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Figure 2. “Touchable” plant wall at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital

Special attention should be paid to places for horticultural therapy. There patients can recover physically, mentally and socially. The horticultural therapy school believes that working in a garden is particularly obvious, meaningful, and enjoyable, hence therapeutic. It’s closely related to sensory stimulation theories [6]. Gardening gives the patient the opportunity to touch plants, feel its smell and look at them closely. This is how the concept of stimulating feelings is implemented. By gardening, patients interact directly with nature, distract from their ailments, forget about them – they recover mentally. During horticultural therapy, patients often help each other, communicate – this is how their social adaptation takes place.

The horticultural therapy is practiced at Nelson Mandela children’s hospital and Rogers memorial hospital [Fig. 3].

Figure 3. Horticultural therapy at Rogers memorial hospital, children and adolescent center

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The healing garden is a special healthcare environment which supports physical, psychological and social well-being by different features, for instance, sensory stimulation and reducing stress. They are closely related and usually work together. There are different features of landscape architecture for stress reduction and feelings stimulation at the healing gardens. Some of them are defined seating areas; easily readable pathways; contrast and harmony in texture, form, color, and arrangement of plants and materials; placing interactive facilities and plants next to the places of frequent stay of patients; features to attract animals and places for horticultural therapy.

The healthcare facilities usually take care of physical health with the help of medicines and therapy. A healing garden can improve its healing effect. Some of the improving ways are reducing stress and feelings’ stimulation.

References

1.Cooper, M. C. Healing Gardens in Hospitals / M. C. Cooper // Interdisciplinary Design and Research e-Journal. — Washington, 2007. — Р. 1– 27.

2.Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital [Electronic resource]. - URL access mode: https://architizer.com/projects/lady-cilento-childrens-hospital-1 (Accessed on: 9.10.2022)

3.Ohana Center for Health [Electronic resource]. - URL access mode: www.nbbj.com/work/ohana-center-for-health (Accessed on: 8.10.2022)

4.Therapeutic Garden Design [Electronic resource]. - URL access mode: https://www.hitchcockdesigngroup.com/portfolio-item/therapeutic-garden- design (Accessed on: 9.10.2022)

5.Therapeutic Gardens – A healing environment for optimizing the health care experience of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients: A narrative review / P.Ch.Uwajeh, M. Рolay, T.O.Iyendo / oct.2018

6.Therapeutic landscapes and healing gardens: A review of Chinese literature in relation to the studies in western countries/ Shan Jiang - 29.12.2013

Yu. A. Tsapaeva, А. V. Parshentseva

Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering,

Saint-Petersburg, Russia

LOST PRACTISES IN ARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING

For thousands of years, architecture served as a reflection of values of people who inhabited our planet. Today we are trying to preserve the ancient

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monuments, which in their idea, beauty and quality cannot be compared with any modern building. However, this task is far from easy, since the civilizations that created those monuments were not only guided by other principles and built from other materials, but also thought in a different manner.

The singularity of ancient knowledge lies in the fact that the universe is considered a living, intelligent and balanced organism; the meaning of human existence lies in its development, and architecture reflects this idea.

The relevance of the topic must not be underrated, as nowadays there is a great need for living architecture.

Current research aims to reveal some of the most important architectural traditions of the ancient world and compare them with up-to-date living.

The means that will help reveal the topic are: 1) exploring philosophical and executive aspects of architecture; 2) analyzing their transformation in time; 3) introducing the older traditions to the present reality.

Design Principles. Philosophy of Architecture. Architecture always corresponds to the humans’ level of spirituality. When analyzing and comparing various age-old architectural schools, similarities in the basic principles of design can be found:

1.The design is based on the knowledge about the movement of energies in nature.

God created this world. Who is God? It is the one who is the Unknowable, the Eternal, and all-embracing. What can possibly match this definition? Consciousness, energy, and visible matter. They are interconnected and interpenetrate each other. And we understand that the world (matter) was created by consciousness with the help of energy.

Modern science, being materialistic, is looking for a source of energy in the material (solid) world and uses it for material well-being. According to the Vedic tradition, the source of the manifestations of the Universe and the Source of all energies is the Universal Cosmic Consciousness. And the meaning of this creation is its evolution.

There are three types of matter (according to their density): physical, energetic, and spiritual. Each level, in its turn, consists of five more levels of density. All energies have the ability to move in space, and the spiritual level permeates everything.

From this knowledge follows a particular concept of the qualities of earth directions (each direction - north, south, west, east, and intermediate - carries a certain quality or characteristic), elements (Feng Shui) and primary elements (Vaastu), etc.

2.A house is a living organism, the main task of which is to help a person in his destiny, health, and spiritual ascent.

