Stage1 P3
Nolli map Study
The Public in the Urban Aspect
Having the brief of Places, Planning and Communities for theories and objectives of urban design and their core characteristics that create a successful place. With that in mind I decided to investigate three metropolitan areas I am familiar with, Glasgow, Amsterdam, and Nicosia. Before starting an investigation into those three cities I broke down what an urban setting is and what makes that up. From a historic point of view, one of the first urbanized cities was in Mesopotamia. This organization of people living all in the same place was used to focus on the development of writing, culture, architecture, administration, sanitation, trade, and craftsmanship. Something that allowed ancient civilizations such as of Egypt, Greece, and later on Rome to thrive as civilizations, setting the core columns of modern culture, administration, art and science.
Having all that in mind, every single urban setting is unique on its own way and tailored and developed throughout time to its specific inhabitants and situations. Exploring a city allows you to actually see how and why a city is the way its build, its purpose as well as its priorities.
Nolli maps
A Nolli type of map originates from the Italian architect and surveyor Giambattista Nolli from the 18th century. The original maps were ichnographic plans of Rome with focus on open civic spaces. Showing the plans of public spaces and blacking out any other privately owned buildings (residential/commercial). Through these types of maps, which became popular and were recreated in various cities, one can identify how to navigate through the city as well as what buildings he can access as a civilian.
(All Nolli styled maps that follow are in a 1:2500 scale)
Starting off with a general outline of the city’s road system and its key places, such as commerce, public services, and green spaces you can clearly identify the natural growth of it. Taking a step back and looking at it from a historic point of view each municipality of the city used to be small settlements set up outside the walled city that were servicing the walled city as accommodation to traders travelling into the capital from other cities and ports. That later on were all connected through the urbanization and expansion of the city outside the city walls.
Having such a layered city that has its earliest settlers dating back to 3000BC you can truly see history clashing but also co-existing in the same city. Focusing withing the historic walled city that the walls themselves were built by the Venetians around 1567 after demolishing the Lusignanwalls (Franc period 1326) that were already in place. In both walled cities there were multiple palaces that are no more there as well as cathedrals (Hagia Sophia Cathedral Nicosia). The Venetian fortification of Nicosia was an ambitious project that was never fulfilled to its completion, consisting of 11 bastions, that till this day there are ruins of an older version of the wall found in front of the existing wall. As well as redirecting the nearest river to create a moat around the walled city but unfortunately that was never completed due to the occupation of the island from the Venetians to the Ottomans.
Within the walled city after thousands of years of layering a remarkably interesting mix of urban, architecturaland cultural setting has been established. Where religion plays a huge role in it. From originally Franc catholic Gothic cathedrals build on a site of an ancient byzantine church that is now operating as a mosque, to orthodox churches, to Maronite (Lebanese) catholic cathedrals, Armenian orthodox churches, roman catholic churches, mosques and many other. As well as ottoman baths and libraries, caravanserais, and enclosed markets. Through the Nolli map of walled Nicosia it is clear that the main public space in the city was places of worship. But in contrast as moving away of the walled city you can identify newer public developments such as the recent Eleftheria square.
Looking at the residential buildings and the road system within the walled city you can see that this was a naturally grown city without much regulation nor urban planning. Consisting of small roads not foreseeing for any heavy traffic more of pedestrians and horses (considering the period everything was build). Taking also into account the climatic situation in Cyprus, with smaller road meaning less direct sunlight to the buildings themselves and creating more areas with shade. As well as each block of buildings having smaller courtyards behind each house.
Nicosia is a layered and complex city with history, culture and religion clashing and layered on top of each other. Creating a strong atmosphere of the public space that accomplishes the demands of the people of each historic period. In an ever-shifting world, it rises to the occasion always having something to offer to anyone’s needs. A city built for its climatic challenges and a cosmopolitan city of the east Mediterranean.
Glasgow as a city center used to be the strip from the Cathedral down to Glasgow cross. The city center we now know is the second new city (1792). Being a heavily influenced by the industrial revolution Glasgow experienced a huge population boom of working class. At that period, the civic space might not have been the top priority of the city, despite that the city does have some great civic spaces to offer. The refurbished in the past decades of street, reclaiming street from cars and pedestrianizing it such as
Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street is a notable example of the public in Glasgow. Alongside George square being a big city square that was laid out in the late 18th century and completed later in the 19th century around the same time Glasgow claimed the title as the second city of the empire. The square is said to be mimicking the ones of London, bringing the city to a similar metropolitan status as London. Spaces in Glasgow such as the Buchanan Galleries, Prince’s square, and St. Enoch center could be considered public but at the same time they are privately owned properties, but they have the traits of a public space. I have decided to include the pathways within those centers that
anyone can walk through them, but that raises the question of what is actually considered a public space in the modern world and what we might think is actually isn’t. The grid system in Glasgow allows to create organized public spaces as well as long uninterrupted streets. With this, traffic can be optimized withing the city center as well as creating alternative routes for any destination. It is a great and simple way of organizing a city as well for rapid expansion and optimization of the city. Another type of Public space Glasgow has to share are its 2 big parks, Glasgow Green and Kelvingrove park which are both on the sides of the city center.
Glasgow in a very organised and well put together city when it comes to an urban aspect. The grid system used throughout the city and the placements of the public areas like parks, squares and shopping streets are well spread along the city. Allowing for any sort of public space to be near at any given moment.
Amsterdam itself was driven by commerce during the Dutch golden age in the 17th century were Amsterdam got the status of a mega-hub. The urban development of Amsterdam was consistent of very thought through phases with a strategy of functionality, aesthetics and maximizing revenue from the sale of building plots. With building and zoning regulations implemented strictly as well as for heavy traffic throughout the city. Through the Nolli maps you can prominently see how the central station of Amsterdam, which was built on 3 artificial islands on a very later period that the city itself (1882) feeds into the city center through wide avenues cutting around the medieval city. Through that you can see how the city was constructed but also reconstructed to fit in with the demand of economical but also population growth, in a way it was developed keeping in mind the future of the city and maintaining the status of a mega-hub. There is not an immediate public space in Amsterdam, rather the wide streets, bridges and canals act as one. The Oude church, or known as the old church (1213), in Amsterdam can be considered as the oldest public space in the city as it was the main space of gathering of the population in medieval times as well as carrying a lot of controversy being in the red-light district of Amsterdam. On the note of the Oude church, you can see the real fight of the city with the lack of land, where a good amount of Amsterdam is reclaimed land, buildings being built around and attached onto the church itself. Keeping that in mind space efficiency is a key in the city, trying to cramp as many people as possible into the city. Thus the Dutch architecture developing the name of mastering the use of space. Another example of the commerce driven design in Amsterdam is the Beurs van Berlage (1896) which used to be the Amsterdam stock exchange which now is operating as a venue space, open to the public.
Through this map you can appreciate the contrast of the wide-open streets leading from the central station out the medieval city and the poetic combination of narrow streets and canals within the medieval city itself. Where the civic space is the city itself, curated between the canals and the streets, creating a one-of-a-kind type of public experience.
Conclusion
In any urban setting the civic space is the one that gives character and an identity to the city. It is the place where people interact with the city itself, the ones that give life to the city and vice versa. Through mapping the city in a Nolli styled map you can get a great appreciation of a city along with seeing it from a different point of view. Exploring the places we live is the key to understanding how a certain community works, thinks and enjoys their lives. In addition to exploring the public you understand that a city is something that evolved throughout the centuries morphing into something coherent even if it looks messy. Allowing everything to co-exist together as well as thrive from one another.
Trongate, Glasgow, Continued Nolli map study (May 2024)