities. As the forest was replaced with the urban world and as our lives became more cramped with walls inching closer and closer, human beings started returning to the world of plants to find solace and to breathe freely. The green areas of the gardens and the parks in the city such as the Princes Street Gardens (see Fig. 16 ) therefore became a site for recreational activities – a site to retreat from the busy city life, away from the pollution and the noise enabling us to forget our daily stresses and our problems and to recover our health in the comfort of the vegetal world. Luce Irigaray in her correspondence with Michael Marder described a similar situation and her sacred relationship with the vegetal being in the form of a garden which she found refuge in as a child surrounding herself in a world of living consisting of plants and animals. Plants are also markers of history as many plants might be standing for centuries silently witnessing the rise and fall of great cities throughout the world. The Holyrood Park (see Fig. 17) in the city of Edinburgh is such an example where the world of plants acts as mnemonic device of memory recording the events of the past and the growth of the city through time form its earliest human settlements to the city as we know it today. Therefore, it becomes important to visualise the park as a catalyst for the introduction of the ‘New Caledonian Forest’ in the city.

17 Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski, in ‘Project Brief 2 2020-2021’, in PARA-situation [Edinburgh]: “The Space of Appearing” Brief 2: FABB/PARA Agencies – A study and Agency for revitalizing, maintaining, and managing the New Caledonian Forest. (Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh, ESALA, 2021). p.8. Also see, Michael Marder, in ‘ A Recovery of the Amazing Diversity of Natural Presence’, in Through Vegetal Being. p. 149.

18 Michael Marder, “The Generative Potential of the Elements”, in Through Vegetal Being. p. 137-140.

19 Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski, in ‘Project Brief 3 2020-2021’, in PARA-situation [Edinburgh]: “The Space of Appearing” Brief 3: Thesis and Archive. (Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh, ESALA, 2021). p. 5.

16 | Zaid Prasla, The Princes Street Gardens, New Town, Edinburgh.

7

The vegetal world which exists today in the city of Edinburgh is restricted with clear boundaries segregating the urban world from the realms of plants.

In order for us to return to this world of the ‘Ancient Caledonian Forest’, the threshold which separates the built environment which we as human inhabit from the natural where the vegetal world thrives needs to be eliminated to move more seamlessly between the two realms and in doing so, rebuild a strong interdependency between the urban and the vegetal world, a new urban world which is more open and transparent towards the environment. 20 The archaeological excavations of the city aims to rebuild this relationship with the forest tracing the lost ecological layer in the excavation which holds memories of the old forest and the organic materials like soil which is retrieved in the process acts as the same ground for the introduction of the ‘New Caledonian Forest’.

17 | Zaid Prasla, Holyrood Park (Salisbury Crags): A mnemonic device for the city.

Patrick Geddes offers another perspective to the vegetal world and its relationship to the realms of men. The renowned Geddes Gardens (see Fig. 18) in the Old Town of Edinburgh stand as a testament to Geddes’s belief creating of a ‘real human life’ which can only be achieved around a garden, a space for communities to bring about social reforms and in doing so transforming the slums in the neglected Old Town into a space for people and tackling social and environmental inequalities in the city. 21 Through the intervention of Patrick Geddes, the Old Town was saved from itself turning further into a state of slums and diseases. The gardens encouraged the participation of the communities and the council in maintaining this new vegetal world and persuaded social reforms to produce local food commodities through gardening vegetables and fruits in the garden at a community level rather than at a personal level. This new vegetal world thus broke the artificial edge that separated the two realms of living and encouraged a growth of the human world around the vegetal one rather than the other way around as Michael Marder mentions about the need to reorganise our lives around the vegetal to survive and flourish.

20 Michael Marder, in ‘ A Recovery of the Amazing Diversity of Natural Presence’, and also see, ‘ Cultivating our Sensory Perceptions’, in Through Vegetal Being, p. 150 and p. 156.

21 Jan Woudstra, in ‘Designing the Garden of Geddes: The Master Gardener and the Profession of Landscape Architecture’, in Landscape and Urban Planning Vol. 178. (Sheffield: Department of Landscape, The University of Sheffield, 2018) Accessed on June 30, 2021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0169204618304079

18 | Zaid Prasla, The Geddes Gardens: A Forest in the city.

8

4. A CITY OF MEMORIES: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 4.1. DIAGRAMS: A GENERATIVE DEVICE In order to excavate the ground and to trace and superimpose time through multiple layers of history, a new urban methodology needs to be employed. A technique is required which allows to study the city as a palimpsest of memory.

Diagrammatic study of history therefore becomes significant in generating the traces of the past from the earliest human settlements to the recent urban development in the city by entering time at strategic moments and highlighting important architectural moments in history which will in present day define the excavations in the city and also trace the time when the ‘Ancient Caledonian Forest’ was at its peak (4,000 B.C.) to the present-day city where the forest is fragmented and exists only in the form of Holyrood Park and the Water of Lieth. 22 In contrary to diagrams, drawings are mere representational tools such as plans, elevations and sections which can be seen as literal mnemonic devices of the final product which lacks the process behind achieving that product.

Therefore, it can be seen why the architects of the neo avant-garde period of 1960s such as Peter Eisenman who are critical in their thinking and design processes preferred the techniques of diagramming and cartographical studies over drawings as diagrams for architects like him are a tool of experimentation and enquiry where the final product has no fixed conclusion to it, and it allows the study to open up a dialogue for future explorations. 23 In other words, while drawings represent plans diagrams consists of historical traces in form of invisible lines which are inked later in the current present and the future acting as a mediator in generation of space and time. 24

Eisenman prefers this ‘superposition’ of diagrams where there is no stability in the ground (artificial) allowing the architecture (figure) and the ground to oscillate between one another. 26 The diagram acts as a surface which receives the inscriptions of the past allowing us the ability to study, preserve and erase traces as needed and in doing so generate new alternative architectural forms from the repressed memory of the trace. 27 Jacques Derrida’s conception of Freud’s double-sided Mystic Writing Pad which is articulated as a series of multiple layers or surfaces where memories of the layers underneath the outermost layer are traced and retained. This conception allows to generate a palimpsest of memory where history is preserved, etched, and even erased through time in order to generate new figures. 28

According to Gilles Deleuze, a diagram is seen as an unstable structure but a structure that also follows a serialisation and prescribed arrangement of diagrammatic systems as one moves from one diagram to the next, new maps are drawn that hold arguments of change and resistance to the existing structure as superimposition of layers between ground and the figure. In other words, while the architectural diagrams are seen as a visual archive of data, Deleuze sees the technique of diagrams as an abstract study in form of maps and cartography that is seen as both visual as well as expressive. According to R.E. Somol, Deleuze’s understanding of diagrams is both abstract and concrete, that is, something that can be found in the process and something that can be manipulated to create an entirely new archival system. 25

22 See Peter Eisenman and R.E. Somol, in ‘Dummy Text, or the Diagrammatic Basis of Contemporary Architecture’, in Diagram Diaries. (London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1999). p. 7-8.

23 Mark Dorrian, , in ‘Architecture’s Cartographic Turn’, in Figures de la Ville et Construction des Savoirs: Architecture, Urbanisme, Geographic. Ed. F. Pousin. (Paris: CNRS Editions, 2005). p. 61-69.

24 Peter Eisenman and R.E. Somol, in ‘Peter Eisenman: An Original Scene of Writing’, in Diagram Diaries. p. 27-28.

26 Ibid. p. 30.

27 Ibid. p. 32- 33.

28 Ibid. p. 33- 34.

25 Ibid. p. 29- 30.

9

4. A CITY OF MEMORIES: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 4.2. EDINBURGH: A DIAGRAMMATIC STUDY OF ITS LOVING METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE The following section intends to study the city of Edinburgh through a similar concept of a palimpsest of memory where the city becomes a transparent surface where history is etched, and preserved as it progresses through time.

The archival system of tracing the city of Edinburgh is similar to Freud’s concept of a double-sided Mystic Writing Pad and Eisenman’s experimentation of the project ‘Moving Arrows, Eros, and Other Errors’ 29 articulating layers of memory underneath the present layer inscribing history and the layer of immanence (future) even as the traces are erased permanently as the city grows through time.

Therefore in order to articulate each layer of presence, absence, and immanence distinctly, colours are employed to each of the following layers in each map where gold represents the layer of presence, grey represent the layer of absence or memory, and dotted lines are used to identify the layer of immanence or future which is yet to come as show in Fig.19.

29 Refer, Peter Eisenman, Moving Arrows, Eros, and Other Errors: An Architecture of Absence. Also, refer to Peter Eisenman and R.E. Somol, in ‘Peter Eisenman: An Original Scene of Writing’, in Diagram Diaries. p.

33- 34.

19 | Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh, 1851 A.D. showing the

layers of presence, absence, and immanence

10

4,000 B.C.

The ‘Ancient Caledonian Forest’ flourished in Scotland around this time. It was a home of variety of plant species, marshlands, peats, and shrubs.

11

D.01 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (4,000 B.C.)

12

500 A.D.

As the human civilisation flourished in the city, the forest was slowly cut down to make way for new farms and homes for the growing population.

13

D.02 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (500 A.D.)

14

1450 A.D.

The medieval town was surrounded by the defensive King’s Wall along the outer periphery. During this time, Cowgate and Grassmarket located in the valley below the High Street became a thoroughfare to bring in agricultural products and cattles to the market.

15

D.03 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (1450 A.D.)

16

1742 A.D.

A secondary defensive wall was hastily erected after the Battle of Flodden to protect the Cowgate and Grassmarket area which were located outside the protection of King’s Wall.

17

D.04 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (1742 A.D.)

18

1787 A.D.

As the Old Town became relatively unhabitable for many, the demand for a new town grew leading to the development of a New Town across the Loch. The North Bridge was constructed in 1775 connecting New Town to Old Town.

19

D.05 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (1787 A.D.)

20

1817 A.D.

The South Bridge was constructed in the year 1788 demolishing three of the poorest neighbourhoods in Cowgate, that is the Niddry’s Wynd, Peebles Wynd and Marlin’s Wynd connecting the New Town further to the university.

21

D.06 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (1817 A.D.)

22

1851 A.D.

The Waverly Railway Station was constructed in the place of ‘Nor Loch’ and The Mound was constructed over the Garden further connecting the New Town to the Old Town. The Mound in turn became a site for the iconic RSA Building and the Scottish National Gallery.

23

D.07 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (1851 A.D.)

24

PRESENT DAY

As the city reached the present day, it becomes evident that the forest which once covered the city was lost and now exists in a fragmented memory in form of Holyrood Park and the Water of Leith. Edinburgh’s ground still can be seen holding these historical memories which are waiting to be rediscovered.

25

D.08 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (PRESENT DAY)

26

2050 A.D. (THE FUTURE CITY)

The year is 2050 A.D. It is assumed the city has discovered the archive buried with the city of the past (2020 A.D.). The document is created to provide the city the immediate sites of excavation along the Cowgate that is, Grassmarket, George IV Bridge, South Bridge, and Holyrood Park with other potential sites that can be explored in the near future.

27

D.09 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (2050 A.D.)

28

D.10 |

LOCATIONS OF POTENTIAL EXCAVATION SITES IN THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (2050 A.D.)

29

D.11 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER EDINBURGH’S GROUND (2050 A.D.)

30

5. EXCAVATION SITES 5.1. GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE

31

D.12 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (4,000 B.C.)

33

D.13 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (500 A.D.)

34

D.14 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (1450 A.D.)

35

D.15 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (1742 A.D.)

36

D.16 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (1787 A.D.)

37

D.17 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (1851 A.D.)

38

D.18 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (PRESENT DAY)

39

D.19 |

SECTION THROUGH GRASSMARKET: A STUDY THROUGH TIME

2020 A.D.

1800 A.D.

1500 A.D.

500 A.D.

4000 B.C.

40

D.20 |

SERIES OF ENZYMATIC TERRITORIES: EXCAVATION OF GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

41

D.21 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER GRASSMARKET AND GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

42

D.22 |

SERIES OF ENZYMATIC TERRITORIES: LONG SECTION THROUGH GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

43

D.23 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

44

D.24 |

FABB: SECTION THROUGH THE EXHIBITION CENTRE, GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

45

D.25 |

FABB: AXONOMETIC VIEW OF THE EXHIBITION CENTRE, GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

46

D.26 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER THE EXHIBITION CENTRE (2050 A.D.)

47

D.27 |

STUDY: SECTION THROUGH THE EXCAVATION SITE, EXHIBITION CENTRE (2050 A.D.)

48

D.28 |

PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE EXCAVATION SITE: EXHIBITION CENTRE, GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

49

D.29 |

PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE EXCAVATION SITE: EXHIBITION CENTRE IN THE NEW VEGETAL WORLD, GRASSMARKET (2050 A.D.)

50

D.30 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

52

D.31 |

FABB: SECTION THROUGH THE NEW LIBRARY, GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

53

D.32 |

FABB: AXONOMETRIC VIEW OF THE NEW LIBRARY, GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

54

D.33 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER THE NEW LIBRARY (2050 A.D.)

55

D.34 |

STUDY: SECTION THROUGH EXCAVATION SITE, THE NEW LIBRARY (2050 A.D.)

56

D.35 |

PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE EXCAVATION SITE: THE NEW LIBRARY, GEORGE IV BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

57

5. EXCAVATION SITES 5.2. SOUTH BRIDGE

58

D.36 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (4,000 B.C.)

60

D.37 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (500 A.D.)

61

D.38 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (1450 A.D.)

62

D.39 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (1742 A.D.)

63

D.40 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (1787 A.D.)

64

D.41 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (1817 A.D.)

65

D.42 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (1851 A.D.)

66

D.43 |

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: SOUTH BRIDGE (PRESENT DAY)

67

D.44 |

SECTION THROUGH SOUTH BRIDGE: A STUDY THROUGH TIME

2020 A.D.

1800 A.D.

1500 A.D.

4000 B.C.

68

D.45 |

SERIES OF ENZYMATIC TERRITORIES: EXCAVATION OF SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

69

D.46 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER COWGATE (2050 A.D.)

70

D.47 |

SERIES OF ENZYMATIC TERRITORIES: LONG SECTION THROUG SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

71

D.48 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

72

D.49 |

FABB: SECTION THROUGH THE NEW RESIDENCES, SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

73

D.50 |

FABB: AXONOMETRIC VIEW OF THE NEW RESIDENCES, SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

74

D.51 |

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS BURIED UNDER THE NEW RESIDENCES, SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

75

D.52 |

STUDY: SECTION THROUGH THE EXCAVATION SITE, THE NEW RESIDENCES (2050 A.D.)

76

D.53 |

PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE EXCAVATION SITE: THE NEW RESIDENCES, SOUTH BRIDGE (2050 A.D.)

77

D.54 |

AXONOMETRIC VIEW FROM THE SOUTH BRIDGE: THE NEW LOVING METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE OF EDINBURGH (2050 A.D.)

78

D.55 |

AXONOMETRIC VIEW FROM THE GRASSMARKET: THE NEW LOVING METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE OF EDINBURGH (2050 A.D.)

79

PART 2

80

6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION

As evident in the project of ‘ Artificial Excavation of Edinburgh’, the works of Peter Eisenman has heavily influenced the design and the methodology for excavating the city. Although through the thesis, the project has deviated significantly from Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘excavation’ through an archaeological turn, many of his projects such as the Cannaregio (1978), Berlin (1980), Long Beach (1986) and Chora L (1985- 86) were notable in providing the necessary foundation for my concept of ‘ Artificial Excavation ’.

As Eisenman, my project also sees history as a tool for enquiry and grounding the project in reality. In a conversation with Alan Balfour and Jean-François Bédard, Eisenman was asked about this need for history in his project of Berlin where he clarifies this concept of history.

He explains,

‘It is a way to legitimate the project... [However even] to this day, I am still inventing stories about these projects because I am so fearful of any personal expressionism, let us say of the hand of the author.’ 30

Thus even in my project, history and cartographical mapping therefore becomes a tool for manufacturing new urban design paradigm where history interprets the figurations such as the ruins of the Flodden Wall or the King’s Wall which are discovered on the excavation sites. As Eisenman, my work looks to move away from any of my personal authoritarianism and neutralises my hand in the design. 31 Hence, I just become an author who records history through time and interprets them through texts and diagrams as Piranesi does in his experimental project of Campo Marzio in Rome.

The following sections evaluates briefly each ofthe projects by Peter Eisenman and why his projects were incompatible with my concept of excavation.

30 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Conversation with Peter Eisenman’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 122.

31 Ibid. p. 124.

81

6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION 6.1. CANNAREGIO, VENICE: 1978 Before the project at Cannaregio, Eisenman’s study focused solely on an architectural body in itself without a site or a context. The early houses of Eisenman’s explorations focused on the string of a larger thought process through a series of transformational diagrams where each of the previous diagram functioned as the foundation for the new one. Thus it was evident that it was only in Cannaregio project where these houses were finally grounded onto a real site and a real context. 32 The project of Cannaregio follows a literal study of the site through three texts representing the past, present and the future.

Peter Eisenman describes these three texts as:

The concept of excavation and hidden memories in this project is utilised through a simple idea of a cut in the ground. The diagonal cut thus exposes these memories of the past onto the present city. The representation of the diagrams also speak a hidden memory of the past where the gold represents the represents the gold of Venice as well as the mysticism of the alchemist Giordano Bruno who was martyred and the Venetian red represents his death and martyrdom: a hidden memory of the city of Venice is embraced in the idea of excavating the past. 36 The project at Cannaregio is the first project where the concept of ground and excavation was used. The ground became a vessel for the architecture along with the memories of the past and the future. The thesis follows a similar notion of textualisation of the concept of past, present, and future where the ground is seen containing memories of the past which are excavated in the present city of Edinburgh and the architecture is visualised as the object of the future city.

