ABSTRACT
Until the advent of powered transport, the architecture of every place tended to be constructed from the materials of that place. If the primary task of architecture is to offer shelter, then the climate of each locality on earth requires its own particular response - for example, excluding or filtering bright light in some climates and taking full advantage of weak light in others. For much of the last two hundred years these special properties of individual places were either played down or ignored. Technological progress, increased communication through exploration, political expansion and global trade, all broke down natural barriers to cultural interchange and influence. Universal ideals for all humankind led to concepts of equally universal architectural ideas. The 'International Style' of the second and third quarters of this century most boldly proclaimed its independence from the unique requirements of place. City centres all over the world bear witness to the naivety of this perception as well as its power to destroy local architectural character. The essays in this section promote the current view that all architecture must respond to the particular characteristics of the place where it is located. They reflect four ways in which place can be regarded.
