Issuu

MEMORY

A R C H I T ECTU R A L T H E S I S

Can we use architectural interventions designed to retain, reflect and create collective memory to give life back to abandoned structures?

Fi g u re 1 : T h e I n t ra n q u i l i ty, b e twe e n t h e Tre e a n d S e e i n g I t - Wi l f ri d A l m e n d ra [ 20 1 4 ]

wo rd co u n t : 6 324 YE A R 5 : CA L E D O N I A N D R E A M S

C H E LS E I G H B U C H A N A N

EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Abstract

‘‘The past is just a story we tell ourselves’’

- HER movie [2013]

Exo - [prefix] |

‘‘external; from outside’’

Somatic [adjective] |

‘‘relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind’’

Memory [noun] | 1. ‘‘the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information’’

2. ‘‘something remembered from the past’’

- Oxford Dictionary

. Exosomatic Memory | the storage or recording of memory out with the brain. Exosomatic memory has been a method of recording memories for thousands of years. From the early art of hieroglyphics in Egypt to the first form of architecture [the primitive hut] that we know today, we as humans have been creating physical forms of memory since we have been, well, creating. A large form of exosomatic memory that sits on the Earth’s land is buildings. For the longest time, we have been constructing on land to protect ourselves from the harsh elements and other dangers but in the process we have been carelessly taking from nature – the very thing that gave us life and allows us to survive. The main topic of this publication is memory, memory interlinked with technological based systems thinking. These topics will be explored through the framework of nature with a focus on plants in terms of their make up, growth and adaptability systems. This passion for nature is a personal interest however I believe it creates a familiar back drop to enable for an easier understanding of proposed theories. The more nature was researched, the more obvious the connections between the three became.

The structure of this thesis follows that of a theatrical play. In particular the three act play which originated in Greece. The three segments [beginning, middle, and end] was first written about by Aristotle, as he believed every piece of poetry or play must follow this structure in order to be enjoyed by the audience. The structure has since then been the backbone to many other entertainment arts such as cinema blockbusters and TV shows. In this case, it has been translated into the form of written entertainment for those interested in learning about memory and architecture. An introduction is translated into a prologue where the setting and 3 characters of the story are introduced. The text can be read as a complete journey or the reader can follow the journey of just one character. The 3 act structure follows the prologue where each one represents traditional chapters exploring the past, present and future of memory within architecture. The sub sections are the scenes under the main headings. So, read the thesis as you please. Whether that is as a whole or just following one of the characters. Enjoy your experience of the unorthodox text within text - metatext. n.b. The font and text used throughout is another reference to screenwriting, where the industry standard is 12pt Courier typeface, as the first scripts were printed by typewriter.

TRIGGER WARNING

We do not want to spoil anyone’s experience of a new thesis at the University of Dundee and therefore avoid giving too much away when promoting the text. It’s often the unexpected shared moments and plot twists that capture the audience and create the debate and conversation beyond the intimate performance of reading to oneself or to others. However we are also conscious that these moments can be particularly distressing for some individuals. If there are certain themes that you know will cause an extreme debate with the person sat next to you then please do refrain from sharing your thoughts and maybe keep them to yourself. If you are at all confused by the writings upon which you are away to experience, please do not hesitate to take your questions to www.google.co.uk. If you would like to speak to anyone about the topics brought up, then please feel free to find someone in the room. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PLEASE ENJOY THE SHOW.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Act I: life until now

Act II: current path

Act III: what the future holds

Epilogue

Credits

Encore

13 15 17 19

23 25 27 29 31

39 41 43 47 49

Setting the Scene Nature System Memory: The Main Character

The Break Down of Memory Developing Mental Strength Creating Something out of Nothing Clarity on Life How Memory could have shared

Questioning What is Missing Symbolic Vessels of Life How The New Journey Might Look Remembering Being Alone to Learn How to be Together in The Future The Breaking Down of Barriers

53 Developing the System 55 Emigrating To Athens

63 Reading [in no particular order] 64 Images [unless otherwise stated, all images/graphics/sketches are author’s own]

67 69 73 77 78 79 80

Layers of Memory in Athens, Greece Athens, then and now Learning from others Designing the Undesignable Signage Praxinoscope Portmanteau

Prologue

usually referred to as the introduction

Setting the Scene

---

Athens, Greece where the land is pure and untouched ---

The problem is, they did not save them nor did they dispose of them. Now they lay on the seabed in their decaying state. The pollution of the abandoned structures is becoming too intense that nobody wants to live even near them anymore. So how are they going to fix the problem when the humans are such hoarders? Even when it is harmful to them, they insist that the structures serve a purpose - it is up to us for that purpose to be realised...

‘working’ in terms of bringing tourists [therefore money] in to view ancient structures but also in terms of the new concrete structures providing a place for the locals to live and work

Prologue EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

---

Athens, Greece where the land is pure and untouched ---

The bliss environment is disturbed by the introduction of human evolution and intervention. The convenient location of the hill surrounded by rivers and streams becomes a place for the humans to gather and develop. The hill now has a name, The Acropolis. Architectural structures appear as places of protection and assembly. What is this now? The water from the streams turn to concrete, which floods the rest of the ground below the hill, turning the sacred land into a sea of concrete that flows far into the horizon. The humans appeared to have noticed but it is too late. In a confused attempt to preserve the ancient structures the concrete tap has been turned off, and now it is quieter all we can see is the Acropolis holding onto the last piece of floating land. Below the surface are the drowned ruins that the humans are ‘saving’. Protective glass seals are being placed over the historic structures to preserve them, as they are now frail. They are just there to be admired in their preserved state, serving as a reminder of what life used to be [referencing the new Acropolis Museum built over archaeological ruins]. We now have a two faced city. The working ancient and new city, and the abandoned city; The structures which were not sealed in time as they were disliked, high maintenance, ugly, ill and dying. They were going to serve no purpose in the new city so why would the humans keep them? The problem is, they did not save them nor did they dispose of them. Now they lay on the seabed in their decaying state. The pollution of the abandoned structures is becoming too intense that nobody wants to live even near them anymore. So how are they going to fix the problem when the humans are such hoarders? Even when it is harmful to them, they insist that the structures serve a purpose - it is up to us for that purpose to be realised... Diagram takes the text adjacent and inverts the colour, highlighting just the ‘a’ letters. Several reasons for doing this: represents the reference which ancient greek ‘architects’ took from astronomy for structuring/arranging buildings such as the parthenon. ‘a’ is for abandoned buildings, where the diagram shows demonstrates how the decaying city is hidden within the working city. to encode a message of themes throughout the text. visual reference to technology systems and coding.