‘Three prevailing “isms” of architecture [that] involve nostalgia, a malaise involving memory – modernism, a nostalgia for the future; postmodernism, a nostalgia for the past; and contextualism, a nostalgia for the present.’ 33

The memory of the future involves modernism, the superimposition of the artificial grid of Le Corbusier’s Venice Hospital which was never constructed recognises this era of modernism which challenges the irregular context of Venice as an ‘Emptiness of the Future’ where Eisenman establishes the grid as the potential sites for his houses in the near future 34 (see Fig. 20- 21). The houses on the other hand represent the present through contextualism where the objects though lifeless blocks serve as a contextual object located in existing site of Cannaregio. However, the scales of the objects differ from one another: where one was too small to be considered to be an inhabitable place (maybe a model of the house?), one was maybe of the size of a house with the smaller object (the model, perhaps?) incorporated in this body which might change the language of the object itself from a house to maybe a museum and one too large to be considered a house incorporated both the model and the house itself (see Fig. 22). The interchangeable scale throughout the project makes it difficult to predict the real scale of the object creating an artificial sense of the blocks itself with its architectural language and functionality of the objects changing at every point. 35 It eliminates the relationship of the context and human proportion to the architecture as it can be seen in his drawings of the houses which appear to be abstract and disproportional to a human scale and literally uninhabitable which challenges the concept of reality in his project.

32 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Modernity versus Postmodernity in Peter Eisenman’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 32.

36 Ibid. p. 48- 50.

33 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Cannaregio’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 47.

34 Ibid.

35 Ibid. p. 47- 48.

82

20 | Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing:

axonometric including Cannaregio West and Le Corbusier’s Venice Hospital, 1978. Pen and black ink with transparent coloured adhesive film on acetate over gold cardboard, 99.7 x 99.7 cm.

83

21 | Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing: site plan, 1978.

Pen and black ink with transparent coloured adhesive film on acetate over beige Pantone paper, 99.7 x 99.7 cm.

84

22 | Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Sectional model of el

structure. Grey, beige, and pink paint over wood with Plexiglas, 100.3 x 100.3 x 27.0 cm

85

6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION 6.2. IBA SOCIAL HOUSING, BERLIN: 1980 Eisenman for his Berlin project studied the transformation of Friedrichstadt from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as patterns of urban topographies to the total destruction of the district during the war where the three buildings on the site were the only surviving artifact of the past. The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 severed the city from its past breaking it into two different realities and freezing the history of the city as a void of absence filled with memory into the new presence of the Wall. 37 Thus, Berlin was the first project where the site was archaeologically excavated.

But what differentiates the excavation to be determined as ‘artificial’ is the application of the Mercator grid which does not belong to the memory of the site and act as a tool for the excavation. As the grid mines deeper into the memory of the site, historical traces of the eighteenth-century walls and the foundation stones dating back to the nineteenth century are discovered. These walls and the foundation stones although are not real archaeological artifacts, they are reconstructed artificially to symbolise the history of the site.38 Eisenman amalgamates the memory of the recent history of the Berlin Wall with the project by destabilising the ground and artificially raising the ground to new level by matching the height of the Mercator grid to 3.3 metres that is equivalent to the height of the Berlin Wall and tilting the new datum of Mercator walls to 3.3 degrees in relation to its height. The Mercator Walls thereby became the new artificial ground rendering the history of the city and its memories in an inaccessible void visible below as the ruins of the old city of Berlin in association with the contemporary city which is acknowledged by the modern-day world through the decks of the Mercator grid 39 (see FIg. 23- 24).

In Berlin, Eisenman explores the concept of history and memory archaeologically which was absent in his earlier project of Cannaregio where the excavation was only introduced to ground the architecture on the site. The ground in Berlin however, is visualised to hold the archaeological artifacts belonging to a different milieu which are resurfaced by the superimposition of the Mercator grid. The project is narrated by history and not Eisenman where he just plays the role of an archaeologist who records the discoveries found in the ground.

Although the artifacts in the ground are artificially constructed by Eisenman, they give a sense of reality ssociated with the site and its context (Berlin Wall).

The thesis explores this concept in excavating archaeologically for artifacts of the past but uses the real historical traces to discover them. The excavation of time in Edinburgh is based on real artifacts which may include foundation walls, soil, and rocks rather than artificially reconstructed objects as seen in the Berlin project.

23 | Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Conceptual diagrams, 1980. Transparent coloured adhesive film

on photostat, 46.2 x 36.0 cm and 46.6 x 37.3 cm.

37 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Berlin’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 74.

38 Ibid. p. 75- 76.

39 Ibid. p. 78- 80.

86

24 | Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing: site plan, 1980. Transparent coloured

adhesive film on photostat, 92.0 x 92.0 cm

87

6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION 6.3. UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM, LONG BEACH: 1986 The University Art Museum at Long Beach challenges the old design processes and the functionality of an architecture. Eisenman in the project queries the role of architecture itself as a ‘shelter’ and tries to revisualize the programme, and the function of the architecture as an invention in ‘fiction’ which investigates the building’s own history through design. The vision for the project was to imagine what the site might look like a hundred years after the university campus was formed and two hundred years following the settlement of the state of California itself. The theory was to envision the excavation of the building through time as a ruin of the historical memories buried in the ground as palimpsest of surfaces.

As one might rediscover the Art Museum in 2049, he might learn about the memories of the old civilisation and the city through the artifacts discovered in the ground 40 (see Fig. 25- 27).

The excavation generates a narrative of architecture’s own history where the architecture represents an archive of a lost civilisation rediscovered in the future through traces and memories of surfaces as how ‘ sometimes stone bears the mark of a riverbed, sometimes the outlines of county lines, sometimes the mark of writing .’ 41 As Berlin, history narrates this project at Long Beach. While in the Berlin project Eisenman used archaeology to excavate the city’s past, here the site’s future narrates the story of the present and the past where the programme of the architecture is to investigate its own history.

The idea of visualising the site as a ruin buried under a new ground in 2049 holding these memories creates a sense of an archaeological narrative. A similar concept is employed in the project of ‘ Artificial Excavation of Edinburgh’ where the city and even this archive is visualised to be rediscovered in the year 2050 through an archaeological excavation of the city’s past ground and the new vegetal world.

40 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘Long Beach’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 131- 132.

25 | Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Photometric survey of the California State University

41 Ibid. p. 132.

at Long Beach Campus, September 11, 1985.

88

26 | Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation model: upper level plan relief, phase

4, between June 2 and August 5, 1986. Transparent coloured adhesive film and gold paint on the white museum board, 80.0 x 75.5 cm

89

27 | Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation drawing:

site plan, phase 4, August 5, 1986. Transparent coloured adhesive film and gold paint on photostat, 28.1 x 22.0 cm 90

6. A STUDY OF PETER EISENMAN’S ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION 6.4. CHORA L WORKS, PARC DE LA VILLETTE, PARIS: 1985- 1986 Parc de la Villette planned by Bernard Tschumi challenged the traditional design concepts as Eisenman does in his project by visualising the park as a site of continuous rediscovery where the natural and the artificial exists in association with one another rather than designing the park through a traditional landscapeoriented concept. The project encourages explorations and interactions with the architectural follies –red steel framed structures acting as a point of reference for explorations in the park with an informal programme permitting the user to interpret the functionality of the object as per their requirements 42 (see Fig. 28).

The garden designed by Peter Eisenman in collaboration with Jacques Derrida in the Parc de la Villette attempts to disrupt the time and place with a similar comparison of Cannaregio in Venice. The elements of memory on the site which consists of city walls, a slaughterhouse, and the follies designed by Tschumi which can also be found in Eisenman’s Cannaregio project. In order to dislocate time and place and excavate these memories on the site, the garden is superimposed with Eisenman’s project in Cannaregio and scaled to the site boundary, thereby disturbing the site with another site 43 (see Fig. 29).

The ground is stratified with these layers of past, present, and future from both the sites as a park of stone and water with no vegetation following the conceptual idea of a 21st century park which confronts the traditional design concept of a heavily landscaped garden.

The concept of Tschumi’s 21st century park through the design of the architectural follies bears a similar resemblance to Eisenman’s el structures. However, the follies have a scale and proportion associated with it. It can be interpreted as an habitable space. Tschumi uses these objects as a point of reference in the large park with an open-end functionality which changes as per the user, for instance, the folly can be a cafe or an information centre or even just a viewing deck with no furniture. The concept of disjunction in architectural design allows the space to be flexible in its programme. The networks of architectural agencies in the city of Edinburgh are designed through a simar concept where the agencies lack a properly framed function attached to it. The reason to disjunct architecture in the thesis was to assume that the architecture belonged to the future and is yet to be constructed by the future city and hence thhe concept of architecture cannot be defined in this current present.

The concept of follies allowed my thesis to have a visualisation set in the future year of 2050 where the architecture becomes the catalyst for the excavation of the city.

