Memory repositories－The rebirth of traumatic memory and space of transitional justice in the city

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School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
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Date

2021

Department

ark

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Master’s Programme in Urban Studies and Planning

Language

en

Pages

154+2

Series

Abstract

Traumatic events from history are only remembered on their anniversary date. The irony is that the urban structure is intertwined with the collective memory of all current and past residents. As people seek to condense their memories into memorials, why is the monument as an essential social regulator so neglected? In Taiwan, there are many traces left over from the history and the trauma caused by the White Terror period. Negative heritage sites scattered around the city create indelible scars. This thesis explores the essence of memory, the site of memory, and the relationship between perception and physical experience from the perspectives of individuals, collectives, architecture and urban form. It is an attempt to explore how monumentality is connected to the city’s history. How can injustice sites live with people? How can the injustice sites evoke people’s memories after being destroyed, and how can they create new memories? Four characteristics of memorials suitable for Taiwan are proffered: Eternity, Multiplicity, Narrative and Traceability. When the essence of monumentality is understood in the dual dimensions of time and space, it can become the meaning of time and strengthen the city’s sense of identity and inner purpose for the next generation. The architecture itself can convey the message of history to everyone. This thesis takes the Ankang Guesthouse and the Ankeng Execution Grounds as the practical field. They are located on the edge of the city and carry the collective memory of the previous generation. The aim of this thesis is that these reimagined sites can repair the wounds inflicted by the authoritarian period on the country and the overall social structure, while achieving reconciliation between the present and the past through affective architectural design. The monument serves to commemorate history. More importantly, through elevating the monumentality from the time and space dimension to the social dimension, it can become an asset left to the next generation, forming a connection point between the past and the future.

Description

Supervisor

Joutsiniemi, Anssi

Thesis advisor

Joutsiniemi, Anssi

Keywords

white terror, traumatic memory, monumentality, Lieu de mémoire, monumentality, transitional justice, affective architecture

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Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-2021123011033

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[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS