STORYTELLING
“Absent the narrative centre of gravity, as one philosopher has called it, we cannot negotiate life plans on even a small scale, let alone form communities, plan complex undertakings, build civilizations, and create the arts, sciences, and philosophies that sustain us. ...” – Mark Kingwell. On Risk.
Storytelling has become the new magic potion for just about everything. Architecture is no exception. But the close connection between storytelling and architecture is thousands of years old, and takes many forms – from backstories to design storylines to marketing copy to presentation narratives. In this issue of The Right Angle Journal, we explore the ways that narrative can help to create a stronger sense of our environment – built and natural – and how we can use this awareness to build structures, towns and cities.
You will encounter words and phrases such as “authenticity,” “story arc,” “genius loci,” “collective spirit,” “conflict” and “resolution.” These are words that authors, journalists and screenwriters might normally use, but they are equally applicable to the creation and appreciation of architecture and the built environment.
Next time you’re out on a COVID walk, look around you and imagine that you are in the setting of a story. Now imagine that it’s your story. Where does it take you?
City Stories: Fact, Fiction and a Little of Both
Do cities actually dream? It seems fair, since we frequently dream about them. We know that cities have a unique character, that they stimulate certain kinds of thought, and that they can sometimes encourage us to take action. In this sense, cities are capable of speaking to us, in a language that is universal.
A Sense of Home
I split my time between an apartment in the city and a house in the country, fulfilling separate needs that have solidified over many years. Going back and forth is always like stepping between two worlds.
Stories Architecture Can Tell
The word “architecture” is often misunderstood as being synonymous with only the visual appearance of a building, but this perception represents a great disservice to both architects and architecture around the world. Architecture tells a much richer and more complex story – and it is the architect who must accept the responsibility of telling it. The way a building fits as an element within a broader built environment becomes a story the whole community wants to hear.