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Aalto’s landscape ontology : conceptualising landscape in Alvar Aalto’s architecture using phenomenological concepts of place, atmosphere and embodiment
Full text linkThis thesis investigates the work of the twentieth-century Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), as involved and intertwined with ideas and experiences of landscape. Late in his life, Aalto said that from his earliest years the Finnish landscape ‘was there all around me, all the time.’
Aalto has been regarded historically as the modernist misfit, a Northern humanist outlier working at the margins of rational modern architecture. Aalto’s architecture arguably extends, expands and evolves modernism to embrace a body-based humanism, informed by a socio-ethical agenda supporting the everyday ‘little man’, confronted by twentieth-century modernity. Aalto’s alternative or heterodox architecture is argued in this study as based in the historically acknowledged, yet largely unexplored, involvement of his work with landscape, evident in the conceptualisation, siting, design, details, and the experience of his work.
This thesis investigates the significance of landscape in Aalto’s work by conceptualising his architecture in terms of its relationship to landscape, addressing the lack of a sustained study of the significance of landscape in Aalto’s work. This historical-theoretical study investigates Aalto’s architecture, in buildings, details and elements, drawings, unbuilt projects, and architectural images, from the 1920s to the 1970s. Through these selected historical examples, the involvement of landscape in Aalto’s work emerges as an essential difference, distinguishing his heterodox practice from the orthodoxy of twentieth-century modern architecture.
The study innovatively organises Aalto’s work into three landscape-related historical themes, of White, Waves and Ruins. While landscape offered a topic for investigating landscape in Aalto’s work in this author’s MPhil(Arch) research into prospect-refuge symbolism (2010), these three themes emerged as relevant to investigating landscape through research articles published or presented by this author between 2010-2018. This study makes its particular contribution to architectural scholarship through a series of close readings of Aalto’s work, interpreting landscape in his architecture with reference to key phenomenological concepts of Place, Atmosphere and Embodiment. The study investigates renowned Aalto works such as Villa Mairea, Muuratsalo House and Aalto Atelier, along with lesser-known works such as Summa House, Alajärvi Town Hall and Seinäjoki Theatre, as well as sketches, images and details of Aalto works.
The thesis describes, analyses and interprets the significance of both Aalto’s architecture in the landscape, and landscape elements in his architecture, with reference to Aalto’s ‘own words’, to the wider Aalto literature, and to interdisciplinary literature on the phenomenology of Place, Atmosphere and Embodiment. Aalto’s lifelong familiarity with the Finnish landscape and his experience of its topography, geology, vegetation, water, weather mythology gave him a unique capacity to involve his work with landscape. Aalto’s familiarity with landscape was further informed by his interests in biology, art, history and literature, and was driven in part by his empathy for the ‘little man’, the everyday person struggling with the conflicts and changes of the twentieth century.
The analysis of the study refers to the thinking of Norberg-Schulz and Pallasmaa on architectural phenomenology. It builds also on Wylie’s geographical theorisation of the phenomenology of landscape, and is based indirectly on the phenomenological philosophies of Merleau-Ponty and of Heidegger, through architectural readings of their work. The study uses recent theoretical and historical work – including Malpas on place, Böhme on atmosphere, and Goldhagen on embodiment – to locate Aalto’s work within recent and contemporary thinking on phenomenology in landscape and
architecture.
Landscape is argued through the thesis as giving an ontological basis to Aalto’s method. Landscape emerges as forming a fundamental, originary architectural beginning, without which Aalto could not have imagined and created his architecture, without which experience of his work could not be fully described or investigated, and without which contemporary understanding of his work would remain less comprehensive. As such, landscape, categorised into historical themes of White, Waves and Ruins and read through phenomenological concepts of Place, Atmosphere and Embodiment, offers a unique resource for investigating the meaning and significance of Aalto’s architecture. As an investigation of landscape through its close reading of Aalto’s work, the present study aims to expand understanding of Aalto’s complex and enduring modern architecture, and of the broader significances of landscape for contemporary architectural thinking and practice
Astronomy in northern Tasmania
Full text linkTasmania has been the site of much astronomical activity over the past century. While most of the scientific research has taken place in the south of the state, this paper documents the significant activities that have been a focus in northern Tasmania, tracing the history of key events and people involved. The scene is set with a summary of pre-1920 astronomical history, followed by a detailed discussion of activities over the past 100 years, including the establishment of the Launceston Planetarium and its subsequent shift from QVMAG to the present-day Inveresk site. It identifies the many professional and amateur astronomers who have played a pivotal role in helping build Tasmania’s strong astronomical reputation as a centre for research and education, now recognised worldwide. Many aspects of this paper are drawn from the author’s own experience in the hopes of attracting further information to expand our knowledge
The Report to inform an Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community by the Royal Society of Tasmania
Full text linkThis paper contains information regarding Aboriginal Ancestral remains that may cause sadness, anger and distress to some people. This information is being shared in the spirit of truth-telling and with the understanding that with knowledge comes obligations. We ask that you treat the information in this paper with dignity and respect to Aboriginal Community members and their wishes about how these stories should be shared.