42 Eduardo Souza, AD Classics: Parc de la Villette/ Bernard Tschumi Architects. ArchDaily, January 09, 2011. Accessed on July 31, 2021. https://www.archdaily.com/92321/ad-classics-parc-de-la-villette-bernardtschumi 43 Jean-Francois Bedard and Alan Balfour et. al., in ‘La Villette’, in Cities of Artificial Excavation. p. 187- 188.

28 | Bernard Tschumi, Grid of follies superimposed on the Parc de la Villette site and the Canal de la

Villette, Paris, 1983.

91

29 | Office of Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation model of the second scheme, September

1986. Pink, grey, and gold paint over basswood, 10.2 x 61.3 x 61.1 cm.

92

7. SMOUT ALLEN: A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE

Peter Eisenman’s concept of ‘The Cities of Artificial Excavation’ follows a decade long investigation regarding the stratification of ground as a surface of memory.

History plays an important role in his projects although he doesn’t prefer the concept of an actual archaeological excavation, but rather induces a condition where two to three layers of history, and a formal artificial apparatus (grids) are superposed to generate an entirely new situation on the site. Eisenman also challenges the question of architecture in reality itself. For instance, in Cannaregio, the scaling of the architectural object disjuncts the architecture from its context and human proportion rendering the objects physically uninhabitable. The ground acts as an object itself which holds the architecture as well as the memories of its past.

Smout and Allen’s interpretation of ground on an ecological stage along with Eisenman’s concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’ which disjuncts architecture from reality and places it into a ground of historical memories provides a unique interpretation of ground for two different philosophies.

Similar to the works of Smout and Allen as well as Eisenman, the thesis situated in the city of Edinburgh traces historical memories of the city as archaeological artifacts artificially reconstructed in the ground and in the process of excavation restore the lost ecological world in association with the architecture of the future. The ground is therefore stratified with layers of urban and ecological territories existing in equilibrium with one another.

But what is missing?

While Eisenman successfully navigates the concept of excavation and the ground in his projects, but it still lacks the fundamental connection to the ecological landscapes. The architectural explorations in projects like Berlin where the ground holds artificially reconstructed memories yet it forgets the simple excavation of the soil itself and the vegetal being.

Mark Smout and Laura Allen in their projects delve into a new contemporary design research methodology where their projects envision the ground as an object of establishing an active relationship between the ecological and urban territories. In the projects of ‘Future Assemblies’ and ‘Rescue Lines’, where the hedgerows in the UK which are usually seen as the edges of properties and agricultural fields are also observed as an ecological corridor for the wildlife. 44 Following the project of ‘Future Assembly’, ‘Rescue Lines’ (see Fig. 30) carries the work forward to propose a new linear world of vegetation resembling the ‘hedgerow’ in the form of both ancient forest and the modern one restored in ground and connected to one another. This linear landscape provides the wildlife a safe passage between different territories. The idea behind this project was to elaborate ground as new landscapes for endangered plant species to be cultivated and preserved in this natural conservatory and offer a home for the wildlife which reside in the soil and air such as worms, moulds, and birds. 45

44 Mark Smout and Laura Allen, in ‘Future Assembly: Hedgerows’, in 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale The Central Pavilion, Giardini. Accessed on July 04, 2021. http://www.smoutallen.com/future-assembly

‘…The space of appearing as spaces where buildings appear to forest as forest appear to buildings.’ 46

46 Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski, in ‘Project Brief 3 2020-2021’, in PARA-situation [Edinburgh]. p. 5.

45 Mark Smout and Laura Allen, In ‘Rescue Lines’ in 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale The Central Pavilion, Giardini. Accessed on July 04, 2021. http://www.smoutallen.com/rescue-lines

93

30 | Smout Allen, Rescue Lines: Forest Mythology, 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale, The Central

Pavilion, Giardini, May 2021.

94

31 | Visualising the city in the vegetal being.

AFTERWORD

The thesis explored the concept of ‘artificial’ and ‘archaeology’ in correlation with one another through a series of diagrams related to the history of Edinburgh.

In the project, the author is recognised as a mere narrator of archaeology who represents history through a diagrammatic understanding of the artifacts buried underneath the city where the archive itself is considered an artifact here which is to be lost in the current year (2020 A.D.) in Edinburgh’s ground and rediscovered in the year 2050 A.D. by the future city council.

The archive is designed to help the future city to identify locations of archaeological excavations along the Cowgate. The methodology of urban design here also provides a guide for the future where the past, present, and their future can be built in correlation with one another, for example, in the Exhibition Centre located in Grassmarket (2050 A.D.), the ruin of the 18th century foundation and the 20th century walls are used to support the architecture of the future and the spaces underneath the ground are revitalised as habitable spaces. It also helps to expose these lost historical memories and the ecological memories in relation to the new ‘artificial’ man-made ground.

The archive thus provides a plan for current excavations (2050 A.D.) where fragments of memories are discovered in 2020 A.D. and also identifies potential future sites where excavation might take place generating a PARA-situation of excavation in the city of Edinburgh.

Peter Eisenman and his concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’ provided the necessary foundation and design methodology in generating my own concept of urban design in relation to archaeology. While his projects disjuncts the architecture from reality and the human proportion, my thesis intends to reintegrate the architecture to a human proportion as well to build in relation to the ecological layers that narrates an archaeological as well as the phenomenological experience of time, place, and the vegetal being.

In summary, the overall idea of the programme and the thesis is to look at the city through a new urban design principle which disjuncts itself from the traditional design processes and methodologies. The thesis therefore provide an alternate narrative of a city that is enquired through history which influences the urban design techniques for the present city and also the city of the future building in equilibrium with those memories of the past.

96

APPENDIX I

DISCOVERING THE CITY

ARCHIVE: DESIGN PROJECT - 1

A01. Zaid Prasla, The City of Edinburgh (Present day) (Scale 1:1000)

A02. Zaid Prasla, Site photographs

A03. Zaid Prasla, Section through the Royal Mile (Scale 1:1000)

A04. Zaid Prasla, Section across the New Town and Edinburgh Castle (Scale 1:1000)

A05. Zaid Prasla, Section through the Holyrood Park (Salisbury Crags) (Scale 1:1000)

97

SOUTH BRIDGE

EDINBURGH’S GEOLOGY A06. Zaid Prasla, Geological Mapping: The city of Edinburgh and surrounding

EDINBURGH’S TOPOGRAPHY

areas (Scale 1:10000)

A08. Zaid Prasla, ‘A House of Leaves’: Study Model of the South Bridge. Bamboo sticks and thread mounted on a hardboard. 84.1 x

59.4 cm.

A07. Zaid Prasla, Topographic Map: The city of Edinburgh and the surrounding

A09. Zaid Prasla, ‘A Book Nook’: Study Model of the South Bridge. Books, leaves, and hardboard. 29.7 x 21.0 cm.

areas (Scale 1:10000)

98

SOUTH BRIDGE: TRACING HISTORY A10. Zaid Prasla, Tracing South Bridge’s History by superimposing historical maps. Acrylic

A11. Zaid Prasla, Generating new architectural patterns through the concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’

SOUTH BRIDGE: THE NEW VISUALISATION

Sheets 30.0 x 30.0 cm.

A12. Zaid Prasla, Long Section through the new visualisation of the South Bridge (Scale 1:100)

99

SOUTH BRIDGE: THE NEW VISUALISATION A13. Zaid Prasla, Cross Section through the new visualisation of the South Bridge (Scale

A14. Zaid Prasla, Isometric View: The new visualisation of South Bridge

1:100)

(Scale 1:100)

100

APPENDIX I

4000 B.C.

GRASSMARKET: TRACING TIME

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH: TRACING TIME

ARCHIVE: DESIGN PROJECT - 2

2000 B.C.

500 A.D.

1450 A.D.

1742 A.D.

101

GRASSMARKET: TRACING TIME

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH: TRACING TIME

1787 A.D.

1817 A.D.

1851 A.D.

2020 A.D. A16. Zaid Prasla, Series of Enzymatic Territories: Tracing Grassmarket through history (Scale 1:200)

2024 A.D. A15. Zaid Prasla, TLML: Tracing Edinburgh through history (Scale 1:2000)

102

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH: NEW VISUALISATION

A17. Zaid Prasla, Axonometric View: The visualisation of the trail for the New Caledonian Forest along the Cowgate (Scale 1:2000)

103

GRASSMARKET: A NEW URBAN DESIGN

A18. Zaid Prasla, Grassmarket as it exists today (Scale 1:200)

A19. Zaid Prasla, The superimposition of the Skara Brae sub-terranean corridor (Scale 1:200)

A20. Zaid Prasla, The ‘Artificial Excavation’ of Grassmarket (Scale 1:200)

A21. Zaid Prasla, Diagrammatic Study of tracing and superimposing Skara Brae onto the Grassmarket

104

GRASSMARKET: A NEW URBAN DESIGN

A22. Zaid Prasla, Long Section through the proposed Grassmarket (Scale 1:200)

A23. Zaid Prasla, Cross Section through Grassmarket as it exists today (Scale 1:50)

