Abstract

The concept of place is central to heritage conservation. By and large, however, the focus in respect of place has been on its physical aspects. Heidegger’s existential-phenomenological conceptualisation of place proffers new directions with regard to understanding the concept of place and its place-ness. This conceptual paper reflects upon Heideggerian place theory with its central theme of ‘dwelling’ – not as in the conventional sense of shelter or lodging but more significantly, as human implacement ‘in’ place – drawing upon the philosopher’s own thoughts, as well as those of seminal Heideggerian readers to establish the key operative ideas behind this line of thinking. The paper calls attention to the essential ‘gathering’, ‘the fourfold’ and ‘nearness’ that make possible place-ness of place through ‘dwelling'. Just as understanding what something is not, helps us in understanding what something is, the paper further contemplates on what it means to be placeless, that is,‘non-place’.