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Nature

‘‘Humans were intelligent, whereas nature was raw in tooth and claw, chaotic, murderous and not very bright. Nature relies on us for conservation, and is really only useful as a resource...There is nothing for us to learn from. As Condorcet said, Nature won’t limit the progress of humans...Yet nature has managed just fine for over three billion years without our intervention.’’ 02 [skene, 2019]

The reality of the above quote is almost the opposite. Nature is ordered, chained, and incredibly intelligent. Patterns [i.e. golden ratio, Fibonacci sequence] are found in organic structures, chains create hierarchy and ecosystems, and adaptability allows nature to survive and thrive. It is a base of something we can learn principles from yet we continue to brush it aside and build over it. Nature is so intelligent and adaptable that it can survive without us, reverse the situation however and it would be a completely different story. The nature of memory in humans is intrinsic, something we can’t control like we wish we could due to its internal [endosomatic] nature. So we have created forms which we can control. The pencil and paper were designed to capture our personal words, cameras were created to freeze time in an image, buildings were constructed to symbolise a style of its time and museum of its place. These external forms are all attempts to relieve our minds and take away responsibility. External symbols of memories we can share or attempt to destroy; paper can be torn, pictures burned and buildings demolished. ‘‘I have been collecting worthless material for almost ten years now, taking good care arranging it, documenting it, indexing it, and preserving it from any possible damage...Today I possess what resembles an archive, or let’s say I possess a real archive that relates only to me: a kind of added memory that occupies different corners of my domestic space, despite the fact that I do not actually need it. It is an invented memory that is exhausting to me, and which I cannot liberate myself from. For this reason, I will uncover some parts of my archive, hoping that - by making it public - I can rid of its weight. This will be my attempt to destroy a memory that doesn’t know how to erase itself.’’03 [mroué, 2006]

It is the tangible that we cannot help ourselves to create, but there is only so much space to store these personal memories. So is time that we find another way or adapt and share, the way plants create ecosystems which are constantly refining themselves to suit the current context and environment?

Skene, K., 2019. Artificial intelligence and the environmental crisis. 1st ed. Routledge. p 78

Farr. Ian (2012). Memory. Whitechapel Gallery. ; Rabih Mroué, Text for the performance Make Me Stop Smoking [2006] p 184

Prologue EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Photograph of first ‘memory board’ created at the beginning of studies to understand what it is and how it effects built environments

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System

This idea of smaller, more contained storage of memory leads us to the invention of computer storage. Blockchain04 is a system which allows information to be held in the digital world. Blocks held within the chain structure and therefore linear formation of the system means that anyone can refer back to data stored in the chains with relative ease, that data is time stamped, public, immutable and objective. There is a clear contradiction between the digital storage system and the intrinsic nature of human storage. The brain creates a network of connections rather than being a linear form. So it is essentially random, it is private and held only by the carrier, mutable and subjective. Combining the two together, we can realise this idea of exosomatic memory, or form. The combination of hard fact and editable features means that ‘things’ which represent a point in time are allowed to exist as objects. As mentioned briefly in the introduction, buildings are a form of this type of combined technological and human memory. Where masses represent a point in time, sitting as museums in their place, they can however be altered meaning stories of places can be modified or curated. Whilst physical objects created by digital equipment [such as cameras providing photographs] hold human memory exosomatically, it may be misunderstood that because blockchain is stored solely digitally that it does not take up a physical form. That assumption would be incorrect and it is important to briefly note that whilst there is a large amount of data compressed into this format it is still is expressed physically in the form of a server. Blockchain could be viewed as a form of exosomatic memory, however the argument against is that when you look at the physical and tangible object of the server [or computer] itself, no memories are triggered about the information held within the device. There is a constant battle between the truth and the imaginative, especially when it comes to restoring old buildings, we have to go by pictures or documents trusting that they have not been altered. As much as we can attempt to delete our memories, there will always be triggers of our senses to take us back to a place in time whether we want to or not. This brings the curious question of the thesis: Can we use architectural interventions designed to retain, reflect and create collective memory to give life back to abandoned structures?

explored in detail in the group booklet ‘modern ruins’

Prologue EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Photograph of author’s family photograph dated 1962. Exosomatic memory is a true hybrid of digital and natural memory where in some cases it does not disappear. However in other it does if it is not looked after [including buildings, photographs etc.]

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Memory: The Main Character

Before we can answer this question, we need to explore what memory means. The creation, the storage and retrieval. The types and the importance of it - all in relation to the systems within nature... ‘‘Natures garden represents a beautifully dynamic equilibrium, everything in its place and yet constantly changing’’05 [Skene, 2019]

There is something to be said for that in architecture. We as human are hoarders, especially of memory. We are rigid and generally not open to change. Nature evolves gradually, through natural selection, and adapts to an ever changing environment. It moves with its ecosystem, updating constantly to be more efficient in its current situation. We could take a lesson from this, by letting go of and learning from the past. Acknowledge we might not be what we used to be, but that maybe we are better . 06

All memory can be curated and controlled, a lot of the time it is not a true representation of events but rather a story of the imaginary. Stories can be rewritten, images can be cropped, videos cut, buildings removed and replaced or adapted. It could be said that memory is constantly changing, but the representation of it is not: ‘‘Every time in ways that remember it, the previous

you remember an event from the past, your brain networks change can alter the later recall of the event. Thus, the next time you you might recall not the original event but what you remembered time’’07 [paul, 2012]

So this poses the question of how do we create the memories in the first place? In general, it takes time for memories to form whether that is physical or emotional; in the physical body or in the emotional mind. There are two main types of long term memory: Declarative [explicit] + Non-declarative [implicit] -----------------------Both are types of long term memory with declarative memory allowing the brain to consciously recollect experiences in terms of facts like capital cities and events such as past birthdays. Non-declarative memory is the unconscious and builds up; for example learned skills such as skiing, riding a bike or playing an instrument. It also includes unconscious bodily responses such as salivating at the thought or smell of ones favourite food.08

Prologue

Skene, K., 2019. Artificial intelligence and the environmental crisis. 1st ed. Routledge.

‘better’ does not mean that we improve each time but rather we adapt to function at our most streamline for the current time and environment.

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2012/09/your-memory-is-like-the-telephone-game

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/declarative-memory#:~:text=Declarative%20or%20 explicit%20memory%20is,for%20fast%20processing%20and%20learning.

EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Diagram showing the plan of Greece with an overlay of the 4 created memory ‘categories’

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Act I: life until now

‘‘collective memory is always selective; various groups of people have different collective memories’’ -Maurice Halbwachs [1938]

The Break Down of Memory

MEMORY:

Every section in the table adjacent is about process/experience – the length of a process and number of steps or severity of event and its effect on a person’s life determines whether they form a long term memory or not. The list is made up of created ‘groups’ with their associated ‘type’ as an attempt to further understand the terms ‘declarative’ and ‘non-declarative’. Physical memory can be defined in terms of muscles and genetics -------where the muscles can remember motions for activities. Genetic memory is a theorised phenomenon09 in psychology which explores the idea that memories can be shared genetically, from parent to offspring and through generations of families. Usually they are associated with sensory experiences as they activate specific areas of the brain. ‘‘Until we uncover the actual triggering event in our family history, we can relive fears and feelings that don’t belong to us—unconscious fragments of a trauma—and we will think they’re ours.’’10 [Wolynn, 2016]

SYSTEM:

The theory of inherited memory holds a physical form which becomes interesting if you think about trying to record, or remove it. It is in DNA made of up code - so why wouldn’t we be able to store it externally and relieve carriers of their weight? DOMINO is a platform for recording memory from DNA where there is ongoing research into the storage of human memory in a physical form. The team11 have written an article explaining their research: ‘‘The ability to process and store information in living cells is essential for developing next-generation therapeutics and studying biology in situ. However, existing strategies have limited recording capacity and are challenging to scale. To overcome these limitations, we developed DOMINO, a robust and scalable platform for encoding logic and memory in bacterial and eukaryotic cells.’’12 [Farzadfard, et al. 2019]

Whilst this example is exploring memory in bacteria and eukaryotic cells, it is still only the beginning and provides and insight into what we might be able to do in the future.

Wilder Penfield in his pioneering 1978 book, Mystery of the Mind, mentions racial memory that today would be understood as genetic memory: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/genetic-mem ory-how-we-know-things-we-never-learned/#:~:text=Wilder%20Penfield%20in%20his%20pioneering,the%20 equivalent%20of%20genetic%20memory).

Wolynn, M. 2016. It Didn’t Start With You: how inherited family trauma shaped who we are and how to end the

A group of 5 individuals, all from MIT

Fahim Farzadfard, N. G., Yasutomi Higashikuni, Giyoung Jung, Jicong Cao, Timothy K. Lu (2019). “Single-Nucleo tide-Resolution Computing and Memory in Living Cells.” Molecular Cell 75(4): 769-780.

cycle. 1st ed. Penguin Books. p 77

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

TYPE

GROUP

METHOD OF STORAGE

Non-declarative

Physical

muscle [repetitive motion]

[relating to the body as opposed to the mind]

genetics [theory of trauma being carried down generations] phantom [stored in the mind and body]

Declarative + Non-declarative

Psychological/ Emotional [relating

to the mental and emotional state of the mind]

trauma [often blocked by the mind until a healing process is explored or a trigger is discovered] positive childhood experiences pathways [in the mind]

Declarative

Objectual

[relating to items having a physical form; not related to the human body]

photography/film [physical + digital prints] computer [server, hardrive, USB etc] art [painting, pottery, literature etc] buildings

Declarative + Non-declarative

Cultural

[relating to the collective physical and emotional memory of people]

family recipes religious acts architecture experience [large (usually traumatic) events which effected the running of society]

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Developing Mental Strength

MEMORY:

Psychological memory falls mainly under a declarative type, ------------where repetition becomes important, particularly at the school age of a person. The conscious collection and storage of information for the benefit of a class or to expand ones knowledge. From reading into the wheels adjacent, philosophers Ramon Llull and Giordano Bruno were exploring the middle ground between the arts and science in relation to memory. The act of drawing the diagram, and including text [literature] was an attempt at visually trying to understand the science of memory. How it is created, how it forms and how it stays or disappears.

SYSTEM:

MEMORY:

With particular focus on Llull’s wheel, the elements which make a memory memorable could be seen as the first step towards Artificial Intelligence, where each dial can be rotated independently you get an almost infinite number of combinations enabling the creation and recording of memory. The understanding of the human mind could enable us to recreate it in a lab environment - an insight into the conscious mind and control. By understanding the memory of the mind, we can begin to look at how it might be controlled, triggered or removed. Involuntary memory, or repressed memory [trauma] becomes unavailable to the conscious mind where a person cannot actively remember a situation however something could trigger it. This is where psychological memory is non-declarative; if declarative takes place in the conscious mind. The way emotions can be triggered by sensory cues means it is very unpredictable and relatively uncontrollable. The smell of mint tea can take you back to being at your grandparent’s house helping them pick mint from the garden, or the smell of fresh grass can take you back to playing football with your friends at school.15 Compared to all the senses, smell has the strongest link to memory as ‘‘the

human olfactory system is linked directly to the most primitive parts of our brain.’’16 [Styx, 2021]

died in 1315 Llull was not just a philosopher but also a theologian, poet, missionary, and Christian apologist from the Kingdom of Majorca

died in 1600 Bruno was also an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist

note both references relate to nature, which is often the case and interesting as these scents are not curated

https://www.verywellmind.com/new-research-explains-why-scent-triggers-such-powerful-memories-5116589

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 2: Frances Yates reconstruction of Giordano Bruno memory wheel from ‘De Umbris Idearum’

Figure 3: Lullian wheel

Figure 4: Lullian wheel translated

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Creating Something out of Nothing

MEMORY:

Objectual memory represents the idea of memorable events being --------held in public buildings, monuments or objects. This group explores the idea of ‘exosomatic memory’ best, with many forms of external memory devices, be it drawings of objects or the physical objects themselves. The creation of the Mnemonic Alphabet came about by Jacobus Publicius in 1482. His aim was to create an illustrated alphabet by using familiar objects which echoed the shape of the associated letter. The idea behind this being that the organisation of the visualisation would help improve memory. They would act as triggers in a way. Inspired by Publicius’ alphabet, Robert Fludd [english physician ] came up with his own version with the idea being that a sequence of letters or numbers could be more easily recalled by picturing a scene of the objects which corresponded to the digits. The principles of each mnemonic alphabet are very much the same however the symbolic objects are different. This suggests that personal visual connections differ from person to person and possibly people who share similar backgrounds may see the same associated symbol and letter, whereas others would visualise something else but be grouped with other people of similar mind structures. 17

