Pyramiden Afterlife: Sporadic revitalisation strategy
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
Location:
P1 Ark A
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Authors
Date
2016
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Arkkitehtuuri
Language
en
Pages
121+2
Series
Abstract
The goal of this project is to challenge the problematic of preservation and revitalisation through the example of Pyramiden, a remote abandoned settlement located in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The framework of the project is determined by complexity of the site. The geopolitical context of Svalbard, history of Pyramiden, ecological situation, economic factors of energy and mineral industries are all aspects that raise questions of the sustainability and expediency of regenerating existing towns, issues of heritage and protection of artifacts from decay and natural risks as well as reuse. Due the dramatic rise of tourism and growing share in a post-industrial economy related to questionable practices revolving around coal mining, the island receives more and more visitors each year and can no longer remain an abandoned ghost town. Therefore the project focuses on the immediate future of the Pyramiden's afterlife. Background research on the conditions and possibilities of Pyramiden and the surrounding region has led to the idea of Dynamic or Sporadic Revitalisation. Instead of renovating and revitalising the town for new full time / permanent productive functioning, the project approach is to create a growing-shrinking dynamic scenario following the natural yearly cycles of the town. The problem is to implement new functions with consideration of location, cultural qualities, desolation and remoteness. The proposed strategy for next several years includes the creation of events through an international festival that is the seasonal highlight with peak activity. The creative method and main function for Sporadic Revitalisation lies in the performance arts, particularly experimental theatre productions. Thus the afterlife of Pyramiden takes the shape of theatre performances, appearing for just a short period and existing extremely intensively in immediate reflection of the local specificity of Pyramiden. The festival goal is to attract visitors, promote awareness of regional issues impacting contemporary Arctic problems in the form of art and particularly live experience. The final part of the work includes the design proposal for a flexible-use building that functions with different scenarios depending on the season - from hosting theatre performances during the yearly international festival to shrinking down to a compact working and hosting station during the dark winter season. The Sporadic Revitalization approach to the abandoned town creates opportunities for the development other settlements on Svalbard, while at the same time preserving a unique and complex experience in the current and rapidly changing context. The Thesis contributes to contemporary discourse on promoting awareness in the border areas and the Arctic region through the creation of cultural interactions and coexistences. It uses architectural thinking as a tool for scenario planning and framework for addressing the future of an abandoned company town.Description
Supervisor
Reuter, JenniThesis advisor
Hsu, FrancesKeywords
svalbard, arctic, performance space, design strategy, revitalisation