VERGE ISSUE 1: REGARDS
Issue 1 of Verge, titled Regards, explores architecture as a platform for inclusive, ego-free storytelling. Through a series of personal letters, it highlights overlooked narratives and diverse perspectives, drawing on embodied experiences to challenge conventional architectural discourse.
Below is one account from Issue 1—The Station—which is my personal reflection within the collection.
From,
Sudipta Das Dip
Pascoe Vale Road,
Pascoe Vale, VIC 3044
Date: 02nd October 2024
To,
The City of Melbourne
Dear City of Melbourne,
Every city has a place where the unfamiliar becomes familiar—where the sense of being an outsider slowly fades into belonging. For me, that place is Flinders Street Station. As a migrant, I have realised that spaces are not just physical locations but emotional landscapes that shape and reflect our inner worlds. When I first arrived in Melbourne, your streets were overwhelming, a maze of newness. Yet, in the midst of this vastness, the station stood as a silent anchor. It became the fixed point in my journeys, offering both direction and a sense of place in a city that was otherwise foreign to me. This letter explores how architecture, particularly the station, shaped my experience of belonging here. It's not just my story, though. I've drawn on insights from others who study the emotional power of architecture, migrant experiences in cities, and how places can shift in meaning over time.
Flinders Street Station has become more than just a transit hub; it is a space that holds me in an ever-moving city. Whether I am returning home or navigating through the city, the station is the one place where I feel grounded. It has become a symbol of belonging, a space where my rhythm converges with the city. What started as a place of dislocation, filled with the overwhelming rush of commuters and trains, evolved into a constant in my life, where the city's vastness became manageable. The station's architecture, with its 'facade spanning one-and-a-half city blocks',1 evokes a sense of stability. Its sheer scale, once intimidating, now represents a sense of permanence and continuity—a guiding landmark that leads me back home.
Kevin Lynch's concept of 'imageability' speaks directly to this experience. The station's recognisable form, not just as a landmark but as an emotional anchor, provides clarity and 'emotional security'2 amidst the chaos. Every return to the station reminds me that I know my way, both physically and emotionally, in this sprawling city. The station is a 'node, a critical point of transition that influences my movement and emotional state'.3 Its role as a pathway in the town is more than geographic—it is psychological, offering both direction and reassurance. The architecture acts as a stable framework for my evolving relationship with Melbourne.
The intricate details of the station further emphasise its layered complexity. The 'pressed metal designs',4 the most extensive in Australia, mirror how my emotional connection to the station has deepened over time. As I moved from a dislocated migrant to a person finding my place, the station revealed more of its subtleties, much like how the craftsmanship of its design became more evident through repeated encounters. The artistic elements of the station invite closer reflection, much like my evolving emotional bond with it.
Flinders Street Station's role as a public space highlights its dual nature where private reflection and public interaction coexist. The tradition of 'meeting under the clocks'5 reinforces its role as a social hub, where personal stories intertwine with the city's collective narrative. In many ways, my experience reflects this duality. The station is a space of movement and stillness for me, where I navigate not just the city but my own internal transitions. Whether it's a moment of stillness, waiting on the platform, or the rush of catching a train, the station provides the emotional space for reflection within the city's hustle. Sara Honarmand Ebrahimi's insights resonate deeply: 'How we perceive space is not just about its physical form but about how we embody it through movement and interaction'.6 Flinders Street Station is an extension of this embodiment, where my emotional experience is tied to my physical navigation through its platforms, halls, and concourses. In this sense, the station is not just a backdrop to my life in Melbourne; it is an active participant in my emotional and personal journey.
Flinders Street Station also holds cultural significance within the broader narrative of Melbourne. Its history, combined with its 'commercial spaces like City Hatters and the ballroom',7 makes it a social and cultural landmark, transcending its function as a transportation hub. As Henri Lefebvre argues, 'spaces are social products shaped by the interactions and relationships that occur within them'.8 This supports my connection to the station for not just its architecture—it is about how it reflects the city's rhythms, the ebb and flow of social and cultural dynamics. Much like the city itself, the station is constantly in flux, shaped by the people who pass through it. I am part of this co-production, and the station is where my narrative blends in with that of Melbourne's broader identity.
Like many migrants, I have oscillated between dislocation and belonging at Flinders Street Station. The 'emotional spectrum I experience is cyclical'.9 Sometimes, the station offers solace; at other times, it amplifies my solitude. Ruth Dalton's understanding of how architecture shapes emotional responses further aligns with this experience. The station's design, with its open platforms and soaring ceilings, can feel both liberating and overwhelming, depending on my 'emotional state'.10 It is a place of 'constant movement, both physically and emotionally',11 where I reflect on my past while anticipating my future transitions.