Figure 5: Jacobys Publicius Mnemonic Alphabet [1482]

meaning a system such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations which assists in remembering something.

died in 1637 Fludd was also an astrologer, mathematician, cosmologist, Qabalist and Rosicrucian

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 6: RobertFludd Mnemonic Alphabet (1617)

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Clarity on Life

MEMORY:

Cultural memory can be explored in terms of collective memory -------- and therefore shared experiences. There are a combination of storage devices from the other groups which can make up the cultural section. However the difference in this section is that many people can share the same memory but remember it differently. Whilst their personal memories may differ slightly when it comes to the details, the triggers will more than likely be the same. For smaller groups, the smell of a family recipe being cooked in the kitchen can bring them back to the last time it was cooked. In a large group, it may be something less personal, like bullet damaged walls from war in the city. This visual trigger of memory is powerful, as it can bring people together who share traumatic experiences but it can also allow younger generations who did not experience the event itself to reflect and feel as though they are part of something bigger and so culture is continued. It was clear by creating the table [on page 24] that it is very unnatural for methods to be divided in such a way as many elements are interconnected. The diagram adjacent was created with reference to the memory wheels of Bruno and Lulls. The connecting items demonstrate how memory is very fluid where sub-categories under the 4 main groups are related to each other. The diagram is very much open to interpretation and some may imagine connections where others do not. It is suggested that the middle zone of the diagram becomes the place where collective memory is formed. Each individual element is relatively isolated but the moment even two elements are brought together they are strengthened and hold a lot more meaning. It is this zone that the collective memory could really thrive. Several factors influencing a thought or experience means more people are brought together when it comes to the triggers that could remind them of a moment.

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

O B J E C T UA L

ild

phantom

re l ig

cl e

COLLECTIVE MEMORY

CU LTURAL

f a m i l y re c i p e s

PHYSICAL

tic

o st

g ra

literature

t ra

delight

hw a

E M OT I O N A L diagram created with reference to theory of the memory wheels and the authors produced table of memory categories.

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How Memory could have shared

NATURE:

Fluidity and cross contamination of cultural memory can be found in nature, specifically plants, we can understand that even though they are not ‘living’ in the same sense we are, with minds and consciousness, they are still alive. The dispersive nature of plants with their seeds and pollen means that they must be adaptable. A seed lands in a different type of soil to that it came from but somehow it still manages to grow. ‘‘Plants make structural changes in response geomagnetic fields, oxygen...’’19 [Skene, 2019]

parasites,

predators,

So why can we not view cities the same? Why can’t our cities, in this case Athens, reacts to their parasites [abandoned buildings] and change their structure to deal with them? The ‘scattered’ nature of plants provides us with a new view on buildings within their cities. Seeds/pollen blow in the wind, being directed by external factors but still able to find a way to share and spread with each other. SYSTEM:

Imagine a gardener in a greenhouse, taking a cotton bud and manually removing pollen from the male anther to the female stigma. There is an extra amount of energy required to do this, whereas if the plants were outside in their native climates, they would reproduce themselves ; using natural forces and already existing energies as they are meant to be used - embracing the inevitable and existing ecosystem. Centralised systems which we are used to in our current urban environments follow a similar principle to the analogy above. Where at the moment there are overpowering ‘controllers’ and bodies that create hierarchy in built places. These government powers are the gardeners in their greenhouses; in their sterile and completely controlled environments. The idea behind decentralisation is to remove this overarching power, and allow places to evolve into ecosystems. 20

MEMORY:

In terms of built environments and design, we as architects are the wind and essentially the natural ‘pollinators’, helping to guide the inevitable. Where buildings need to be changed, they will be recognised by the users [surrounding community] and adapted, allowing for a more fluid running of societal systems, where communities are given an environment in which they and surroundings can adapt naturally. Taking the previous diagram into the historically rich urban context of Athens, Greece we can begin to see how sites exploring memory can be connected and strengthen the collective memory of place. Athens has many abandoned buildings which are represented with the grey blocks on the image. The icons are taken from the grid on page 36, giving them a place and purpose in the city instead of being an isolated concept. 19

Skene, K., 2019. Artificial intelligence and the environmental crisis. 1st ed. Routledge. p 71

themselves: meaning as part of their ecosystem, including sun, wind and pollinating insects

Caledonian Dream Unit ambition

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Diagram of previous created wheel overlaying the city blocks, beginning to suggest the interlinking of sites creating a new collective memory experience within the city

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MEMORY:

Memory as discussed before can be split into several categories, and has many triggers. The idea of dedicating spaces in the city to specific points in history but also creating a space for memory to be explored is the aim. Physical, emotional, objectual and cultural are the 4 categories introduced in the beginning and are the headings of the columns on the next page. With specific reference to Athens’ history, from ancient to modern, the initial idea is that objects which already exist in the memory of Athens could be architecturally formed across the city. As icons or memory devices to trigger the memory of the past including but not limited to first inventions, war events or urban morphology.

NATURE:

Each abandoned site in Athens [ruined memory] could be revitalised in terms of purpose. Turning the parasites of the city into gems. Instead of stripping the city of nutrients, they can be the nitrogen of the soil. These spaces in the city become about experience and memory rather than about building and become more about the symbolic objects which represent the connecting system and the type of memory. ‘‘Architecture, as an arrangement of material elements, must be understood both as a product of memory and as a physical support for it.’’22 [Fernandez-Galiano, 2000]

The list of objects on the following page exploring potential memory devices is of course unfinished, and for a reason. The idea would be for local users to decide what is appropriate for the area, and existing or potential community.

