LINEU CASTELLO | Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (original) (raw)

Books by LINEU CASTELLO

The time seems ripe in architectural science for urban researchers to re-examine and further disc... more The time seems ripe in architectural science for urban researchers to re-examine and further discuss the idea of the city. On the verge of Anthropocene change, architectural scholars seem not to have moved beyond their characterisation of the contemporary city as a fragmented metropolis. What comes next? Cities are likely to survive -as well as to thrive. This paper discusses the major features of contemporary cities and how they address survival and continue to thrive, selecting the urban components they share vis-à-vis urban society's stance towards contemporaneity. The paper ultimately points to the need to intensify the quest for a new diagram that can suitably represent the new conditions of contemporaneity in cities. If this diagram is inserted within the domains of architectural science, it might lead towards a more straightforward focus on the crucial elements of the city's future. Two emblematic metropolises are closely examined, revealing innovations towards the containment of urbanized land to prevent unsustainable sprawl. There is also consideration of current uses typical of contemporary life and territorial discontinuities during the advance of the conurbation. Vague trends towards polycentrism are then considered, together with tendencies pointing towards containment of sprawl and the creation of new places that will somehow act in 'gluing together' the fractures. Architectural science is now challenged to outline a new diagram.

In the present turn of the millennium, the concept of place experiences some variations that are ... more In the present turn of the millennium, the concept of place experiences some variations that are conducive to a rethinking about the phenomenon of place. Presently, the topic regains attention due to the growing creation of newly invented places, designed under innovative configurations, such as theme parks, shopping malls, revamped historic areas, and the like. Lineu Castello calls them “cloning places”, and understands them as projects that attempt to replicate the characteristics found in urban spaces imbued with urbanity, by using the environmental stimuli believed to have originally generated that urbanity.
In his book, the author discusses the enhancements that such projects can forward to today’s cities, based on the hypothesis that the invented spaces will become perceived as legitimate urbanity places for today’s society.
Curiously, the expression “cloning” is used to invoke the high humanistic content that should accompany Architecture and Urbanism actions because, as remembered by the author, if bio-technological cloning can create life, urban-architectural cloning can create places where life can be lived and shared.
The chapter “The Presentation of Place” discloses the terms of reference of place, as the concept is approached in the book. The following chapter, “The Conceptualization of Place”, elaborates about the modernization of the concept under the specific approaches followed in different disciplines. “The Research and Project of Place” deepens on previous empiric findings and built specimens, in order to uncover new theoretical conjectures. Variations believed to emerge from the cloning of urbanity are discussed in “Variations in the Perception of Place”. “An Illustration of Places in ‘Gaucho’ Cities” presents, in sequence, the “Usina do Gasometro” in Porto Alegre; “Serra Gaucha” places, especially those at the Hortensias region and Serafina Correa; and, back to Porto Alegre again, the “Commercial District Navegantes” and “Salgado Filho Airport”. Finally, conclusive reflections are presented in “The Lessons from the Cloning Places”, mainly those concerning the issuing of a reasonable doubt about the quality and pertinence of cloning places in today’s urban contexts, as an attempt to abridge the distance that separates, in a hurried contradictory way, places believed to be “authentic” from places devalued as “invented”.

The spread of newly 'invented' places, such as theme parks, shopping malls and revamped historic ... more The spread of newly 'invented' places, such as theme parks, shopping malls and revamped historic areas, necessitates a redefinition of the concept of 'place' from an architectural perspective.

In this interdisciplinary work, these invented places are categorized according to the different phenomenological experiences they are able to provide. The book explores how such 'cloning spaces' use placemaking and placemarketing in attempt to replicate the characteristics found in urban spaces traditionally viewed as successful, and how these places can affect society's environmental perception. A range of international empirical studies illustrates how such invented places can be perceived as legitimate urban spaces, and contribute towards the quality of life in today's cities.

Contents: Preface; An introduction to place; The conceptualization of place; The investigation and design of place; Variations in perception of place; Illustrations of places in Rio Grande do Sul cities; Learning from the places of cloning; Bibliography; Index.