Henri Lefebvre's concept of space as a social construct also plays into this dynamic. As a public space, Flinders Street Station is shaped by social forces and public norms, but it is also where 'personal and private emotional experiences unfold'.12 The broader societal systems influence my movements through the station at play, yet they are uniquely personal. The station functions as a mirror for my own transitions and inner emotional shifts. In quieter moments, as I wait for a train, the station feels like a space of reflection and introspection, contrasting with the constant movement surrounding me.
Flinders Street Station also reflects the 'heart-home-host dilemma'13 many migrants face. Once a space that reminded me of how far I was from home, it has become a site of emotional foundation, where I now feel a sense of home. As Lefebvre reminds us, 'spaces are never neutral; they carry the codes and meanings of their social and historical contexts',14 and Flinders Street is no exception. It has transformed from a space of displacement to belonging, a journey that mirrors my experience in this city.
In conclusion, my relationship with Flinders Street Station is not just one of utility but profound emotional resonance. What began as a space of dislocation has transformed into a site where my personal and collective identity intersect. With its towering facade and intricate details, this station represents more than just a passageway—it is a crucial node in my journey, a mirror to my internal transitions and external movements through Melbourne. The architecture's grand and intimate duality reflects the diversity of my emotions as I alternate between belonging and solitude.
Through this space, I have navigated the complexities of migration, where the heart, home, and host are in constant dialogue. The station's role as a public space, shaped by historical and social forces, also allows my narrative to flourish, reaffirming Lefebvre's belief that space is a social product, not a neutral backdrop. Flinders Street has become a place where I continually redefine my relationship with the city, where public and private merge to create a unique emotional landscape. It is both a witness to my growth and an active participant in shaping my sense of belonging. In this way, the station encapsulates my evolution in Melbourne, offering a sense of grounding amidst the city's unrelenting motion.
With every return and deepest respect,
Sudipta
References:Jenny Davies, 'One Hundred Years of the Flinders Street Station', Agora (Melbourne, Vic.) 45, no. 4 (2010): 19–23.This quote emphasises the grandeur of Flinders Street Station. While the scale of the building provides an emotional grounding, as discussed in the letter, it also introduces the idea of public monumentality. The station becomes a marker of urban permanence in a transient world. Its vast facade serves as both a physical anchor and a symbolic one, representing the city's historical and infrastructural weight. In this sense, the station functions not only as a personal anchor but also as a civic monument, reminding us of the broader socio-political structures embedded in the urban landscape. This idea goes beyond personal stability to introduce the concept of urban identity. Flinders Street Station, through its scale and iconic architecture, contributes to the collective identity of Melbourne. It is a site of individual emotional grounding and a node in the city's cultural memory. This adds a layer of civic pride and heritage that shapes how locals and newcomers like myself experience the city.2. Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City, Illustrated edition (Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London, England: MIT Press Academic, 1964).Lynch's insight highlights the social function of architecture. Flinders Street's integration into the city fabric is not just about wayfinding; it speaks to how public spaces facilitate social interactions. The station's role as a social mediator is evident in how it structures everyday interactions—whether planned meetings under the clocks or spontaneous exchanges. The station's vividness is a backdrop for the unfolding of urban life in its most social sense, making it a space that mediates personal and collective experiences. The feeling of emotional security Lynch talks about extends beyond individual comfort to highlight the psychological necessity of clear urban landmarks in overwhelming urban spaces. This speaks to the role of architecture in fostering a cognitive map of the city, which, for migrants like myself, is essential to transitioning from dislocation to belonging. Flinders Street is an anchor for my emotional stability and for creating a mental map of Melbourne, helping me orient myself both geographically and psychologically within the city.3. Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City, Illustrated edition (Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London, England: MIT Press Academic, 1964).Lynch's idea of paths introduces the notion that public spaces like Flinders Street Station serve as conduits of movement, physically but emotionally. My habitual movement through the station creates a rhythmic engagement with the city. This rhythm reinforces a sense of belonging through repetition and routine, making my connection to Melbourne more intimate. It's not just about moving through space; it's about moving through emotional layers tied to these everyday experiences.4. Jenny Davies, 'One Hundred Years of the Flinders Street Station', Agora (Melbourne, Vic.) 45, no. 4 (2010): 19–23.The intricate pressed metal designs can be interpreted as metaphors for urban life's hidden details. Just as these artistic details are often overlooked in the hustle of daily transit, so are the nuances of emotional connection that develop in public spaces. The architectural detailing can symbolise the layers of complexity in my relationship with the station—how an everyday, seemingly ordinary space can hold deeper, more intricate emotional ties as time passes.5. Jenny Davies, 'One Hundred Years of the Flinders Street Station', Agora (Melbourne, Vic.) 45, no. 4 (2010): 19–23.The tradition of meeting under the clocks extends my reflection on personal routines to a broader cultural ritual. It introduces the idea that architecture serves personal needs and cultural practices that shape the city's social identity. This quote helps situate my experience of the station within a collective tradition, where it has