Fernandez-Galiano. (2000). Fire and memory : on architecture and energy. MIT Press. p 70

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Edited diagram from the group ‘modern ruins’ booklet, showing where all the located abandoned buildings are placed within the city

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*key numbered from left to right

01 |

pottery [the process of making it and taking away finished piece]

02 |

war [entering a space which is chaotic in terms of number of people with uneven/unpredictable ground surface and lighting]

03 |

photography [gallery of historic images of Athens - of a specific theme]

04 |

elderly woman [conversation with an elderly member of the community who has stories to tell of being brought up and living in Athens

05 |

plant [giving back to the city that we have taken from and reliving our ancestor’s life of growing to feed ourselves - reconnecting with nature]

06 |

07 |

film [showing modern versions of historic stories]

08 |

neoclassical architecture [walking through fully renovated house to see how the rich of the city used to live]

09 |

ancient execution [an experience about fighting reflexes/ resisting the urge to react]

10 |

11 |

literature [a reading of the first poems and stories created in Athens]

12 |

stew [helping a local cook a traditional recipe, and sharing a meal together where conversation of past, present and future Athens can take place]

13 |

14 |

15 |

linear b clay tablet [using clay to write anything the visitor wishes to]

16 |

17 |

18 |

19 |

drama [where the first plays of ancient Athens are translated into modern versions where visitors can take part in if they wish]

20 |

Act I EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

memory icons created with reference to the mnemonic alphabets and the author’s memory table of categories

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Act II: current path

‘‘The pure present is an ungraspable advance of the past devouring the future. In truth, all sensation is already memory’’ - Henri Bergson

Questioning What is Missing

The image adjacent by Rachel Whiteread shows a plaster model of the negative space left behind from a bookcase. If it were just a bookcase, our minds would accept it as it is and not think much of it, but now it has been removed and something is in its place the mind now has questions. What colours were the book? What were the genres? What were they were about? Who wrote them? Who were they written for? By translating this method of thinking into architecture and abandoned urban forms, we can take a look at these existing objects and question that now they no longer serve any purpose other than memory, what would happen if we were to remove them? Is there something that can sit in their place but still serve for memory whilst benefitting the community at the same time? The image below explores the idea of a museum of disappearing buildings, where a large room holds the buildings in ‘urns’ much like a columbarium holds the ashes of people and provides a space for family and friends to visit.

Architecture is becoming much less about the architects and their egos of wanting to design ‘one off’ structures, and truly more about the people - not only in terms of building use and function but also the people’s role in creating the buildings themselves. Taking a step back as space designers and becoming systems builders instead, doing so within a decentralised network. In a city so rich and full of urban material, there are not many other options other than to work within them instead of completely removing and replacing them - which of course is different from the Brodsky and Utkin example below where they free up the space that the buildings originally sat in. The similarity being however that there is still something in place to respect the history of the building, a place for people to visit to remember. Meaning nothing is lost but rather stored in a different format.

Figure 7: Aleksander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, The columbarium [museum of disappearing buildings] 1989

Act II EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 8: Rachel Whiteread, Untitled 2000, plaster, polystyrene, steel

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Symbolic Vessels of Life

Collective memory as explored previously, is the idea of shared experiences which in turn creates place and culture. Many of these memories are held in the objects of the city. The buildings, monuments, parks - public spaces and places. Much of Athens contains neoclassical buildings, which was a controlled culture creating device at the time of its introduction . These buildings are a representation of the ancient city and the people, but they are being left to ruin, with the memories dying with them and no solution to resolve the decay. 23

So, a solution is needed. By viewing the buildings as they are - shells serving only as memory with no other function - we can begin to use this to our advantage and really encourage the idea that these buildings are places for holding collective memory, being refilled when necessary. However, instead of the buildings representing one event or one movement, it can reflect the combined experience of locals, old and new. S:

Perceiving the buildings as memory devices, we can become part of a larger process or system, rather than trying to control it. The evolution of the city is then allowed to be more organic and fluid, and correct for its time, place and people.

‘‘ninenty percent of plants are actually dependant on fungi, that grow within their roots and, often, inside their cells for survival...the fungi actually have a significant role in determining what species of plants can be part of a given community’’ [Skene, 2019]

Viewing buildings in the city as the flowers. Once one has found a way to adapt, it’s pollen can spread and others can begin to heal. The users are the fungi creating the buildings, surviving them, and selecting what type of other functions surround them.

[refer to group booklet Ancient Athens p 51]

Act II EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 9: Terracotta Hydria [water jar] ca. 510-500 BC, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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How The New Journey Might Look

Luigi Moretti’s 1952 article on ‘Structure and Sequences of Spaces’ explores sequences in architecture, focusing on voids or empty inner spaces. Moretti questions the role of this as a locus of experience in architecture. The hollowness allows for places to become what the user chooses, making the experience more about a journey of instinct. In his research, Moretti plays with form, scale and light - investigating how the energy changes and how that can change and inform the experiential environment and journey. In 1955 French philosopher, Guy Debord, coined the term psychogeography. Debord defined the term as “the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals.’’24. In other

words, he was interested in how built space and therefore urban environments affect our psyche, and how it might effect how we navigate the cities we live in. The conscious choice to avoid a street and the other unconscious choice which takes us down another is something which could be strongly related to memory. Genius Loci refers to the protective spirit of place in Roman Mythology and in contemporary usage of the world refers to a place’s distinctive atmosphere. Architectural phenomenology is a term that evolved from the idea of atmosphere, questioning what creates atmosphere: being the way we as humans experience the built environment through our sense. With reference to the short French film ‘Genius Loci’, Adrienne Merigeau directed a story of a woman who walks around the city and really sees the chaos. This ‘chaos’ is the spirit and energy of place, and it guides her from building to building and street to street. The film is made up of delicate drawings and fluid animations which really capture the energy of the urban environment and truly allows the viewers to be immersed within the visualisation where the woman’s perception becomes tangible. The ideas above all lead back to one theme; the curation and control of the user’s journey. This is how the sites of collective memory could be connected, creating a new way of reading the city in terms of current day environment and past history, memory. Allowing users to be in control of their journey ensures they not only reflect on past memories but create new ones, influenced by their subconscious.

‘‘architecture, as an artifact of the human environment, regulates natural energy flows and channels the energy accumulated in combustible substances for the benefit of the living beings who inhabit it; and architecture, as organised matters, is subject to permanent deterioration and needs a continuous supply of materials and energy to enable it to reconstruct its form’’.25 [Fernandez-Galiano, 2000]

The quote above introduces the energy of buildings and the cost on the environment to keep them running, which questions why we try? If we let a building live to the age it was destined to live, it would free up space for younger structures that are more suited to their environment to have their place.

