A study of the contribution of temporary assemblage towards sense of place: in Aluth-Nuwara sacred area, Sri Lanka

‘Sense of place’ is a phenomenal which is still vaguely defined and appeared to be with the association of the inhabitants. The behavior pattern, the values people attribute in a built environment often said to have bought sense of place in urban environments. The composition of both permanent structures and temporary assemblages set forth to gets the form and character of every built environment. This has become more apparent in sacred built environments where non-lasting structures assembled for temporal benefits to play an important role in making them functional places in the formally arranged spaces. Nevertheless, the character, utility and sense of place build on to day-to-day lived in environments by these informally planned impermanent structures associated with many uncertainties, hence the existence of them considered as ‘problematic’ in formal planning and design arrangements. In the context where the limited studies in this regard, the study examines these temporary interventions and their impact in experiencing of places, for the purpose of expanding the awareness and thorough understanding of planners, urban designers and the authorities, who are responsible for the making of sustainable built environments. First, a review of relevant literature presents in this paper to identify a suitable theoretical framework to study the impacts of temporary assemblage on sense of place. Second, it employs the conceptual framework profound of ‘Bennett’s six triads’ to present the mutual transactive relationship between the behavior patterns of the inhabitants and activity spaces in “Aluthnuwara Devalaya” sacred area as observed by the authors. This shows how the temporary assemblages impact on the values and the behaviors of the inhabitants and thereby form the sense of place, within a formal built environment. The study highlights that temporary assemblage adds sense to places not only by their presence but also by changing people’s behaviors.