Papers by LINEU CASTELLO

Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS)

Contemporary urbanization poses difficult situations for architectural researchers. On the one ha... more Contemporary urbanization poses difficult situations for architectural researchers. On the one hand,changes due to increasing “regionalization” of cities impart distinct meanings to the very concept of city. On theother hand, new iconic projects signal to remarkable changes in townscapes. Newly invented places offerinnovative spaces for people’s conviviality and information interchange—an urban quality known as urbanity.However, such manifestations may fragment the urbanized territory, creating compartments that act as disintegrativeforces. A question invades the architectural milieu: are such changes beneficial, or the source of severe distortions?The paper recalls the concept of place and the progresses that led to its actual transdisciplinar perspective.In their move from internationalism to globalism, the urban landscapes of globalization experience crucialchanges, often manifested through an insertion of prettified images of places that “clone” selected spatialfeatures perceive...

Urban Diversities, Biosphere and Well-Being: Designing and Managing Our Common Environment (IAPS 20 Conference Proceedings on CD-Rom), 2008

O texto relembra conceituações clássicas sobre lugar e anota alguns de seus desvios notáveis na c... more O texto relembra conceituações clássicas sobre lugar e anota alguns de seus desvios notáveis na cidade atual. Ensaia apontar como causa dos desvios, alterações nos cenários da vida urbana pós-moderna. Examina manifestações empíricas, paradigmáticas dessas novas ...

Urban Happiness may not be just another utopia engendered by planners to lure citizens into the c... more Urban Happiness may not be just another utopia engendered by planners to lure citizens into the circuits of cities' real estate businesses. The Royal Institute of British Architects seem to look seriously at the topic, as suggested by the book edited by Jane Wernick on RIBA's behalf 'Building Happiness' (Black Dog Publishing, 2008). It brings the viewpoints of a varied number of authors about the pursuit of happiness as a meaningful political goal. On the other hand, recent developments in the theory of place, as I approach in my book called 'Rethinking the Meaning of Place' (Ashgate Publishing, 2010), seem to welcome the production of newly invented places (themed malls, revamped historic areas, etc) as important actors in the pursuit of happiness in today's cities. It is the intention of this paper to bring together the two lines of thought in order to achieve a better understanding of placemaking and placemarketing as techniques that promote the attractiveness of cities by producing new 'places of urbanity'. 2 THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF CITIES You do not need to be an expert in urban studies to perceive that today's cities are experiencing a new trend in their concern with the offer of attractiveness, a trend increasingly observed in major global cities, all over the world and in all the five continents. There is nothing intrinsically new about this, however: people are used to flock to Lourdes, France, for example, simply for their happiness of being present in a place where a miracle has once been performed; similarly, in Ancient times, Romans crowded to Rome to watch Christians being shredded by hungry lions, just for the thrill of it. For them, this was a source of happiness. Both Lourdes and Rome were considered attractive cities, though by different standards. Herein lays an important first truism that helps to understand the slender difference between thrills and happiness, 'thrill not necessarily equaling happiness' (Schwartz, 2008:136). Cities' attractiveness though, either giving thrills or producing joy, has to do with the pursuit of happiness, a target frequently included within the consumption ethics that deeply permeates our twenty-first century society ideals. To be is to have, according to the principles of this society. But, to be happy, to have happiness, is often confounded with having (and beingwhich would be quite opposedly to the Heideggerian understanding, by the way). Accordingly, cities do compete among each other to become attractive both to visitors as well as to residents. This competitiveness is already acknowledged as an area of specific interest in urban studies, and some authors, such as Simon Anholt, for example, develop long elaborations on the topic (Anholt 2003; 2009), their basic arguments dealing, usually, with the branding that cities struggle to acquire in their competitiveness process. A sort of subdued competition seems to be in the order of the day among today's cities, that try to become known as, say, the City-light (Paris), or the World's Cultural Capital (New York), or the Carnival Paradise (Rio de Janeiro). This competition is often confounded with the supply of happiness, that is to say, cities attempt to allure people in terms of the amount of happiness they are supposedly able to provide them. As such, it is not surprising to find experts extensively discussing about this "pursuit of happiness" in actual urban environments. A good example of this is the recent publication named 'Building Happiness', encouraged by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), which approaches the subject with an unprecedented emphasis. The book is edited by Jane Wernick on RIBA's behalf, and presents a whole set of arguments focusing on the search for happiness as far as urban behaviours are concerned. Several authors and distinguished professionals bring about their opinions on what can be understood as happiness, insofar as living in urban environments is concerned. It is interesting to notice that, most of the times, attractiveness is understood as the power to produce happiness. So, in this context, providing happiness is often understood as a surrogate for cities achieving high attractiveness ranks in competitive grounds through the happy places they are able to produce. All in all though, a distinguishable point can be initially sorted out: more than ever before, happiness is actually for sale in contemporary cities. This is a first and important characteristic of these cities, especially for my area (Architecture-Urbanism), which is known for its crucial commitment to producing places for people-places designed for people being happy by using them. This search for happiness marked quite strongly the old heroic times of Modernist Urbanism in the early twentieth century,