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A person, being in a building, falls under the influence of its space. In all cultures of the world there are myths, fairy tales and legends about good house spirits. Slavic Brownie, Irish Leprechaun, English Dobby (Goblin), Ancient Roman Penates, Chinese Dzao-Jun and Japanese Zashiki-Warashi. In the Indian tradition, there is a legend about Vastu-Purush - the Spirit of the Earth, the Guardian of every house and building.

The complete, original text of the Vastu Purusha myth contains knowledge about different forms of energy that affect different spheres of human activity, about the relationship of the solar system and the properties of elementary particles (primary elements) with the human. All these energies are identified with the images of deities.

Myths and legends are the artistic embodiment of the worldview of people of past eras. They were retold to be understandable to everyone and preserved for centuries.

3. Ancient architecture is full of meanings, there is nothing deprived of

idea.

The meaning of this load is in the formation of the subconscious. Each element, each form, sculpture, and volume carried a certain semantic load, both functional and symbolic. The main idea: the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm, which gives a subconscious understanding of the macrocosm.

In Indian temple architecture, there is an element of Gopura - the main gate of the temple, consisting of an odd number of platforms - 3,5,7,9, etc. Each number has its own meaning. The number 3 represents the three states of the body - awakening, sleep, and deep sleep. The number 5 indicates the five senses through which a person communicates with the outer world. "Seven" means mind and intelligence (in addition to the five senses). "Nine" includes the previously mentioned seven factors and, in addition, the mind and ego.

4. Architects served the Mankind and worked for the sake of the Idea. Not so long ago, in the Gothic era, amazing cathedrals were created. Their

design and construction reflected the fundamental ideas of ancient knowledge. Fulcanelli, one of the most famous alchemists of the 20th century

describes the symbolism of Gothic buildings in his book The Secret of the Cathedrals. He also characterizes the Renaissance as the epoque of decadence («they applied themselves to reproducing bastard works without taste, without character, without esoteric thought, rather than to pursuing and developing admirable and healthy French originality»)

Comparison of these architectural eras clearly shows the difference in the values of ancient and modern design.

Each house was designed with the help of special calculations (Ayadi calculations in Indian culture), for which the personal measures of the residents

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were used, and the Exterior was made according to the measures of the husband, the interior - according to the measures of the wife.

The transition from the ancient system of anthropomorphic measures to an artificial metric system not only deprived the architecture of the “harmonic resonance of the proportions of man and the environment” (according to Le Corbusier), but also led to the processes of “unification”, “standardization” of man as a whole.

Building Materials. Modern technologies cannot recreate some building materials. Previously, the process of creating them was slower, but much more efficient. The modern economy works against quality.

Introducing the classification of living and non-living materials, we note that in ancient times, work was carried out with living materials devoid of chemicals. Man-made materials, including synthetics and concrete, are economical but unhealthy.

Previously, harmless antiseptics of natural origin were used in everyday life, such as tar, propolis, wax, lime, cow dung, linseed oil, natural drying oils, bischofite impregnation.

Wood is a living material whose life continues even after it has been cut down. The preparation of the material was carried out in certain phases of day, moon, or year. Each phase corresponded to a certain element. The first phase was considered the phase of water, the second - air, the third - fire, and the fourth - the earth phase. For example, a tree cut down in the water phase did not rot for a long time.

Building Process. In ancient times, the process of construction was equal to the process of Creation. One can draw an analogy with the traditions of painting icons: icon painters undertook certain austerities (for example, kept a fast) and were required to keep their mind and body clean (absence of bad thoughts, physical ablutions). During the painting of the icon, prayers were read, as if charging the image. The same principle was observed in construction. For instance, in ancient Egyptian tradition, when laying a stone, people talked to it; and in the old Russian tradition, songs were sung during the laying of a house.

Impact on dwellers.It should be mentioned that the main criterion for a good life is internal balance. Without it, the vector of life will fluctuate and distant a person from both spiritual and material growth. Balance is created by structure. Ancient knowledge in the field of architecture is aimed at harmonizing all spheres of human life.

Nowadays, there is a trend towards the creation of residential buildings of bionic forms. This tendency is justified as a desire to return a person to his “natural habitat”, where there are no right angles. However, human nature is different from animal nature. A person's house should reflect his Divine side,

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which manifests itself in the structure. Each architectural decision must be justified and thought out in favor of a person and the quality of his future life.

All things considered, architecture does not live a life separate from people, but these days they are separated. All relevant problems in the field of construction and architecture will one way or another rest against the question of the human worldview. The revival of ancient architectural traditions will restore this lost connection and bring prosperity to human life.

References

1.Menzhinskaya, G. Cosmic science of Ancient Rishi / G. Menzhinskaya. SPb. 2019. – 167 p.

