A brief representation of Edmund bacon's concept of 'point in space' for the city planning of Philadelphia.

1. Edmund Norwood
Bacon (May 2, 1910 –
October 14, 2005)
A noted American urban
planner, architect, educator
and author.
During his tenure as the
Executive Director of
the Philadelphia City Planning
Commission from 1949 to
1970, his visions shaped
today's Philadelphia, the city in
which he was born, to the
extent that he is sometimes
described as "The Father of
Modern Philadelphia."
‘ A central designed idea, well developed and clearly expressed can itself
become a major creative force and can make more meaningful the works of
individual architects in various parts of an area. ’
- EDMUND N. BACON.

2. Redevelopment of a specific part of a city, provides an entirely different problem, than
designing an individual building or a group of buildings.
Here, we must think in terms of a total design concept, we must relate to an overall
design structure.
A design idea, well developed and clearly expressed is very powerful.
To illustrate the power of a design idea, which influences the subsequent form of the
city. Edmund N. Bacon, quotes the example of Pope Sixtus V, who played a major role
in redeveloping Rome.
Sixtus began with a broad overlook of the city, he saw the flow of pilgrims between
the 7 god churches.
He got an idea of ESTABLISHING POINTS IN SPACE in relation to these churches
by erecting obelisks, as shown in figure below.

3. 1.
6.3.
2. 5.
4.
Image1: the square at
st.Peters had a chaotic
and confused crowd
movement which was a
problem wit increasing
population of the city.
Image 2: Sixtus erected
an obelisk in the middle
of the square which
created a pattern in the
crowd movement,
slowly the crowd
started moving in a
systematic manner
Image 3,4: with the
completion of the
basilica, and the newly
built colonnade, around
the square, the crowd
management became
easy.
Image 5,6: now the
square of st.Peter’s is a
worldwide example of
great composition.

4. Perspectives of depths, and evolution
of recessing streetscape was also
observed by Edmund Bacon.
Neat and symmetric streets were
evolved from indiscipline architecture
of streets to a disciplined recessed
look with all characters in harmony
with each other.

5. 6.3.
2. 5.
4.1.
Image 1 and 4: the boat
fountain ,also an element
derived from the idea of
‘point in space’, works as
a design element in
another part of the city.
Also the sense of using
natural slope to give a
built form to a building can
be seen.
Image 2 and 5: the
placement of obelisk is in
the focal centre but the
confused façade of the
building behind is treated
and the visual appeal of
the place is
enhanced(image 5).
Image 3 and 6: Again the
symmetric churches on
the edge of both the
streets, gives the square a
symmetric and systematic
look, affecting the
movement of crowd as
well.

6. CONCLUSION
The design of city of Rome, as visualized by Pope Sixtus V., was dominated by
rich moving squares.
With buildings grouped around the squares, which are controlled by ‘a point in
space’, marked by the obelisk and each connected by a network of streets, vistas,
and stairways.
This planning, in which, each character of the city blended into the other, provided
the backbone of not only transport system of modern Rome, but also gives form and
meaning to the city.
Edmund Bacon quotes that “ The total visual impact of the work of Sixtus at that
time, was unimpressive. It took 200 years to arrive at a realization that the power of
his design idea was so great that it dominated the work of a dozen successors and
hundreds of architects over decades.”