The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum, 2009

This paper focuses on the opening of a new museum designed by a stellar global architect – or, as... more This paper focuses on the opening of a new museum designed by a stellar global architect – or, as the literature increasingly calls them, a ‘starchitect’ – in an ordinary city, Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, and discusses the multiple roles of starchitect-designed museums in contemporary urban environments. One cannot in fact be absolutely sure whether a starchitect-designed museum can effectively perform multiple roles in urban environments or not. The only certainty is that there are no certainties in the realm of the applied social sciences (in which this paper undoubtedly belongs). Nevertheless, I believe that Porto Alegre’s newest art museum definitely adds an interesting set of innovative roles to those usually performed by a museum, and this of course invites a closer look. Clearly, this is not a gratuitous belief. It is based on relative familiarity with the academic fields of Architecture-Urbanism, Environmental Perception, and the Theory of Place acquired over some time, having occupied much of my research inquiries to date. This background eventually led to the actual proposition put forward in the paper that, in addition to the range of functions most modern museums are able to perform nowadays, a starchitect museum can stimulate perception of place, that is to say, this type of museum can originate what the specialist literature terms an invented place. In principle, this predisposition to placemaking is probably explained by the building’s ‘starchitecture’ status, for the particular nature of starchitecture is that the process of growth from launch to maturity is certainly accompanied by considerable brouhaha from critics and public alike, which is strong enough to create an aura in anticipation of will happen in that “place”. The methodology of the text will approach the comprehensiveness of a museum in three major dimensions: (i) the role of museums in Perception of the built environment; (ii) their role in creating places, in the sphere of Urbanism; (iii) the role of their images in the determination of Urban Planning strategies. Underlying these three dimensions, a set of fundamental assumptions will be called upon to reveal their contribution to proper substantiation of the arguments of this paper. These basic assumptions are: firstly, that progress in the theory of place is bringing new and valued contributions to the understanding of a strong phenomenological content attributed to places in the behaviour of today’s society; secondly, that advances in architectural theory are drawing increased attention to the crucial importance of contemporary museums in the creation of symbolic and iconic landmarks in today’s urban environments; thirdly, that in the event of the museum and/or place being designed by a so-called starchitect, its individual role is most likely to be expected to increase exponentially and become more complex. This paper will initially briefly revisit the current status of the notion of urban places. Next, it will swiftly consider evolutions occurring in state-of-the-art museums. The case of the new museum in Porto Alegre is then presented, followed by reflections on the new roles to be included within those of museums, such as their propensity to create places, become landmarks and attract visitors to cities and countries.

TRADITIONAL DWELLINGS AND SETTLEMENTS …, 2006

The paper brings up recent updatings of the concept of place, while looking at shopping malls as ... more The paper brings up recent updatings of the concept of place, while looking at shopping malls as new urban places. Argues about the role they play in the representation of reality; and contends that the creation of new traditions is a likely outcome. Accompanies the experiences in a ...