2.Fulcanelli. Master Alchemist: Le Mystere des Cathedrals, Esoteric.Interpretation of the Hermetic Symbols of The Great Work. Brotherhood of Life, Inc. 1990. – 306 p.

3.Baluta, S.Vedic Architecture / S. Baluta. In 2 Volumes. Conceptual. 2016. – 120 p.

4.Baluta, S. Architecture of the New Epoque / S.Baluta. Conceptual. 2020. – 224 p.

5.Neapolitanskiy, S., Matveev, S. Sacred Geometry / S. Neapolitanskiy, S. Matveev Amrita-Rus. 2013. – 280 p.

6.Neapolitanskiy, S. Matveev, S. The Secrets of Vedic Architecture / S. Neapolitanskiy, S. Matveev. Sacred Architecture, Cities of Gods. Amrita-Rus. 2017. . – 170 p.

A.D. Zhemchuzhnikova, E.V. Kiselyova

Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering,

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

LAND OF THE LUSTROUS. THE ART OF COMPOSITION

“Land of the Lustrous” is a Japanese action fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Haruko Ichikawa.

The subject of the research is the visual analysis of the manga.

The purposes of the research are: 1) to conduct the analysis of its compositional structure, 2) to cover the best compositional solutions, 3) to reveal the connection between the composition and main story points, 4) to prove the significance of this connection for storytelling.

“Land of the Lustrous'' is a work of art created by Ichikawa in the year of 2012. These manga comics are truly her pride and joy. Although the author had

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previously written a number of works, only “Land of the Lustrous” brought her popularity and even got its animated adaptation later in 2017. The manga is a great pleasure to read and a fascinating experience to go through. From the character design to the dialogues and plot twists, it never ceases to amaze its readers. This becomes particularly apparent when one starts reading between the lines, discovering the intense connection between philosophy, grey morality and even religion.

Mention should be made that previously “Land of the Lustrous” was analyzed and examined thoroughly by numerous art researchers. Their studies however covered only overall plot composition. Nobody has ever carried out the visual analysis of it and it proves the relevance of my project.

The goal of the work is to study “Land of the Lustrous” concentrating on the visual aspect of it. The research deals with its compositional structure. How does Haruko Ichikawa convey her thoughts to the reader and how does the art of composition help her in this? Let’s have a look at some key concepts trying to answer this question.

The art of solitude. Loneliness is one of the main problems faced by the manga characters. What is the best and the easiest way for the artist to show that the character is lonely? The answer is - leaving them in the middle of the big empty space. Ichikawa uses this method quite regularly: even at the very beginning of the story readers can see some hints made by the author. The theme is obviously important for the plot. According to the author, the sensations caused by loneliness or so called ‘emptiness’ or solitude can vary from calm and serene up to oppressive and suffocating ones. Thus, for example, in chapter two, we can see one of the characters standing in the middle of the meadow, staring into the sky, surrounded by nothing but nature, her figure looks distant, insignificant, helpless and alone. Another vivid example of it: the protagonist is moving inside the building, her figure is small and fragile, while the surrounding areas are explicitly spacious. No traces of life anywhere around her, only this suffocating loneliness.

The other method used by Ichikawa from time to time is exclusion. It is used by the author not as often as the previous one and can only be seen on chapter title pages. The cover of the first volume presents a great example of such a method. Background is irrelevant here, the composition is focused on the characters instead. Characters united in a crowd, all play their roles as well as they can, all are important - all except for one. Whether it is her posture or her placement - something about this character is irregular, something is wrong, as if he truly does not belong here.

The art of danger. When we think about the presentation of danger in the art of composition we usually expect something wild, chaotic, uncontrollable. Most artists would show danger through asymmetry, sharp shards or jagged

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threatening lines, but Ichikawa went another way. The danger in “Land of the Lustrous” is disturbingly accurate, precise, symmetrical, neat and tidy. Some could even find beauty in dangers depicted by the author. The enemy is presented as persuasively beautiful, elegant. The location of the antagonists is mostly symmetrical, which further emphasizers their similarity. The first chapter provides a good example of the enemy presentation. Perfectly synchronized, elegant, beautiful and serene - that’s how the author shows the main source of evil and danger. Such a compositional solution undoubtedly makes special sense. The enemy is not the wild force of nature, not an uncontrolled killing machine, the enemy has a mind and a goal. He makes well-considered and smart decisions to achieve that goal. It can clearly be seen that the symmetrical composition contributes to the successful delivery of this idea.

The art of war. Action scenes can be regarded as “Land of the Lustrous” iconic parts. The author does not combine these shots symmetrically like she did for the depiction of danger. She resorts to chaos and asymmetry instead. One can notice many sharp corners and abrupt movements, constant change in the frame drawing details. The author puts a special emphasis on the action, character-scene correlation, thus creating emotional sequences. That is where it is important for her to show the movement, the force of impact. Chaos helps her in the achievement of such an effect. Thus, the focus shifts straight to the movement itself leaving insignificant details inconspicuous.

