Phenomenology, Place, and Architecture: Tsitsikamma and Addo as Sites of
Dwelling
Introduction
Phenomenology has given architecture a profound way of understanding human
existence in relation to place. Instead of treating buildings as isolated objects,
phenomenology situates them within the lived world, as mediators between people
and their environments (Norberg-Schulz, 1980). Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of
being-in-the-world and dwelling established the foundation for this approach,
emphasising that architecture should allow humans to exist authentically within the
rhythms of earth, sky, and community (Giavotella, 2003). Christian Norberg-Schulz,
in Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture, developed Heidegger’s
ideas into a design methodology, arguing that the spirit of place (genius loci) must
guide architectural interpretation (Norberg-Schulz, 1980).
This paper applies phenomenological thought to two South African contexts,
Tsitsikamma National Park and Addo Elephant National Park, through client-specific
designs. For Tsitsikamma, a flower-inspired structure for a botanist responds to the
forest-ocean landscape. For Addo, an anthill-inspired network of buildings reflects
adaptation and ecological embeddedness. Both projects demonstrate how
phenomenology can guide design by revealing and reinforcing the character of
place.
Phenomenology in Architecture
Martin Heidegger’s early work from 1919 to 1929 redefined phenomenology from a
descriptive science of lived experience into a hermeneutics of existence. He
described phenomenology as a method of “going back to the things themselves,”
uncovering how life is experienced in its “factical” structures (Heidegger, 1927). His
central insight was that humans are not detached observers but Dasein, beings
whose existence is always situated as “being-in-the-world” (Heidegger, Being and
Time, 1927 to 1962). Dwelling, in this sense, is not simply inhabiting shelter but living
in harmony with earth, sky, mortals, and divinities (Heidegger, Building Dwelling
Thinking, 1971).
Christian Norberg-Schulz (1979) expanded on these insights in architecture. He
argued that every place possesses a distinct Genius Loci, a spirit arising from natural
features, history, and human life (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1979). To build well is to
interpret and reveal this spirit. His key concepts were character, the atmosphere of
place, and archetypes, universal spatial figures such as paths, centres, and
boundaries that structure experience. For him, architecture should mediate between
people and the environment, reinforcing place identity rather than erasing it
(Norberg-Schulz, 1980).
Together, Heidegger and Norberg-Schulz provide a framework in which architecture
is understood as the art of dwelling, a practice rooted in the phenomenological
experience of place (Heidegger, Poetry, Language, Thought, 1971)
Site and Context Analysis
Tsitsikamma National Park
Tsitsikamma is defined by the striking convergence of the Indian Ocean and its
indigenous forests. The coastline is marked by waves breaking against rugged cliffs,
while river systems and dense canopies create enclosed habitats that sustain
diverse and sheltered ecosystems. From a Heideggerian perspective, dwelling here
means existing between two elemental forces, the openness of the ocean and the
protection of the forest. (Heidegger, Building Dwelling Thinking, 1971) The
atmosphere is rhythmic, with sound, light, and mist shaping lived experience
(Giavotella J. A., 2020).
In Norberg-Schulz’s terms, the character of Tsitsikamma lies in its contrast between
exposure and enclosure. Archetypes are visible in paths (hiking trails and rivers),
centres (river mouths, lookouts), and boundaries (cliffs, dense tree lines). These
figures structure how the place is experienced phenomenologically (Norberg-Schulz
C. , 1979).
Addo Elephant National Park
Addo’s savannah-thicket ecosystem is expansive, horizon-oriented, and animated by
herds of elephants. Dwelling here involves openness, exposure, and an awareness
of scale, where humans are small in a vast animal landscape. Heidegger would
describe this as a disclosure of being-with other beings in the world (Heidegger, Sein
und Zeit, 1927) (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1979).
For Norberg-Schulz, Addo’s character is one of communal rhythms and ecological
cycles. Archetypes include paths (animal tracks, water routes), centres (waterholes
as gathering nodes), and boundaries (transitions from plains to thickets). These
elements shape a lived environment where movement, survival, and community form
the spirit of place (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1979)
Character, Archetypes, and Design Concepts
Tsitsikamma – Botanist’s Flower
The botanist’s dwelling is conceived as an open flower. Four Eiffel-like timber stilts
elevate the structure, symbolising roots that both anchor and lift. The slanted roof
allows water to spill off, integrating rain into the building’s life cycle.
•
•
Heideggerian reading: The flower-house allows the botanist to dwell with
nature, not apart from it. Water, light, and growth are not hidden but revealed
as part of everyday life (Giavotella J. A., 2020).
Norberg-Schulz reading: The building embodies the site’s character of
contrast, lifted yet rooted, open yet sheltered. The stilts form boundaries, the
workspace becomes a centre, and the entry path is a ritual path into the
blossom (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1980).
Addo – Anthill Network
The anthill concept uses three sunken buildings (studio, bathroom, living) with
descending levels of ground exposure. Ventilation borrows from anthill temperature
regulation, and circulation between units is an application of having interpreted the
tunnels and applying that as a staircase that connects the buildings.
•
•
Heideggerian reading: By entering the ground, the building accepts the earth
as a partner in dwelling. The separation of functions reflects being-in-theworld as a network of activities (Giavotella J. A., 2020).
Norberg-Schulz reading: The anthill reflects Addo’s communal character.
Each unit is a centre, linked by paths, while the earth itself forms the
boundary. Architecture here is ecological adaptation, not imposition (NorbergSchulz C. , 1979).
Design Interpretation and Reflection
Both projects embody phenomenology by translating site-specific characters into
built form. In Tsitsikamma, the flower-house resonates with the living forest, creating
a poetic dwelling for a botanist whose life is devoted to plants. In Addo, the anthill
network resonates with the communal savannah, embedding human presence into
ecological cycles.
Heidegger insisted that architecture should reveal rather than conceal being, “to let
things be seen from themselves” (Giavotella J. A., 2020) (Heidegger, Sein und Zeit,
1927). Both designs do so, one by elevating human life into dialogue with vegetation,
the other by sinking life into earth and climate. Norberg-Schulz likewise insisted that
architecture should protect and reveal the genius loci, and these two projects
achieve that by materialising the spirit of the forest and the savannah in form,
structure, and experience. (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1980)
Conclusion
Phenomenology teaches us that architecture is fundamentally about dwelling,
meaningfully belonging to a place. Heidegger’s philosophy of being-in-the-world
provides the conceptual ground, while Norberg-Schulz’s Genius Loci translates it into
design practice. (Norberg-Schulz C. , 1979) (Giavotella J. A., 2020)
The two South African projects, the flower in Tsitsikamma and the anthill in Addo,
demonstrate how phenomenology can guide design. In Tsitsikamma, verticality and
openness echo the forest’s living character. In Addo, horizontality and embedding
echo the savannah’s ecological community. Both designs show that architecture
should not erase the environment but instead interpret, protect, and reveal it.
By rooting design in phenomenological thinking, architecture becomes more than
construction. It becomes a mediator between human life and the world, allowing us
to dwell authentically and in harmony with the Genius Loci of each place.
References
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Giavotella, J. A. (2020). Heidegger's Phenomenology: 1919-1929. 33.
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Heidegger, M. (1971). Poetry, Language, Thought. New York: Harper & Row.
Norberg-Schulz, C. (1979). Genius Loci: Towards Phenomenology of Architecture. Book
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Norberg-Schulz, C. (1980). Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture.
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