landmarks & legibility

Posted: February 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: architectural reviews, architecture, competitions, design, local design and planning | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I recently visited an exhibition in Melbourne titled ‘Missing the Mark’. This exhibited a competition which was held in 1967 which invited architects, planners and designers to design a landmark for Melbourne.

Having studied Lynch’s five elements of legibility, landmarks are readily identifiable objects which serve as external reference points.  A landmark can really make a city & if this competition had awarded a winner (a prize was never given and no project chosen or built), then Melbourne may well have a landmark as recognisable as the Opera House.

A few of the interesting entries…. including a giant ‘M’, a oversized column, a number of large spaceships, a high standing aquarium filled with sharks and the list goes on…

and just a quick look at my favourite landmark in the world…..