In 2017, the Royal Society of Tasmania (the Society) commissioned a report to inform an apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community. Pakana woman and museum curator Zoe Rimmer and British-born historian Rebe Taylor co-researched and wrote the Report by early 2018. The Report detailed mistreatment of Tasmanian Aboriginal Ancestral remains and mistreatment and misrepresentation of Tasmanian Aboriginal culture and people. The Society presented its Apology in February 2021 at an event at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG). The Society’s Apology was preceded by a Preamble by Tasmania’s Governor and was followed by a ‘paired’ Apology by TMAG. This paper includes all the findings and recommendations included in the original report and differs only in its formatting, style, and some very minor editing.
Sporulating mycelium of Davidsoniella australis on the bark of Nothofagus cunninghamii, and role as inoculum for new infections
Full text linkSporulating mycelial mats on the bark of lower stems are a common and notable sign of Davidsoniella australis infection of Nothofagus cunninghamii in cool temperate rainforest in Tasmania and Victoria. Inoculation studies indicate viable conidia from mats may be present in the rainforest during most of the year. Air- or water-borne conidia from sporulating mats and in the frass of the ambrosia beetle Platypus subgranosus that attacks infected trees, is the likely source of new infections in N. cunninghami
Ecological and behavioural observations of a nesting aggregation of the endemic Tasmanian Digger Wasp Williamsita tasmanica
Full text linkThe endemic Tasmanian Digger Wasp Williamsita tasmanica is only known from 13 registered museum specimens, with little recorded on its life history. A nesting aggregation of females was observed over a 25-day period, enabling the first detailed observations of host log, nest design, prey and egg deposition, and behavioural patterns to be made. Cells were provisioned with large flies (order Diptera) of nine species from nine genera and four families to observe behaviour. This aggregation used a large eucalypt with an exposed core of friable brown rot for nesting. Our study showed that the day-to-day behaviour of the female is predictable, centring on nest construction, hunting large flies and egg-laying. This information has been lodged on the Atlas of Living Australia and voucher specimens collected for the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery to facilitate further taxonomic study
From iodine deficiency to excess : the Tasmanian thyrotoxicosis epidemic of the 1960s
Full text linkEven though iodine deficiency in Tasmania had been known since the 1830s no full account of the thyrotoxicosis epidemic of 1966–67 has ever been recorded. This personal narrative tracks the history of this epidemic in Tasmania during the 1960s, when it first appeared as iodine deficiency, then as iodine excess, how it was formally recognised and the events leading to its eventual treatment. The addition of iodine into the diet of Tasmanians, initially in bread and then unwittingly through use of iodophors in the dairy industry, resulted in a sequence of events that required unravelling by medical practitioners new to the field but aided by experts from elsewhere. The Tasmanian thyrotoxicosis epidemic was, and continues to be, cited in the annals of the scientific literature as an important medical case study
Robotic exploration beneath the ice : the challenges, risks and rewards of deploying an autonomous underwater vehicle in Antarctica
Full text linkMeasurements beneath Antarctic ice shelves are critical to our understanding of how the glaciers will change and melt. To access these regions, we rely on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), which are free-swimming robots. The Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania, is leading efforts to deploy these vehicles in some of the harshest environments on Earth. This paper provides an overview of the history and recent Australian efforts in deploying AUVs in under-ice environments and discusses recent advances in mission planning and the ongoing challenges to take measurements from beneath ice shelves
Reply to the apology to the Aboriginal community by The Royal society of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Full text linkGood afternoon everyone. I would like to acknowledge all members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community who are here today, and to pay respect to all our old people who have passed before us. Let’s not forget that this day is as much about them as it is us. This is a momentous day for the Aboriginal community of Tasmania – Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Royal Society of Tasmania. As we have heard today the TMAG and the Royal Society have offered apologies to the Aboriginal community for past actions that have shown no regard for our culture and spirituality and which in turn contributed to our disadvantage and trauma. I believe it is up to all of us to consider these apologies with open minds and hearts
Effects of garden type and distance from bush on adventive trees in domestic gardens
Full text linkGardens are both a source of plant species that invade native vegetation (bush) and are places that native species can invade. We test the hypotheses that the richness of adventive exotic and native trees in suburban gardens declines with distance from the bush, and that the type of garden strongly influences the establishment of adventive trees. The adventive woody species in front gardens of houses on randomly selected streets in three Hobart suburbs were observed from the street, along with garden type. Distance from the bush boundary was measured from maps. Most taxa occurred less frequently with increasing distance from the bush and garden type was associated with the occurrence of several taxa. Distance and garden type had no effect on the exotic Pittosporum undulatum, possibly because it is rare in native vegetation due to its fire sensitivity but is both attractive to many gardeners and well-dispersed by birds between gardens
Short note : a brief history of the Central North Field Naturalists.
Full text linkThis paper provides a brief history of the Central North Field Naturalists since its foundation in 1987 as the Deloraine Field Naturalists and lists the many contributions this community group has made to improving nature conservation and education in Tasmania