Transparency of scale: geographical information program (Google Earth) and the view from beyond

Abstract

A nine-minute film, directed by architects Charles and Ray Eames, “Powers of Ten” visualized for the first time the journey through the different scales of existence - from outer space to the space of the atom. This film inspired the Keyhole Project, which, twenty years later, became Google Earth, a (non) commercial online tool for surveying the surface of Earth, making those intriguing images from the 1970s part of our everyday life. Today, as Google Earth counts more than one billion downloads per year, Felix Baumgartner experienced zoom-out mode in physical space, launching himself into the stratosphere. This new overview of the planet that is provided to us by Google Earth virtually, Felix Baumgartner for the first time experienced in physical space; he skyjumped from the height of estimated 39,000 m, proving that one can actually see the Earth as simulated by Google Earth. Humanity gained a new glance, an overview towards the territory of Earth. This paper argues that this transformation of the nature of the vista provokes the emergence of new modes of perception, cognition and experience of space and place specific to the emerging era (thus provoking new modes of production of space). This paper raises questions regarding the case of the Google Earth program and it’s impact on spatial perception in the context of architectural discourse.