A24. Zaid Prasla, Cross Section through the proposed Grassmarket (Scale 1:50)

A25. Zaid Prasla, Paper Study Model: The proposed landscape of Grassmarket

(Scale 1:50)

105

FABB: EXHIBITION CENTRE, GRASSMARKET

A27. Zaid Prasla, Section through the proposed Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (Scale 1:50)

A28. Zaid Prasla, Cross Section through the proposed Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (Scale 1:50)

A26. Zaid Prasla, The proposed Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (Scale 1:50)

A29. Zaid Prasla, Perspective View: The Proposed Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (Scale 1:100)

106

FABB: LIBRARY, GEORGE IV BRIDGE A30. Zaid Prasla,The proposed Library, George IV Bridge (Scale 1:50)

A31. Zaid Prasla, Section through the proposed Library, George IV Bridge (Scale 1:50)

107

SOUTH BRIDGE: A NEW URBAN DESIGN

A32. Zaid Prasla, Long Section through South Bridge (Scale 1:200)

A33. Zaid Prasla, Axonometric View: South Bridge (Scale 1:200)

A34. Zaid Prasla, Cross Section through the South Bridge (Scale 1:100)

108

FABB: WRITER’S RESIDENCE

A35. Zaid Prasla, Study Model: Cross Section through the South Bridge (Scale 1:100)

A36. Zaid Prasla, Study Model: Residence Studio (FABB) (Scale 1:50)

109

APPENDIX I ARCHIVE: THE WORK OF MSC AUD 2020 - 2021 ON MIRO

DESIGN PROJECT - 1

DESIGN PROJECT - 2

DESIGN RESEARCH PROJECT

110

APPENDIX II MEASURED INTENSITIES: SITE PHOTOGRAPHS

S01. Zaid Prasla, Grassmarket

S02. Zaid Prasla, Victoria Street

S03. Zaid Prasla, Cowgate

S04. Zaid Prasla, Cowgate

S05. Zaid Prasla, Niddry Street

S06. Zaid Prasla, Niddry Street

S07. Zaid Prasla, Blair Street

S08. Zaid Prasla, The site for the new residence

along the South Bridge

S09. Zaid Prasla, Cowgate

S10. Zaid Prasla, St. Patrick’s Church,

S11. Zaid Prasla, Scottish Parliament

S12. Zaid Prasla, Salisbury Crags

Cowgate

111

APPENDIX III A CATALOGUE OF INDIGENOUS PLANT SPECIES FOUND IN HOLYROOD PARK 47

1. MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA

iv) Callitriche quatica

i) Chara vulgaris

Commonly known as Water Starwort

Commonly known as Common Chara.

(Algae)

Habitat - Found in still or slow moving water

Habitat - Freshwater species; found in ponds, ditches, rivers etc.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to September but has petal less insignificant flower.

Charateristic - Annual and Perennial forms where plants surviving the winter give rise to new shoots next year.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Found in Duddingston Loch

ii) Hippuris vulgaris Commonly known as Mare’s-Tail Habitat - Found in bogs, and ponds.

Characteristic - It is in flower from June to July. Pollinated by Wind.

Found in Duddingston Loch

2. DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA i) Circaea alpina Commonly known as Enchanter’s night-shade.

Common

Habitat - Forests, shores of lakes or rivers, swamps and ditches Charateristic - Low-growing green, thinleaved and small-flowered plant which flowers in July. It is transported by wildlife.

Found in west side of Arthur’s Seat

iii) Chara translucens ii) Veronica Scutellata Commonly known as Great Transparent Chara (Algae)

Commonly known as Marsh Speedwell.

Habitat - Found in shallow and deep waters of soft water or acidic lakes.

Habitat - Damp grounds, pond margins, marshes and bogs.

Characteristic - It is spread by spores transported by wildlife and grow in clumps at the bottom of lakes and ponds.

Charateristic - Flowering period from June to August and is pollinated by flies.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Found in Duddingston Loch; Marshy land east-side of Arthur’s Seat

47 James Woodforde, in A Catalogue of the Indigenous Phenogamic Plants, Growing in the Neighbourhood of Edinburgh; and of Certain Species of the Class Cryptogamia: With Reference to their Localities. (Edinburgh: Printed for John Carfrae, 1824). Also refer, Database of Plant Search, in Plants for a Future.

Accessed on February 26, 2021. https://pfaf.org/user/

112

iii) Veronica Anagallis

vii) Veronica chamaedrys

Commonly known as Water Speedwell

Commonly known as Ger mander Speedwell; Long- Leaf Speedwell

Habitat - Found in marshes, ditches, ponds, and streams.

Charateristic - It is in flower from June to August and is pollinated by Flies.

Found in Duddingston Loch

iv) Veronica beccabunga Commonly known as Brooklime Habitat - Marshes, ditches, ponds Charateristic - It is in flower from May to September and the seeds ripen from July to September. It is pollinated by Flies and Bees.

Found in Duddingston Loch and ditches in Holyrood Park

Habitat - Steppes, grassy mountain slopes Characteristic - It is in flower from July to September, pollinated by insects.

Found in Salisbury Crags

viii) Veronica agrestis Commonly known as Field Speedwell, Green field speedwell Habitat - Often found on cultivated grounds like gardens througout Britain Characteristic - It is in leaf and flower all year but most commonly from March to November. It is pollinated by insects Found in Holyrood Park

v) Veronica serpyllifolia

Commonly known as Common butterwort

Commonly known as Marsh Speedwell.

Habitat - Boggy soils on wet rocks and damp places

Habitat - Waste lands, cultivated lands and gardens Charateristic - It is in flower from March to October often found along pathways in gardens etc. It is easily pollinated by bees and flies as well as transported by humans and animals.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to July. It is an insectivorous plant preying on insects which are attracted to it.

Found in Holyrood Park

Found in Holyrood Park

vi) Veronica officinalis

Commonly known as Wild English clary

Commonly known as Common Speedwell

Habitat - Found in dry grasslands

Habitat - Heaths, moors, grassland, dry hedgebanks and coppices, often on dry soils

Charateristic - It is in flower from to June to September and the seed ripe from July to October. It is capable of selfpollination and is also pollinated by bees and is known to attract wildlife.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to August and is pollinated by flies and bees.

Found in Salisbury Crags

Found in Holyrood Park; Salisbury Crags

113

vi) Lemna trisulca

ii) Valeriana Locusta

Commonly known as Ivy-leaved Duckweed.

Commonly known as Corn Salad

Habitat - Found in ponds and ditches

Habitat - Cultivated ground, waste places, hedgebanks, dunes etc, usually on dry soils

Charateristic - It is found floating in water and is in flower from May to July.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Charateristic - It is in flower from April to June, and the seeds ripen from May to July and is usally self-pollinating. However it does attract insects for pollination.

Found in Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat

vii) Lemna minor Commonly known as Common Duckweed Habitat - Found in still waters Charateristic - It is in flower from June to July and is noted for attracting wildlife and pollinated by wind.

Found in Duddingston Loch

iii) Iris Pseudacorus Commonly known as Yellow Water Iris Habitat - Marshy areas, swamplands, shallow water and wet soil on the edge of rivers and ditches Characteristic - It is in flower from May to July and is pollinated by Bees, hoverflies.

Found in Duddingston Loch

viii) Lemna gibba

iv) Scirpus caespitosus Commonly known as Scaly-stalked Club rush

Commonly known as Swolled Duckweed Habitat - Still waters Charateristic - It is a perennial breed which grows at a faster rate (0.2m) and is pollinated by wind.

Found in Duddingston Loch

3. TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA i) Valeriana officinalis Commonly known as Great White Valerian or Garden Valerian Habitat - Grasslands, scrub, woods, dry and damp soils Charateristic - It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. It is pollinated by bees, flies and beetles.

Habitat - Wet low ground, swamplands, marshes and moist meadows, ditches and shallow ponds.

Characteristic - It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen from August to September and it is pollinated by wind.

Found in Holyrood Park

v) Scirpus palustris Commonly known as Common spike rush/ Marsh club rush Habitat - Marshes, ditches and the margins of ponds Charateristic - It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from August to October and pollinated by wind.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Found in Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat

114

vi) Scirpus Lacustris

iii) Phalaris canariensis

Commonly known as Bull rush

Commonly known as Canary grass

Habitat - Bogs, shallow pond margins, rivers and lakes, usually where there is abundant silt

Habitat - Dry open habitats

Charateristic - It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September and is pollinated by wind.

Charateristic - It is in leaf from May to October, in flower from July to September and is pollinated by wind.

Found near Duddingston

Found in Duddingston Loch

vii) Eriophorum angustifolium

iv) Phalaris arundinacea

Commonly known as Cotton grass.

Commonly known as Reed canary grass

Habitat - Found in Peat bogs, acid meadows and marshes

Habitat - Wet places and shallow water

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from July to August and it is pollinated by wind.

Charateristic - It is in flower from July to September and is pollinated by wind. It is also noted to attract wildlife.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Found in Duddingston Loch

4. TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA

v) Agrostis Canina

i) Alopecurus prateusis

Commonly known as Browntop Bent Grass

Commonly known as Meadow Foxtail grass

Habitat - Cultivated areas such Grasslands and pastures. It is also found in wetlands.

