Virtual Topophilia: 256: Saul's Nook (Torva)

Saul's Nook is one of a few brainchildren of SecondLife impresario SAUL GOODIE. It's a roadside parcel on Route 1, Heterocera that simply describes itself as "A Little Getaway". In fact, it's half a 512, being 256 m/sq, but, in the spirit of The 512 Project, it speaks volumes about doing a lot with very little space.

Feeling my way into the sense of place, here, I've abandoned my categories of 'Purpose', 'Location', 'Look and Feel' as these seem to have become restrictive and I'm reconsidering the validity of 'Purpose' as a criterion in any case: couched as it is, in the industrialized concept of 'fitness for purpose'. Instead, I think there are some features to be noticed:

Closed/Open and Framing
Two sides of the parcel have a high, grey stone wall, that creates a barrier between the neigboring shop and the hillside. Nevertheless, it is open to the road and the south aspect of abandoned land. A short path of stepping stones invites the passerby to walk into a grove of tall beech trees where a seating area is placed in a natural clearing. The path quickly gives way to nature. The chairs offer a place of seclusion from where one can see the road, framed by the tree trunks.

It's the balance of 'enclosed openness' that tells the mind that it is welcome but safe, and it seems to be an important consideration for anyone who wants to achieve that effect in a given place.

A close, permeable barrier (provided by trees and vegetation) acts like the padding from the outside world while breaking its lines up into natural frames. The road is still there, but it becomes a piece of art on the wall.

Bring a Friend
The hangout spot is furnished with a table, long seat, and two chairs. Candles burn on the table and there is a guest book to sign. This place is created for a group of friends to have an intimate conversation. The fact that the majority of its actual use is bound to be by lone explorers or single AVs who want 'a little getaway' poses another question. What does it do to be alone at a table set for four?

Some spots in SecondLife are deliberately set out as places to be alone. yet it is pleasant to be in a place where one imagines more community happening. Perhaps, the empty chairs are filled with those we would want to be with - and that takes the mind in a certain direction it would not go in otherwise.

Ambient Lighting
This parcel, like so many, really comes into its own in twilight or at night. It is an object lesson in ambient lighting. The light comes from a string of bulbs and a more abstract source in the form of a glowing mesh that punches little fixed dots of light into the air. This is an effect you are more likely to see in a nightclub. You don't really notice it unless you are looking for it but it plays a big part in making the sitting area well lit, like the glowing heart of the parcel.

Here, light is used in such a way that the surrounding darkness becomes a comforting buffer and enhances the sense of intimacy and seclusion.

That Ladder
The back wall is hung with empty picture frames, perhaps to be filled with those imagined friend's faces. There is also a step ladder. Step ladders are ubiquitously available on the market place or as gacha items. They are really 'cute' but this is the first time I have been forced to think, "why?"

The step ladder says a few things to me ...

'I like doing places up': the ladders are an iconic tool of the DIY enthusiast. Step ladders out say that the work is in progress. Here they serve as a prompt to the imagination to begin dreaming about its own decorating project.
'Upcycle': They are always 'vintage' ladders, and speak to an aesthetic that incorporates old items used again and loved afresh. These utilitarian objects become furniture in their own right as we indulge the modern fascination for finding an old thing and making it a feature. Why do we like that? It's a question for another post.
'Ascend': On a further level, I believe we have a strong psychological need to reach upwards. Ladders symbolize that ascent, a reaching for a higher perspective, a progression of the soul, a quest for more space and a desire to leave the boundedness of life on earth.