Another noteworthy thing is highly skilful application of long shots, especially in those places where the undetailed and short frames are replaced by a single one - disturbingly detailed, sometimes occupying full page. These longlasting shots are characteristic of Japanese film media. Being aimed at the character’s presentation, this type of long, still establishing shot handles its task perfectly. That is when the readers witness the focus shift. That is the action scene the readers should pay attention to. That is the moment to which the entire action led to from the very beginning.

From the analysis, we may conclude as follows. Although composition is not the most powerful tool in Ichikawa's arsenal, it certainly plays a significant role in her plan of storytelling. The compositional construction of the frames drawn by the artist fulfills its own, special task. Conveying emotions, drawing associations and directing the readers’ attention – all of these major points were covered precisely due to the art of composition.

References

1. Kompozitsiya v risunke. Osnovi compozitsiyi v uchebnom risunke. [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://www.ghenadiesontu.com/blog/osnovy-kompozicii-v-risunke-i-zhivopisi (Accessed on 18.10.2022)

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2. Kompozitsiya. Chast 1. Tipi compozitsiyi. – reylana – LiveJournal [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://reylana.livejournal.com/4354.html? (Accessed on 18.10.2022)

3. Houseki no Kuni – Strana samotsvetov – MangaLib [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://mangalib.me/houseki-no-kuni?section=info (Accessed on 18.10.2022)

A.A. Sazhina1, E.A. Aleshugina2

1School 127, Nizhny Novgorod, 2Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

F.B. RATRELLI'S SAINT PETERSBURG ARCHITECTURAL

MASTERPIECES

Many tourists come to St. Petersburg to enjoy the magnificent architecture of the city. Hower, few people know that most of the masterpieces of the palace of St. Petersburg were created by the same hereditary architect of the Baroque era - Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

Francesco Rastrelli, an Italian by birth, lived in Russia for about 50 years. During this time, he made a huge contribution to the construction of palaces, residences, churches and monasteries of the city. A square in the city is named after the architect: Piazza Rastrelli.

The architecture of St. Petersburg was something incredible and luxurious for Russia in the 18th century. Created in accordance with European fashion, the new capital was strikingly different from Moscow and all other large cities. A huge contribution to the construction was made by foreign architects, including our today's hero - Francesco Rastrelli. Below are the most famous of his works, which attract tourists so far.

All the works of the architect are united by love for the Russian statehood. The architect used in the design: the rhythm of the verticals, double columns, huge windows, volutes, the contrast between volumes and shape, the rhythm of the verticals, statues and flowerpots. "Folk" techniques from the architecture of an earlier time were also actively used: gilding, floral ornaments, and decorativeness. Before Peter I introduced the fashion for luxurious palaces with many halls for various purposes, the rulers of Russia preferred to live in traditional ancient Russian chambers. Similar structures were decorated with stone or wooden carvings, and inside they had a rather intricate structure.

In imperial times, everything was different. Thirsty to have a luxurious palace, which is not found in the whole world, Elizaveta Petrovna ordered

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Rastrelli to develop a project for a large-scale architectural structure. Instead of one building, the master created a whole complex, which is still the hallmark of St. Petersburg.

It is difficult to imagine a city without the Hermitage (located in the Winter Palace). Tourists from all over the world tend to get around it in one day. But such a feat is not possible for everyone: the length of the facades is 210 meters, in the Winter Palace itself there are 1057 rooms and 117 stairs.

The building impresses with its colorfulness and movement. The rhythm is set by the columns, the verticals of the columns visually continue the sculptures and vases. The bright color of the facade, combined with white columns and golden capitals, looks solemn.

You should definitely take a walk around the Palace itself. Luxury reigns in the interiors of the Winter Palace: mirrors, patterns and moldings, an abundance of color in the rooms. Feel like royalty: once the empress lived here, and the carriages of her guests came to the entrance (northern building) [Fig.1].

Figure 1. The Hermitage (Winter Palace) interior

Most of all, the powerful facade of the building, richly decorated and imperially large, attracts attention. The architect ideally fit the massive building into the common areal complex. The master also worked on the interior decoration of some rooms, which amaze with their luxury and at the same time geometric rigor.

In addition, Rastrelli worked on the Catherine and the Summer Palaces in Tsarskoe Selo [Fig.2], was engaged in the improvement of Peterhof and developed projects for houses and palaces for many wealthy citizens. The name of the master is inextricably linked with St. Petersburg and the appearance that the capital of the empire acquired by the beginning of the 19th century.

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