Habitat - Meadows, grassland and hedgerows

Charateristic - It is an evergreen perennial growing at a fast rate (0.4m) and is pollinated by wind.

Charateristic - It is in flower from April to June, and it remains green even in the winter.

Found in Holyrood Park

Found in Holyrood Park

ii) Alopecurus geniculatus Commonly known as Floating Foxtail grass Habitat - Marshes, wet areas and damp soil Charateristic - It is in flower from June to August and is pollinated by wind.

Found in marshes and ditches in Holyrood Park

vi) Arundo phragmites Commonly known as Common reed Habitat - Shallow water and wet soil Charateristic - It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October and is pollinated by wind.

Found near Duddingston Loch

115

vii) Glyceria fluitans

xi) Bromus mollis

Commonly known as Floating Meadow grass

Commonly known as Soft Brome grass

Habitat - Shallow water, either stagnant or slow flowing, or in wet soils Charateristic - It is in flower from May to August and is pollinated by wind.

Habitat - Meadows, waste places and cliffs Charateristic - It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August and is pollinated by wind.

Found in Holyrood Park

Found in Holyrood Park and Salisbury Crags

viii) Dactylis glomerata

xii) Lolium perenne

Commonly known as Rough Cock’s Foot grass

Commonly known as English Ryegrass

Habitat - Meadows, waste places, by roads.

Charateristic - It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September and is pollinated by wind.

Habitat - Meadows and weedy places Charateristic - It is in leaf all year and is pollinated by wind.

Found in Holyrood Park

Found in Holyrood Park and Salisbury Crags xiii) Hordeum murinum ix) Festuca ovina Commonly known as Sheep’s Fescue Habitat - Well drained shallow soil from low to high elevation, also soil of poor conditions Charateristic - It is in flower from May to June and is pollinated by wind.

Commonly known as Mouse Barley, Smooth barley, Hare barley, Wall barley Habitat - Dry grasslands Charateristic - Evergreen grass growing 0.5m annually and is pollinated by wind.

Found in Salisbury Crags

Found in Arthur’s Seat 5. TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA

x) Festuca pratensis

i) Scabiosa arvensis

Commonly known as Meadow fescue

Commonly known as Field Scabious

Habitat - Meadows, roadsides, old pastures, and riversides on moist, rich soils, especially on loamy and heavy soils.

Habitat - Meadows, pastures, hedgebanks and grassy hills, usually on dry soils and especially on limestone

Charateristic - It is evergreen perennial plant pollinated by wind.

Charateristic - It is in flower from July to September. It is pollinated by bees, moths and butterflies.

Found in Holyrood Park Found in Salisbury Crags

116

ii) Sherardia arvensis

i) Potamogeton crispus

Commonly known as Field Madder, Blue fieldmadder

Commonly known as Curly Pondweed

Habitat - Bare and cultivated ground, arable fields and waste places, ascending to 350 metres in Scotland.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to October and is pollinated by flies.

Found in Salisbury Crags

iii) Galium aparine Commonly known as Goosegrass Habitat - Hedgerows and as a weed of cultivated land; Moist and grassy places on most types of soil Charateristic - It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September and it is pollinated by flies and beetles.

Habitat - Lakes, ponds, streams, canals etc Charateristic - It is in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from June to October and is pollinated by water.

Found in Duddingston Loch

ii) Potamogeton pectinatus Commonly known as Fennel-Leaved Pondweed Habitat - Ponds, rivers, canals, ditches etc.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to September and pollinated by water.

Found in Duddingston Loch

Found in Holyrood Park

7. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA iv) Plantago major i) Myosotis alpestris Commonly known as Common Plantain, White Man’s Foot Habitat - A common garden weed, particularly in lawns.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October and is pollinated by wind.

Found in Holyrood Park

Commonly known as Scorpion Grass Habitat - Rare and local in Britain, growing in damp woodlands and meadows, usually on basic rock formations.

Charateristic - It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from July to September and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Found in Holyrood Park and Duddingston Loch

v) Plantago lanceolata Commonly known as Narrowleaf plantain Habitat - Grassland, roadsides etc, a common weed of lawns and cultivated ground, on neutral and basic soils Charateristic - It is in flower from April to August, and the seeds ripen from June to September.and is pollinated by wind, beetle and flies.

ii) Lithospermum officinale Commonly known as European stoneseed Habitat - Hedges, bushy places and woodland borders Charateristic - It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August and is pollinated by bees and flies.

Found on the west side of Salisbury Crags

Found in Holyrood Park

117

iii) Borago officinalis

vii) Menyanthes trifoliata

Commonly known as Tailwort

Commonly known as Bogbean

Habitat - Waste ground near houses

Habitat - Shallow water on the edges of ponds and in marshy ground..

Charateristic - It is in flower from June to October, and the seeds ripen from July to October and is pollinated by bees.

Found in Salisbury Crags

iv) Echium vulgare Commonly known as Viper’s Bugloss Habitat - Calcareous and light dry soils, especially on cliffs near the sea. It is also found on walls, old quarries and gravel pits.

Charateristic - It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Charateristic - It is in flower from May to July and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Found in the bog east side of Arthur’s Seat

viii) Campanula rotundifolia Commonly known as Bluebell bellflower Habitat - Woods and hedgerows. Also found in the open on north-facing slopes.

Charateristic It is in flower from December to May, and the seeds ripen from April to August and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Found in Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags

Found in Arthur’s Seat

vi) Primula veris Commonly known as English Primrose Habitat - Woods and hedgerows. Also found in the open on north-facing slopes.

Charateristic It is in flower from December to May, and the seeds ripen from April to August and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Found in Holyrood Park

vii) Menyanthes trifoliata Commonly known as Cowslip Habitat - Grassy places, fields and woods with calcareous soils Charateristic - It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from July to August and is pollinated by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

Found in Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat

118

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY MAY

JUNE JUNE

JULY JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER

DECEMBER DECEMBER

A37. THE FLOWERING SEASON MAP: PLANT SPECIES FOUND IN HOLYROOD PARK

119

Bromus mollis Lolium perenne Hordeum murinum Scabiosa arvensis Sherardia arvensis Galium aparine Plantago major Plantago lanceolata Potamogeton crispus Potamogeton pectinatus Myosotis alpestris Lithospermum officinale Borago officinalis Echium vulgare Primula veris Menyanthes trifoliata Menyanthes trifoliata Campanula rotundifolia

Festuca ovina Festuca pratensis

Chara vulgaris Hippuris vulgaris Chara translucens Callitriche quatica Circaea alpina Veronica Anagallis Veronica beccabunga Veronica serpyllifolia Veronica chamaedrys Veronica agrestis Veronica officinalis Veronica Scutellata Lemna trisulca Lemna minor Lemna gibba Valeriana officinalis Valeriana Locusta Iris Pseudacorus Scirpus caespitosus Scirpus palustris Scirpus Lacustris Eriophorum angustifolium Alopecurus prateusis Alopecurus geniculatus Phalaris canariensis Phalaris arundinacea Agrostis Canina Arundo phragmites Glyceria fluitans Dactylis glomerata

LIST OF FIGURES 1. Elizabeth Hooper and M. Edgeworth, Different types of archaeological deposits in an urban context. (London: Geological Society, Special Publications, 2014). Accessed on August 10, 2021. https://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/395/1/91/tab-figures-data. p. i 2. M. Edgeworth, Excavations in Causeway Lane, Leicester, UK: Composite Section across the Site.

(London: Geological Society, Special Publications, 2014). Accessed on August 10, 2021. https:// sp.lyellcollection.org/content/395/1/91/tab-figures-data. p. i 3. Zaid Prasla, Generating new architectural patterns through the concept of ‘Artificial Excavation’. p. 1.

27. Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation drawing: site plan, phase 4, August 5,

1986. Transparent coloured adhesive film and gold paint on photostat, 28.1 x 22.0 cm. p. 90.

28. Bernard Tschumi, Grid of follies superimposed on the Parc de la Villette site and the Canal de la Villette, Paris, 1983. Accessed on August 13, 2021. http://www.tschumi.com/projects/3/. p. 91.

29. Office of Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation model of the second scheme, September 1986.

Pink, grey, and gold paint over basswood, 10.2 x 61.3 x 61.1 cm. p. 92.

4. Zaid Prasla, Tracing South Bridge’s history by superimposing historical maps. p. 1

30. Smout Allen, Rescue Lines: Forest Mythology, 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale, The Central

5. Peter Eisenman, Moving Arrows, Eros and Other Errors: An Architecture of Absence. p. 1

Pavilion, Giardini, May 2021. Accessed on August 13, 2021. http://www.smoutallen.com/rescue-lines. p. 94.

6. Marcel Duchamp, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Green Box), 1934. 13 x 11 1/8

x 1 in. (33 x 28.3 x 2.5 cm). The Met Museum, New York. Anonymous Gift, 2002 (2002.42a–vvvv).

