us an unthinkable luxury, even on public buildings; only high up - in the form of balconies.
and bay windows or on the roof - is the architect allowed to give his imagination free rein,.
but never below at street level where the "building-frontage line" alone dominates." (Sitte,.
1889 - in Collins and Collins, 1986: 244-245) While Sitte's comments came before the era of the skyscraper, the elevator and the motor car, they are quite applicable to the urban landscape that characterises the end of the twentieth century.
2.4 Christopher Alexander.
Christopher Alexander is one of the best known commentators concerned with the fundamental.
nature of architecture and urban design. Alexander's theory of urban design apparently evolved.
from Sitte's principles. It continues the notion of timeless principles (or patterns) and the need for individual elements to contribute positively to the whole. He makes a plea for an "entirely new.
attitude to architecture and planning . an alternative which will [it is hoped] gradually replace.
current ideas and practices" (cited by Kruft: 1994: 443).
Alexander's seven prescriptive "rules of growth" are listed below (Alexander, 1987).
· Piecemeal growth.
· The growth of larger wholes.
· Visions.
· Positive urban space.
· Layout of large urban buildings.
· Construction.
· Formation of centres.
Alexander describes a process of urban design and construction which uses a living "pattern.
language" to allow order to happen organically. The process described is evolutionary rather than.
addition using preformed parts. In Alexander's view, the pattern languages have broken down in.
our time and humans have lost touch with the deep patterns which are capable of generating "life".
in places where they live and work. The patterns are suggested to reflect the network of.
connections that are so fundamental in nature (Alexander, 1979).
Alexander and his colleagues devised over 250 detailed patterns for regions, towns,.