My chapter explores a unique approach to reading urban landscapes through the lens of architecture, art practice, and psychogeography. Born from a necessity to rediscover Glasgow—my city of birth, study, and practice—this inquiry began with a dérive inspired by the Situationists International. By navigating the city's grid in a structured yet open-ended manner, I sought to disrupt habitual perception and engage more deeply with Glasgow’s built environment.
During my dérive a moment of revelation occurred, a building appeared to levitate above the pavement. This disrupoted perception was, in fact, a product of Glasgow’s geological and architectural history. The city is built upon a ‘basket of eggs’ landscape—an undulating terrain shaped by glacial movement some 10,000 years ago. The resulting drumlins dictated the development of Glasgow’s urban form, necessitating architectural interventions such as the pavement-well. This device, used to level floors on sloping streets, evolved beyond its practical function into a defining feature of Glasgow’s built identity, facilitating civic thresholds and convivial public spaces.
Through an analysis of this architectural phenomenon—exemplified in both vernacular and masterful works such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art—this chapter argues for a deeper, contextually rooted understanding of urban landscapes. By looking beyond the surface, metaphorically and geologically, we uncover the geological forces that shape our cities, offering new perspectives on architecture, history, and creative practice.