Sketch 2: A Beach Like a City Square

Where and why do people gather? What kind of spaces do we like?

These were the questions I asked myself as I sat on a sunny beach. The beach was pretty empty. Some people were sitting on sunbeds, in cafés, or under the trees... Where there was a vast open space, the beach was deserted. Exploring further, I went up to a 'secret' beach hidden behind a cliff. This little space turned out to be surprisingly vibrant and full of people!

The sketch I drew depicts a giant piece of a rock sitting in the middle of this constrained space, resting peacefully at the edge of the sea. People seemed to be drawn to it as if it were a piece of furniture or a sculpture; reading or sunbathing on the top, jumping from it, standing right next to it...

The atmosphere reminded me of the one of a pleasant city square. On this Cretan beach, like in a city, people seem to avoid large and exposed spaces, and instead, sit close to each other in a well defined and somewhat constraint space. They overhear conversations, observe one another, feel each other's presence. And they don't seem to mind a bit.

Location: Sougia, Greece

Daytime: 7:30 pm