Act II

Guy Debord, ‘introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography’ 1955

Fernandez-Galiano. (2000). Fire and memory : on architecture and energy. MIT Press.; The buildings as an exoso matic artifact, a process containing process. p 5

EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 10: Luigi Moretties sequence of spaces model

Figure 12: Psychogeography, The Naked CIty Map [1957]

Figure 11: Luigi Moretti’s analysis/key drawing of Andrea Palladio’s Vicenza Palazzo Thiene

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The energy of Athens is held deep within its memory. By curating environments where memory can be held and created through sensory experiences, the city can be explored in a new light. From the touch of textiles, to the sound of water dripping, and fires roaring, the imagination is allowed to run wild. Imagination is the key ability of the mind that allows us to remember. A moment cannot be re-imagined or remembered without it and yet we are living in a world full of computer storage that removes the requirement of use of imagination as everything is already there at the click of a mouse. The aim of architecture and urban design should be about creating spaces that encourage imagination and excitement, especially in a place so rich in hidden memory and as Juhani Pallasmaa said in his book The Thinking Hand, ‘‘ This is not a sentimental

longing for a lost work, but for a world revitalised and re-eroticised by an architecture that makes us experience the world rather than itself’’.26

initial sketch plan of journey in selected abandoned site within the city

Juhani Pallasmaa, The Thinking Hand, John Wiley and Sons (West Sussex), 2009, p 133

Act II EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Sketches above created as part of the site and ourney exploration

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Remembering Being Alone to Learn How to be Together in The Future

Before we can investigate any further into creating a system of collective memory we should first continue the thought of isolated individual memory to truly try and understand how humans can be triggered by visual cues. The Memory Theatre of Giulio Camillo27 takes the traditional structure of the Amphitheatre and reverses the canonical relationship between audience and performance, Camillo conceived the theatre for a single spectator located on stage. An ideal architectural structure destined to:

‘‘tener collocati e a ministrar tutti gli umani concetti, tutte le cose che sono in tutto il mondo’’28

Meaning:

‘‘locate and administer all human concepts, everything which exists in the whole world’’29

He described his theatre as a ‘’mens

fenestrata’’ meaning a ‘‘mind endowed with windows‘‘, and viewed it as a structure providing the possibility of looking inside the human mind’’30. In this case the visualisation

was much more literal but less adaptable when compared to the memory wheels explored on page 25. Windows, or places, rooms and therefore spaces for memories is not restricted to this reference. Robert Fludd, as mentioned previously was another who was interested in the storage of memory, including and elaborating on the museum theatre in his work. Instead of everything being viewed at once, he suggested that the theatre was rather a series of rooms off the central space. Where each thought was accessed one at a time - which is probably more true to how the mind actually works. In a way both Camillo and Fludd’s memory theatres are more relatable in comparison to the wheels as viewers of the drawing can really imagine themselves alone on the stage or in the room looking back up at physical places of information which they have collected, or towards the openings which draw them in.

italian philosopher, best known for his memory theatre

https://socks-studio.com/2019/03/03/spatializing-knowledge-giulio-camillos-theatre-of-memory-1519-1544/

lbid.

lbid

Act II EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 13: Giulio Camillo’s Memory Theatre [1519]

Figure 14:Robert Fludd’s Memory Theatre [1619]

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The Breaking Down of Barriers

The idea of using imagination and putting yourself on the stage leads to the creation of the word metatheatre. This is a term coined by Lionel Abel in 1963 which ‘‘is a convenient name

for the quality or force in a play which challenges theatre’s claim to be simply realistic -- to be nothing but a mirror in which we view the actions and sufferings of characters like ourselves, suspending our disbelief in their reality...’’31

This technique is similar to that of removing the 4th wall, where the story is so relatable the viewers become immersed in the show, imagining themselves in the character’s shoes. Over time the phrase transformed into something else, and much like the ‘metaverse’ is a world within a world [virtual within real], metatheatre can also refer to the play within the play or the story within the story. Moving on from rigid, structured theatres, we can begin to take down the barriers between audience and performer. Blurring the boundary and allowing each to meet in the middle...This interaction brings the idea of immersology. Metatheatre removes the 4th wall but still has the form of a traditional theatre with a seated audience and staged performers. Immmersology breaks the 4th wall completely by removing the physical divisions and putting everyone in the same playing space. 32

Sandbox is a structure that can be used to create an immersive theatre, where the audience ‘‘can choose what to see and do within

the space, acting as their own camera or protagonist. The primary activity is in the constant choice of where to go, so there is often a strong aspect of more-passive “witnessing” in the actor-audience relationship, although some sandboxes may allow audience choices to alter the story.’’33 Punchdrunk

is a theatre company who create environments and systems of spaces where the nature of the journey is chaotic - much like the reality of real life. When the audience return to the same show, they can change the story each time, creating incentive for coming back. 34

Lionel Abel, https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/engl3270/327.meta.html

https://www.immersology.com/structures/

lbid

https://www.punchdrunk.com/

Act II EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Figure 15: Painting by American artist Roy Lichtenstain [could be considered a ‘meta-painting’]

Figure 16: Metatheatre diagram [theatre within a theatre]

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Act III: what the future holds

‘‘we don’t need human intelligence, but ecosystem intelligence’’’

-Keith Skene [2020]

Developing the System

Translating from background research to a design proposal within Athens, we can now go back to the collective memory of people and place. The specific elements of Athens being the abandoned buildings and dense city fabric which lacks orientation points [apart from the acropolis] provides an interesting playing field for testing a system of memory where ‘‘one of the most important aspects of rehabilitation architecture is precisely the shift of emphasis from individual buildings to communities of buildings’’35 [Fernandez-Galiano, 2000]. Athens

is layered with memories, but they are shadowed by the grandeur of the Parthenon overlooking it. The aim is to allow the hidden and forgotten but influential moments in history to emerge and show the true genius loci of the environment, rather than what is currently perceived. A city for the people that live and experience the streets everyday. Where communities can choose what buildings are in their neighbourhood, this system proposal allows for decentralisation of facilities.

