Ludgate Circus: St. Paul's AS prospect

Abstract

Why does a London smog heavy with the dark smell of diesel on a drizzly gray afternoon bring a keen sense of deja vu, o spasm of Anglophilia, to one who grew up in the Pacific Northwest of the United States? Perhaps it is the similar climate. Perhaps The City is perceived as ”achieved” rather than ”provided”. Perhaps the durable materials of The City act as an "Affirmation of Confidence".

Perhaps it cannot be put into words.

It is the ”genius loci” of The City that has drawn me to invest my time on a thesis there. The nearby great works of old become ”prospects” for this design. The historical precedents emit rhythms of order, clues to design.