“Genius loci” of a modern city as an existential need

The problem of preserving the uniqueness of the space of modern cities as a human habitat is considered through the concept of “Spirit of Place” (Genius loci), which has acquired new relevance in the literature on urbanism. The author relies on the Quebec Declaration of Principles and Guidelines for the Preservation of the Spirit of Place through the Protection of Tangible and Intangible Heritage, adopted in 2008. The main trends in the development of urban architectural space in the context of globalization have contributed to the leveling of cultural distinctiveness and the loss of the Spirit of Place in many modern cities. The actualization of interest in the local, traditional in the 70s of the twentieth century stimulated the development of contextualism in architectural creativity; the desire to make the city unique and recognizable pushed either an appeal to the historical heritage or to the creation of some unique objects that could become a brand of the city. On this path, two extremes pose danger. A consistent course towards preserving the past can turn the city into a museum showcase with protected exhibits. The course towards creating city recognition and tourist attractiveness through the construction of certain branded objects (the Bilbao effect) often leads to the creation of something like a theme park or attraction. Both are destructive for the city and its Spirit of Place. The way out is seen in combining the efforts of city authorities, architects designers and humanities researchers (culturologists, anthropologists, historians, art critics), who could build a system of valuesemantic cultural dominants that can emphasize regional characteristics in order to preserve the feeling of belonging and connection with the Habitat and its Spirit. The anthropological turn in architecture and the increased attention to the urban environment, phenomenology and aesthetics of space in social and humanitarian knowledge demonstrate an emerging movement towards this kind of interaction.