The aim of the system is to become an ‘eco-system’, where once the initial stages are set up they will function essentially by themselves, which in turn means that they will adapt by themselves whenever it is required by the people of the city. First stage is the introduction of a FOAM mapping system.36 Where an app which passersby of abandoned buildings can log the buildings in. Once there are enough ‘logs’ the building is deemed as ‘abandoned’ and the next stage will begin. A 10 minute radius is drawn around the building, forming a temporary community. Interested locals then group together and form a CLT [community land trust]. The building owner is contacted and asked if they want to join the group or sell it to them. Either way, the community gains ownership and control of the building. A vote takes place to decide what temporary ‘memory function’ ----------------is to take place until they can figure out what the neighbourhood is missing and what purpose could be introduced to the site. Whilst the temporary structure is in place it provides a usable space to the community and also an experience for locals and visitors to learn about the history of Athens and create their own memories at the same time. It is imagined the temporary space would be there for 2-5 years, which will allow the commuity time to raise awareness to impact investors. Another vote will take place between the locals where they decide if the temporary function has been useful or if they have realised the area is missing something else instead. Either way, a more permanent structure would form, benefitting the community and bringing control back to the people. If the building becomes abandoned again the whole process will be repeated but this time it would be a more organic transition. 35

Fernandez-Galiano. (2000). Fire and memory : on architecture and energy. MIT Press. p 176

explained more in depth in the group booklet ‘modern ruins’ p 41/42

Act III EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

62 500 = 100

of the city’s buildings are abandoned

building owner

upload to FOAM system

CLT

incentive token help or sell

€

community control + ownership

vote for temporary site use

10 minute community forms temporarily

3D scan of building is created [memory of the building in its best state of the time as they are only going to deteriorate further. Ensures the buildings are not lost forever and can always be referred back to

€ site translates from building to temporary experience second community vote for permanent solution impact investor

incentive

new function

discount

Job Guarantee Policy

systems diagram explaining the proposed city [eco] system building use reviewed every 10 years

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Emigrating To Athens

So, the MetaPoli is created. Meta = beyond poli = city MetaPoli = the city[1] beyond the city[2] city[1] represents the people, their memory and the memory of the environment and also experience within city [2] which is the physical city. A system of memory objects within the city of Athens sees the abandoned layer being managed properly, providing an appropriate send off. Where icons trigger past memories, represent the internal use of the space, and create a new way of reading the city. Spaces are neither museums, exhibitions or theatres but a combination of all three. For past, present, or future [or the imaginary]. A place for memory to exist in all forms.

Memory already exists within the urban environment however the aim of this system is to condense memory into a more concise and informative device. Where immersive journeys can be created within sites but also between sites. Each site becomes a place for reflection to teach visitors and the younger population of the cultural traditions separated from the architecture, enabling the buildings to fade away gracefully and the memories to survive without their physical weight. Whilst one site might reflect on past cultural events, the next may allow the mind to delve into areas of the imagination of personal events [physical or emotional].

In terms of a new visual appearance, much like a show at the theatre has an intermission where the curtains are drawn for a short period of time to allow the performers to rest and reset before the part of the show, it is imagined these abandoned sites would be enveloped by a sheer curtain representing the interval of the sites within the city and also to blur the boundary between the existing and the imaginary. It gives the impression of an ever changing, ever evolving, ever adapting environment and with a reference back to nature, a new city [eco] system is being proposed.

There is another similarity to an alternative process or system. At a crematorium, at the end of a ceromony, and before the person is cremated to later be held in the columbarium or scattered in nature, often the curtains are drawn over the coffin to mark the end of an era. The same could be said for these sites, many are past saving and it is time for us to accept and move on, retaining their memory in another form. ‘‘older archivists knew that controlled destruction was the trick of the trade’’ [Nora, 1984] and all we are doing is a full circle, like many other artistic sectors do. 37

Farr. Ian (2012). Memory. Whitechapel Gallery.; pierre nora, extracts from Les Lieux de Memoire, Vol. 1 [Paris: Gallimard, 1984] [7 vols, 1984-92]; trans. p 63.

Act III EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

early concept image of memory sites occupying abandoned sites. image used a steel structure and polycarbonate to create the blurred boundary between history and reality - a curtain is proposed now

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Epilogue

usually referred to as the conclusion

To conclude, exosomatic memory comes in many forms. From the first printed picture, to the most recent building, memory is something which is created and represented every second, even this thesis is a memory now. It represents the research and and thoughts I had in my mind and explains them in a format that others can see and understand. Memory, the main character, is very complex but through the parent of nature and the friend of system many realisations have been found and memory was able to be vulnerable for long enough for us to understand more. The city of Athens has an issue - a severe abundance of under utilised and abandoned buildings. By researching into how we can remember and imagine past events through experience of spaces, rather than the visual trigger of the memory associated to building, a solution [albeit not perfect] has been created and provides a baseline for potential future design within dense urban environments. Where there is no longer space for new structures, and where it is too environmentally taxing to demolish and rebuild we work with these sites in their old age, allowing them to fade naturally. By creating a system for now, and a canvas for future development, we can acknowledge that this is just a small part of a very large story. A large ecosystem of people, design and purpose. It is recognised that the proposed system may have a few unresolved issues. The first being that once we have a digital version and storage of the abandoned building being inhabited, this then frees the site up for any proposal meaning it may be vulnerable against developers who just want to make money. It i essentially paving the ground for gentrification, giving people an easy excuse to demolish and restart. A solution to this could be to restrict people from demolishing, and state in any contracts that the existing structure must be left to deteriorate itself. Another issue is that the abandoned buildings are forever and constantly changing location meaning the proposed experience and journey of the sites should keep up with the pace. Finally another area of potential weakness is realised where the system has the scope to become just another tourist attraction. So, it is recognised that incentive is required for locals to give the concept more of a purpose.

Designing on the fringe of memory and for the undesigned and uncontrolled is a place which not many designers explore. The idea of designing the undesignable, influencing emotions, triggering memories and creating personal experience for people as well as providing function to a site ensures a truly efficient system, where all outputs are considered. Where we can being ‘repairing’ what is lost in hostory and create new memories at the same time An unresolved question may be: What would this really look like as a working system within the existing urban environment of Athens, Greece? And that is what the next play is for...MetaPoli: the physical exploration compared to the written.

Credits

usually referred to as the bibliography

Reading [in no particular order]

MAIN BODY

APPENDIX

BOOKS

Collins, H., Cragg, T. and Franquelo, M., 2001. The language of things. Cambridge: Kettle’s Yard.

Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D. and Izenour, S., 1977. Learning from Las Vegas. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Fernandez-Galiano. (2000). Fire and memory : on architecture and energy. MIT Press. Farr. Ian (2012). Memory. Whitechapel Gallery. Braham, Hale, J., & Sadar, J. S. (2007). Rethinking technology : a reader in architectural theory. Routledge. Skene, K., 2019. Artificial intelligence and the environmental crisis. 1st ed. Routledge. Wolynn, M. 2016. It Didn’t Start With You: how inherited family trauma shaped who we are and how to end the cycle. 1st ed. Penguin Books. Halbwachs, M. and Coser, L., 1992. On Collective Memory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Pallasmaa, J., 2010. The thinking hand. 1st ed. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley.