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture

In the history of civilization, the city emerged when humans realized the advantages of living to... more In the history of civilization, the city emerged when humans realized the advantages of living together and engaging in mutually dependent activities. These relationships depend on communications, on people being able to talk to one another, and on the city having places where that may happen. Nothing is more revealing of this ideal than the 16th-century diary by the Portuguese Crown representative who founded the village that would become the mega-city of Sao Paulo (Martim A ̃onso de Sousa in Toledo, 2008). The diary reveals that his mission was to provide a settlement where people could enjoy a “secure and conversable life”. In this context, “conversable” means “being with or living with” but also to be a dimension that a place has that allows people to talk to each other (Toledo, 2008). Whether a market, a plaza, a revitalized historic area, a seductive themed mall, or a simple street bench, a place is always a part of a city that is of a conversable scale.

Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios registrados Usuario Contraseña. ...

Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 5, 2021

Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS)

Urban Diversities, Biosphere and Well-Being: Designing and Managing Our Common Environment (IAPS 20 Conference Proceedings on CD-Rom), 2008

The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum, 2009

TRADITIONAL DWELLINGS AND SETTLEMENTS …, 2006

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture

Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios registrados Usuario Contraseña. ...

Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 5, 2021

The time seems ripe in architectural science for urban researchers to re-examine and further disc... more The time seems ripe in architectural science for urban researchers to re-examine and further discuss the idea of the city. On the verge of Anthropocene change, architectural scholars seem not to have moved beyond their characterisation of the contemporary city as a fragmented metropolis. What comes next? Cities are likely to survive – as well as to thrive. This paper discusses the major features of contemporary cities and how they address survival and continue to thrive, selecting the urban components they share vis-à-vis urban society’s stance towards contemporaneity. The paper ultimately points to the need to intensify the quest for a new diagram that can suitably represent the new conditions of contemporaneity in cities. If this diagram is inserted within the domains of architectural science, it might lead towards a more straightforward focus on the crucial elements of the city’s future. Two emblematic metropolises are closely examined, revealing innovations towards the containme...

The primary objective of the paper is to revisit the concept of place in order to ascertain its p... more The primary objective of the paper is to revisit the concept of place in order to ascertain its possible use as an interface for siting the multi-referential perspective coveted in integrated conservation (IC) planning. A second is to discuss why the concept of place may be seen as closely intertwined with urban conservation studies. The traditional concept of place is a theoretical construct that implies on a created environmental form, imbued with symbolic significance to its users. The author’s actual rethinking of place favors the envisioning of the concept under an interdisciplinary light, emphasizing the identification of places as they are expressed by their social, physical and psychological representations. Place studies in today’s postmodern cities admit new conceptual issues, among which, the concepts of placemaking and placemarketing. Increasingly, placemaking projects are including conservation areas in their actions, promoting their development by employing placemarket...

Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 5: 111-122, 2021

The sites of an urban zone inside a Biosphere Reserve in southern Brazil are investigated in this... more The sites of an urban zone inside a Biosphere Reserve in southern Brazil are investigated in this research, as well as the potential for synergy between their biological and social systems. It assumes: (i) that the perception of their regional rootedness works beneficially for enhancing sustainability; (ii) that the current progress in the conceptualization of-place‖ contributes to the quest for sustainability, since the core factors of the concept deal precisely with the relationship between people and environment. This article examines how people see real and imagined environments, as well as the many forms of perception that they elicit.. Real places are considered as socially built, while invented places are seen as economically promoted. The following criteria were used to choose empirical regional cases: Perception (actual and imagined locations), size (urban and ex-urban), and management (public or private). Place is a built environmental form filled with symbolic meaning to its users in the field of Architecture-Urbanism. With the current paradigm shift from modernism to postmodernism, the discipline is evolving toward a more thorough concern with the philosophical implications of places on phenomenological grounds. Furthermore, the construction and marketing of new places are becoming widely acknowledged as powerful tools for fostering wealth and well-being, thanks to the economic progress linked to place creation. The combined private and public management of the region's places and the restrained design they presently employ are providing grounds for an affluent development, showing a wise use of the regional resources. Overall, it appears that residents have learned to operate in harmony with the environment. This hints at a clear manifestation of sustainable development, worth investigating. Presumably, because it sits at the crossroads of physical, social, economic, and behavioural sciences, the idea of place appears to be a promising approach to addressing the issues of long-term regional development planning.