long acted as a meeting point for diverse social interactions, making it a space for personal and public memory.6. Sara Honarmand Ebrahimi, 'Introduction: Exploring Architecture and Emotions through Space and Place', Emotions (Perth, W.A.) 6, no. 1 (2022): 65–77, https://doi.org/10.1163/2208522X-02010146.This insight allows us to think about how the physical body interacts with space. It suggests that my emotional connection to Flinders Street is rooted in the physicality of moving through it—how my body engages with the space as I navigate it daily. This sensory interaction—the echo of footsteps on the platforms and the rush of commuters—shapes my perception of the space, aligning it with my personal rhythms in the city. The station becomes a site of embodied experience, where emotions are linked to physical movement through the space.7. Jenny Davies, 'One Hundred Years of the Flinders Street Station', Agora (Melbourne, Vic.) 45, no. 4 (2010): 19–23.This quote expands on the idea of Flinders Street Station as a multifunctional public space. Its use for commercial purposes, beyond just transit, reflects the multiplicity of urban life. The station's duality as a transportation hub and a social space creates a context where public and personal experiences overlap. It also speaks to the broader urban narrative of how architectural spaces are constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of a city, much like my own evolving relationship with Melbourne.8. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, trans. Donald Nicholson-Smith, 1st edition (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 1991).Lefebvre's insight illuminates the politics of space—how public spaces like Flinders Street Station are shaped by the social and political systems that control urban life. This introduces a new layer to my relationship with the station: it is not just a personal refuge but also a site of social governance. The station reflects the broader societal forces that govern movement, access, and public behaviour, showing how architecture is complicit in shaping power dynamics in cities.9. Umme Salma, 'Migrants' Emotions? Mapping through Contemporary Bangladeshi Diaspora Novels and Memoirs in English', Histories of Emotion (blog), 20 September 2022, https://historiesofemotion.com/2022/09/20/migrants-emotions-mapping-through-contemporary-bangladeshi-diaspora-novels-and-memoirs-in-english/.This cyclical experience points to a deeper emotional rhythm that mirrors the flux of urban life. My evolving relationship with the station reflects the emotional turbulence many migrants experience as they transition between dislocation and belonging. The cyclical nature of my emotions reminds me that public spaces like Flinders Street are not just static backgrounds but dynamic environments that shift and change based on personal and social contexts.10. Ruth Dalton, 'Unlocking the Emotional Power of Architecture', 19 October 2023.Dalton's argument encourages us to rethink the role of architecture as emotionally interactive. My relationship with Flinders Street Station exemplifies how architecture can actively influence emotional states by providing comfort, amplifying feelings of isolation, or serving as a familiar point of reference. The station becomes a site of emotional interaction, where the built environment engages with my internal states, guiding my feelings based on how I move through and perceive the space.11. Ruth Dalton, 'Unlocking the Emotional Power of Architecture', 19 October 2023.This highlights the fluidity of emotional responses to architecture. The relationship between me and the station isn't fixed; it evolves with each interaction. Dalton's concept reinforces the idea that the station plays an active role in shaping my emotions, moving beyond simply being a place of transit to participating in my emotional narrative. This fluidity allows a more dynamic understanding of how public spaces influence personal experiences.12. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, trans. Donald Nicholson-Smith, 1st edition (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 1991).Lefebvre's insight into the historical coding of space adds depth to the idea that Flinders Street holds different meanings for different people. For me, it has transformed from a place of unfamiliarity to one of emotional grounding, but broader social and historical forces shape this transformation. The station's long-standing cultural significance intertwines with my personal journey, reflecting how public spaces are always historically and socially coded, influencing how individuals experience them. Lefebvre's distinction between public and private space aligns with my dual experience of Flinders Street as both a public transportation hub and a private site of reflection. This dichotomy mirrors the broader function of public spaces, which often serve multiple roles—acting as stages for public life while simultaneously providing pockets of personal intimacy. This tension between public exposure and private introspection defines my emotional engagement with the station.13. Umme Salma, 'Migrants' Emotions? Mapping through Contemporary Bangladeshi Diaspora Novels and Memoirs in English', Histories of Emotion (blog), 20 September 2022, https://historiesofemotion.com/2022/09/20/migrants-emotions-mapping-through-contemporary-bangladeshi-diaspora-novels-and-memoirs-in-english/.Salma's heart-home-host dilemma resonates deeply with the migrant experience of finding belonging in a new place. For me, Flinders Street Station initially represented the distance from home, but over time, it became a place of emotional grounding. This quote encapsulates the tension between feeling displaced and eventually finding a sense of home in a foreign city. This transition reflects how public spaces can shift from being sites of alienation to belonging.14. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, trans. Donald Nicholson-Smith, 1st edition (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 1991).This historical coding of space suggests that Flinders Street Station is not just a functional site but a cultural artefact, reflecting the changing social, political, and economic forces over time. These historical layers shape my emotional relationship with the station as it evolves in response to my personal journey and within the broader historical context of Melbourne. The station carries the codes of past generations, influencing how it is experienced today.