Accessed on August 10, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492389. p. 1.

31. Zaid Prasla, Visualising the city in the vegetal being. p. 95.

7. Zaid Prasla, ‘A House of Leaves’: Study of South Bridge Ruins visualised to be invaded by the ‘New

Caledonian Forest’. p. 2.

13. Zac Thompson, The Site of Julius Caesar Assassination in Rome: A juxtaposition of ancient Rome with

the modern one . April 20, 2021. Accessed on August 11, 2021. https://www.frommers.com/blogs/ passportable/blog_posts/site-of-julius-caesar-assassination-in-rome-to-open-to-tourists-for-the-firsttime. p. 3.

14. G.B. Piranesi and Stanley Allen, Diagrams showing the chronology and framing of the Campo Marzio in

Rome. Accessed on March 18, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171144. p. 4.

15. G.B. Piranesi and Stanley Allen, A collage of fragmented borders and frames on the city of Rome. Accessed on March 18, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171144. p. 4.

16. Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The beginnings of the first human settlements as a hill fort. p. 5.

17. Zaid Prasla, The present city of Edinburgh. Clicked on December 24, 2020. p. 5.

18. Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The early town of Edinburgh surrounded by the King’s Wall in

1450 A.D. p. 5.

19. Patrick Geddes and F.C. Mears, The two cities of Edinburgh. ed. Zaid Prasla. p. 5.

8. Zaid Prasla, The locations of the excavation sites along the Cowgate (2050 A.D.). p. 6.

9. Zaid Prasla, The Princes Street Gardens, New Town, Edinburgh. Clicked on October 05, 2020. p. 7.

10. Zaid Prasla, Holyrood Park (Salisbury Crags): A mnemonic device for the city. October 05, 2020. p. 8.

11. Zaid Prasla, The Geddes Gardens: A Forest in the city. p. 8.

12. Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh, 1851 A.D. showing the layers of

presence, absence, and immanence. p. 10.

20. Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing: axonometric including Cannaregio West and Le Corbusier’s Venice Hospital, 1978. Pen and black ink with transparent coloured adhesive film on acetate over gold cardboard, 99.7 x 99.7 cm. p. 83.

21. Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing: site plan, 1978. Pen and black ink with

transparent coloured adhesive film on acetate over beige Pantone paper, 99.7 x 99.7 cm. p.84.

22. Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Sectional model of el structure. Grey, beige, and pink paint

over wood with Plexiglas, 100.3 x 100.3 x 27.0 cm. p. 85.

23. Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Conceptual diagrams, 1980 . Transparent coloured adhesive film

on photostat, 46.2 x 36.0 cm and 46.6 x 37.3 cm. p. 86.

24. Office of Peter Eisenman, Architect, Presentation drawing: site plan, 1980. Transparent coloured adhesive film on photostat, 92.0 x 92.0 cm. p. 87.

25. Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Photometric survey of the California State University

at Long Beach Campus, September 11, 1985. p. 88.

26. Office of Peter Eisenman/ Robertson Architects, Presentation model: upper level plan relief, phase 4, between June 2 and August 5, 1986. Transparent coloured adhesive film and gold paint on the white museum board, 80.0 x 75.5 cm. p. 89.

120

LIST OF DRAWINGS D.01.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (4,000 B.C.) Scale 1:2000. p. 12.

D.31.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Section through the New Library, George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 53.

D.02.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (500 A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 14.

D.32.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Axonometric View of the New Library, George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 54.

D.33.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under the New Library (2050 A.D.) p. 55.

D.34.

Zaid Prasla, Study: Section through the Excavation Site,The New Library (2050 A.D.) p. 56.

D.03. Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (1450 A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 16.

(Original Map by William Edgar, Edgar 1742. Scale 1:3450. 300 x 600 mm).

D.04.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (1742 A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 18.

(Original Map by William Edgar, Edgar 1742. Scale 1:3450. 300 x 600 mm)

D.05.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (1787 A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 20.

(Original Map by Daniel Lizars, Daniel Lizars 1778. Scale 1:6000. 350 x 430 mm)

D.06.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (1817 A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 22.

(Original Map by Robert Kirkwood, Kirkwood (New) (SE, SW, CE, CW, CNE, E, N, Duddingston, Leith and key). Scale 1:4500. 1450 x 1600 mm) D.07.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (1851A.D.). Scale 1:2000 p. 24.

Original Map by Lancefield and Johnston, Lancefield (CW,CE, Leith, Leith walk,,Morningside, Canonmills, Newhaven) Scale 1:14870. (1200mm x 1200mm) D.08.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (Present Day). p. 26. Original Plan downloaded from EDINA Digimap Ordnance Survey Service “OS MasterMap” Topography Layer [DWG geospatial data]. Scale 1:1250. Updated on 28th November 2019. Ordnance Survey GB. Retrieved on 7th October 2020. https://digimap.edina.ac.uk

D.09.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: The City of Edinburgh (2050 A.D.). p. 28. Original Plan downloaded from EDINA Digimap Ordnance Survey Service “OS MasterMap” Topography Layer [DWG geospatial data]. Scale 1:1250. Updated on 28th November 2019. Ordnance Survey GB. Retrieved on 7th October 2020. https://digimap.edina.ac.uk

D.35.

Zaid Prasla, Perspective View of the Excavation Site: The New Library, George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.) p. 57.

D.36.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (4,000 B.C.). p. 60.

D.37.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (500 A.D.). p. 61.

D.38.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (1450 A.D.). p. 62.

D.39.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge Bridge (1742 A.D.). p. 63.

D.40.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (1787 A.D.). p. 64.

D.41.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (1817 A.D.). p. 65.

D.42.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (1851 A.D.). p. 66.

D.43.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: South Bridge (Present Day). p. 67.

D.44.

Zaid Prasla, Section through South Bridge: A Study through Time. p. 68.

D.45.

Zaid Prasla, Series of Enzymatic Territories: Excavation of South Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 69.

D.46.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under Cowgate (2050 A.D.) p. 70.

D.10.

Zaid Prasla, Locations of Potential Excavation Sites in the city of Edinburgh (2050 A.D.). p. 29.

D.47.

Zaid Prasla, Series of Enzymatic Territories: Long Section through South Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 71.

D.11.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under Edinburgh’s ground (2050 A.D.) p. 30.

D.48.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under South Bridge (2050 A.D.). 72.

D.12.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (4,000 B.C.). p. 33.

D.49.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Section through The New Residences, South Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 73.

D.13.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (500 A.D.). p. 34.

D.50.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Axonometric View of the The New Residences, South Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 74.

D.14.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (1450 A.D.). p. 35.

D.51.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under The New Residences (2050 A.D.) p. 75.

D.15.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (1742 A.D.). p. 36.

D.52.

Zaid Prasla, Study: Section through the Excavation Site, The New Residences (2050 A.D.) p. 76.

D.16.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (1787 A.D.). p. 37.

D.53.

D.17.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (1851 A.D.). p. 38.

D.18.

Zaid Prasla, A Palimpsest of Memory: Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (Present Day). p. 39.

Zaid Prasla, Perspective View of the Excavation Site: The New Residences, South Bridge (2050 A.D.) p. 77.

D.54. Zaid Prasla, Axonometric View from the South Bridge: The New Loving Metropolitan Landscape of Edinburgh (2050 A.D.) p. 78.

D.19.

Zaid Prasla, Section through Grassmarket: A Study through Time. p. 40.

D.55.

D.20.

Zaid Prasla, Series of Enzymatic Territories: Excavation of Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.). p. 41.

Zaid Prasla, Axonometric View from the Grassmarket: The New Loving Metropolitan Landscape of Edinburgh (2050 A.D.) p. 79.

D.21. Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under Grassmarket and George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.) p. 42.

D.22.

Zaid Prasla, Series of Enzymatic Territories: Long Section through Grassmarket (2050 A.D.). p. 43.

D.23.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under Grassmarket (2050 A.D.). p. 44.

D.24.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Section through the Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (2050 A.D.). p. 45.

D.25.

Zaid Prasla, FABB: Axonometric View of the Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (2050 A.D.). p. 46.

D.26.

Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under the Exhibition Centre (2050 A.D.) p. 47.

D.27.

Zaid Prasla, Study: Section through the Excavation Site, Exhibition Centre (2050 A.D.) p. 48.

D.28.

Zaid Prasla, Perspective View of the Excavation Site: Exhibition Centre, Grassmarket (2050 A.D.) p. 49.

D.29.

Zaid Prasla, Perspective View of the Excavation Site: Exhibition Centre in the New Vegetal World, Grassmarket (2050 A.D.) p. 50.

D.30. Zaid Prasla, Fragments of Memories: Artifacts buried under the George IV Bridge (2050 A.D.) p. 52.

121

BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Stanley and G. B. Piranesi. ‘Piranesi’s “Campo Marzio”: An Experimental Design’. Assemblage, no. (10). Accessed on March 18, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171144 Bedard, Jean-Francois and Alan Balfour et. al. Cities of Artificial Excavation: The Work of Peter Eisenman, 1978-1988. (Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture and Rizzoli International Publications, 1994).

Database of Plant Search, in Plants for a Future. Accessed on February 26, 2021. https://pfaf.org/ user/ Dorrian, Mark. ‘Architecture’s Cartographic Turn’. Figures de la Ville et Construction des Savoirs: Architecture, Urbanisme, Geographic. Ed. F. Pousin. (Paris: CNRS Editions, 2005).

Duchamp, Marcel. The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Green Box). (New York: The Met Museum, 2002). Accessed on August 11, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/ search/492389 Edgeworth, M. ‘The Relationship between Archaeological Stratigraphy and Artificial Ground and its Significance in the Anthropocene. Geological Society. Vol. 395. (London: Special Publications, 2013).

Eisenman, Peter. Moving Arrows, Eros, and Other Errors: An Architecture of Absence. (London: Architectural Association, 1986) Eisenman, Peter and R.E. Somol. Diagram Diaries. (London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1999).

Geddes, Patrick and F.C. Mears. The Civic Survey of Edinburgh. (Edinburgh: Civics Department, Outlook Tower, 1911) Irigaray, Luce and Michael Marder. Through Vegetal Being: Two Philosophical Perspectives. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2016).

Smout, Mark and Laura Allen.‘Future Assembly: Hedgerows’. 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale , The Central Pavilion, Giardini. Accessed on July 04, 2021. http://www.smoutallen.com/future-assembly Smout, Mark and Laura Allen. ‘Rescue Lines’. 17th annual Venice Architecture Biennale The Central Pavilion, Giardini. Accessed on July 04, 2021. http://www.smoutallen.com/rescue-lines Souza, Eduardo. AD Classics: Parc de la Villette/ Bernard Tschumi Architects. ArchDaily, January 09, 2011. Accessed on July 31, 2021. https://www.archdaily.com/92321/ad-classics-parc-de-la-villettebernard-tschumi.

Wiszniewski, Dr. Dorian. ‘Project Brief 2 2020-2021’. PARA-situation [Edinburgh]: “The Space of Appearing” Brief 2: FABB/PARA Agencies – A study and Agency for revitalizing, maintaining, and managing the New Caledonian Forest. (Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh, ESALA, 2021) Wiszniewski, Dr. Dorian. ‘Project Brief 3 2020-2021’. PARA-situation [Edinburgh]: “The Space of Appearing” Brief 3: Thesis and Archive. (Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh, ESALA, 2021) Woodforde, James. A Catalogue of the Indigenous Phenogamic Plants, Growing in the Neighbourhood of Edinburgh; and of Certain Species of the Class Cryptogamia: With Reference to their Localities.

(Edinburgh: Printed for John Carfrae, 1824).

Woudstra, Jan. ‘Designing the Garden of Geddes: The Master Gardener and the Profession of Landscape Architecture’. Landscape and Urban Planning Vol. 178 . (Sheffield: Department of Landscape, The University of Sheffield, 2018). Accessed on June 30, 2021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0169204618304079

122

INDEX AND GLOSSARY

Fictional Reality:

The site in reality is grafted with an alien body generating an entirely new outcome which can be defined as a fictional reality. For the thesis, the alien body refers to the traces of historical maps onto the city which generates an entirely new study of the city as a fiction in reality.

Fragmented Ruin:

As Piranesi, the fragmented ruin in the thesis is defined by the few of the artifacts that are excavated among the many which are buried under the ground and are visualised to be in a state of ruin overrun by the vegetal world.

Flodden Wall:

A fragmented ruin (artifact) of the 15th century Edinburgh that is excavated in the project.

Geddes Gardens:

Patrick Geddes, a Scottish biologist and townplanner designed these Gardens in the Old Town of Edinburgh which can be found in the locality of Grassmarket.

George IV Bridge:

An artifact of 19th century Edinburgh. Also, a location for a new architectural agency to be introduced.

The new architectures (FABB) designed along the Cowgate as visualised as objects of the future which are disjunct from the concept of functionality and appear as a skeleton of framework. The function of these objects are to be determined by the future city.

Grassmarket:

Location for a new architectural agency to be introduced.

Holyrood Park:

The last remnant of the Ancient Caledonian Forest located in the heart of Edinburgh. A vegetal world of indigenous plant species and a home to many animals and wildlife.

The district of Rome which is studied as a fictional site

by Giovanni B. Piranesi. Piranesi in his study traces, and superimposes the Classicism of Ancient Rome as fragments of ruins onto the modern city where the site oscillates between the two.

House of Leaves:

The intial title for the thesis based off the book with the similar title by Mark Z. Danielewski.

Juxtaposition:

The act of placing two things close together to compare the differences and similarities between the two. The concept is utilised to compare the city’s past with the present by superimposing them rather than placing them close to one another.

King’s Wall:

The artifact of the city belonging to the 11th century.

Labyrinth:

A maze or a place constructed of intricate alleys and pathways. The city of Edinburgh is seen as a labyrinth of several cities buried on top of one another as Piranesi and Sigmund Freud sees Rome as a maze of several cities of Rome buried over one another.

Marcel Duchamp:

A avant-garde artist. His work of The Green Box is referenced to incorporate the concept of an archive in the thesis.

Mnemonic device:

A memory device of recording time and history. In the thesis, the concept of memory is studied through the vegetal world where plants are seen as a witness of recording memory through history.

Mystic Pad:

The concept of double-sided Mystic Writing Pad employed by Sigmund Freud where the layers underneath the outermost layer are traced and inscribed as memories. The concept is used to study the city through a similar technique.

Archaeology:

The study of excavating the ground for locating artifacts of the past.

Artificial Excavation:

The concept was first coined by Peter Eisenman for his presentation entry for the competition of IBA Social Housing in Berlin, 1980. In this thesis, the concept of the excavation is related to archaeological layers with artificial ground determined by man-made surfaces such as roads etc.

Archive:

A record/ document of registering the thesis through a series of text, diagrams, literature study, drawings, and appendices.

The archive is visualised to be sealed in a box and buried in the ground for the future city to discover as an artifact.

Artifacts:

Architecture-Object:

Campo Marzio:

Cowgate:

The historical memories of the previous city that are buried under Edinburgh’s ground that are traced, and superimposed onto the present and the future city.

The street running east to west parallel to the High Street in the city of Edinburgh. The street is studied through history in order to excavate traces of its memories onto the present city.

Diagrams:

The technique of diagramming as associated with Gilles Deleuze and Peter Eisenman are employed for the project, where the diagrams help in generating new forms by inscribing historical traces onto the city through each period.

Design Project - 1:

The archive of Semester - 1 where the city and new urban methodologies were studied in order to generate a new visualisation (See Appendix I).

Design Project - 2:

The archive of Semester - 2 where the urban design methodologies were studied further and a ‘New Caledonian Forest’ was introduced into the project through a network of agenices (FABB) (See Appendix I).

123

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY: HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE CITY OF EDINBURGH

INDEX AND GLOSSARY

An artifact of 18th century Edinburgh and also a site for an architectural agency.

Networks of Agencies:

A series of architectural and urban interventions at strategic locations along the Cowgate to revisualise the city through the concept of Artifcial Excavation.

South Bridge:

New Vegetal World:

The concept of reintroducing the lost ancient forest through traces and superimposition in a fragmented manner across Cowgate as a New Vegetal World. This world is studied

by Smout Allen’s concept and Luce Irigaray and Michael Marder’s Through Vegetal Being

Superimposition:

The concept of overlaying one material on top of another where the material underneath is still visible over the new layer.

Urban Artificial Stratum:

The superficial urban layer of pavements, roads, and city that supresses the natural sub-soil buried underneath this artificial stratum. In thesis, the city as visualised in 2050 is an artificial urban stratum of the future which is excavated.

Old Town:

The Old Town of Edinburgh.

Series of Enzymatic Territories:

The thesis visualises potential excavation sites in the TLML scale which are found due to the enzyme of artifacts that are located under Edinburgh’s ground.

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (TLML)

GRASSMARKET

GEORGE IV BRIDGE

SOUTH BRIDGE

4000 B.C.

500 A.D.

1450 A.D.

1742 A.D.

1787 A.D.

1817 A.D.

124

A PALIMPSEST OF MEMORY

INDEX AND GLOSSARY

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (TLML)

GRASSMARKET

GEORGE IV BRIDGE

SOUTH BRIDGE

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH (TLML)

GRASSMARKET

GEORGE IV BRIDGE

SOUTH BRIDGE

1851 A.D.

2020 A.D.

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES: ARTIFACTS UNDER THE CITY

2050 A.D.

TLML

SET

FABB

STUDY

125

PETER EISENMAN: THE CONCEPTS OF ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION

INDEX AND GLOSSARY

CANNAREGIO, VENICE

IBA SOCIAL HOUSING, BERLIN

ART MUSEUM, LONG BEACH

CHORA L, PARIS

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

126

ARTIFICIAL EXCAVATION OF EDINBURGH: A NEW VEGETAL BEING