ARTICLES Farzadfard et al., (2019), Molecular Cell 75, 769–780. Elsevier Inc. Penn, A. (2018) Built Environment Volume 44. Number 2: Cognition and the City. 162-175. Alexandrine Press.

WEBSITES

Atlasofplaces.com. 2018. Henri Lefebvre, The right to The City (1968) [online] Available at: <https://atlasofplaces.com/essays/the-

hastingscommons.com. Hastings Commons community led approach to transforming the old Observer Building [online] Available at: <https://hastingscommons.com/> [accessed 10th November 2021]

right-to-the-city/> [accessed 6th October 2022]

Theposthole.org. 2020. Panagiotis Delavinias. A Brief HIstory of Ancient Greek Cermic Kilns [online] Available at: <https://

www.theposthole.org/read/article/459> [accessed 7th February 2022]

Designboom.com. 2010. Vacant NL duth pavilion at venice architecture biennale 2010 [online] Available at: <https://www.

designboom.com/architecture/vacant-nl-dutch-pavilion-at-venice-architecturebiennale-2010/> [accessed 12th December 2021

NorthWestern.edu. 2012. Your Memory is like the Telephone Game [online] Available at: <https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2012/09/

your-memory-is-like-the-telephone-game> [accessed 5th November 2021]

Sciencedirect.com. 2013. Declarative Memory; Memory Development, P.J. Bauer 2013 [online] Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.

com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/declarative-memory#:~:text=Declarative%20 or%20explicit%20memory%20is,for%20fast%20processing%20and%20learning.> [accessed 13th December 2021]

Verywellmind.com. 2021. New Research Explains Why Scent Triggers SUch Powerful Memories [online] Available at: < https://www.verywellmind.com/new-research-explains-why-scent-triggers-suchpowerful-memories-5116589> [accessed 29th October 2021]

Credits EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

assemblestudio.co.uk. 2013. Assemble. Granby Fourt Street 2013 [online] Available at: <https://assemblestudio.co.uk/projects/granby-

four-streets-2> [accessed 10th November 2021]

Labiennale.org. 2021. Resurrecting the Sublime [online] Available at: <https://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/2021/one-planet/

christina-agapakis-alexandra-daisy-ginsberg-sissel-tolaas> [accessed 2nd December 2021]

Thermeart. Resurrecting the Sublime: The Smell of Gaia’s Molecules [online] Available at: <https://therme.art/events/resurrecting-

the-sublime/> [accessed 1st May 2022]

Dezeen.com. 2021. Rainwater flows in and out of the Danish Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale [online] Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/20/lundgaard-tranberg-architects-danish-

pavillion-venice-architecture-biennale/> [accessed 7th January]

investopedia.com. 2020. Externality. [online] Available <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/externality.asp#:~:text=An%20 at:

externality%20is%20a%20cost,of%20a%20good%20or%20service.> [accessed 12th December 2021]

immersology.com. List of Stuctures [online] Available at: https://www.immersology.com/structures/> [accessed 22nd March 2022]

Images [unless otherwise stated, all images/graphics/sketches are author’s own]

MAIN BODY

APPENDIX

Figure 1: Wilfrid Almendra, Between the Tree and Seeing it (2014):

Figure 17: Leanne Russell, Little Maggie Bar (2019):

https://www.wilfridalmendra.com/Wilfrid-Almendra- exhibition-artwork-Between-the-Tree-and-Seeing-It [accessed 21 October 2021]

Figure 2: Frances Yates reconstruction of Giordano Bruno memory wheel (1966):

https://sofiarochasilvablender.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/p03-francesyates-memory-wheel/ [accessed 9th April 2022]

Figure 3: Ramon Llull’s Memory Wheel:

https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/lullian-wheels/33439 [accessed 9th April 2022]

Figure 4: Ramon Llull’s Memory Wheel Translation: https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/lullian-wheels/33439 [accessed 9th April 2022]

Figure 5: Jacobus Publicius Mnemonic Alphabet (1482):

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/mnemonic-alphabet-ofjacobus-publicius-1482 [accessed 11th April 2022]

https://ewnews.com/caribbean-artists-alter-the-reflective-gaze-intern-gallerys-new-photography-exhibition [accessed 16 January 2022]

Figure 18: Herb Garden Room of Danish Pavillion (2021):

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/20/lundgaard-tranberg-architectsdanish-pavillion-venice-architecture-biennale/ [accessed 7 January 2022]

Figure 19: Corridor of Danish Pavillion (2021): https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/20/lundgaard-tranberg-architectsdanish-pavillion-venice-architecture-biennale/ [accessed 7 January 2022]

Figure 20: Concept Sketch of Danish Pavillion (2021): https://dac.dk/en/exhibitions/con-nect-ed-ness/ [accessed 7 January 2022]

Figure 21: Glass Box Exhibition (2019): https://therme.art/events/resurrecting-the-sublime/ [accessed 2nd February 2022]

Figure 6: Robert Fludd Mnemonic Alphabet (1617):

Figure 22: Ginkgo Bioworks (2016):

Figure 7: Aleksander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, The Columbarium (1989):

Figure 23: Assemle Studio Granby Four Streets Sketch (2013):

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/robert-fludd-s-memorytricks-1617 [accessed 11th April 2022]

https://www.rogallery.com/artists/alexander-brodsky-and- ilya-utkin/columbarium-architecture-from-brodsky-and-utkinprojects-1981-1990/ [accessed 10th April 2022]

Figure 8: Rachel Whiteread, Untitled Plaster Model (2000): Collins, H., Cragg, T. and Franquelo, M., 2001. The language of things. Cambridge: Kettle’s Yard.

Figure 9: Terracotta Hydria (water jar): https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247244 [accessed 28th October 2021]

Figure 10: Luigi Moretti’s sequence of spaces model:

https://socks-studio.com/2018/12/09/luigi-morettis-structuresand-sequences-of-spaces/#:~:text=Moretti%20focused%20on%20 the%20question,the%20journey%20of%20an%20observer. [accessed 11th April 2022]

https://haeckels.co.uk/journal/resurrecting-the-sublime/ [accessed 22nd April 2022]

https://assemblestudio.co.uk/projects/granby-four-streets-2 [accessed 15th December]

Figure 24: Buildings of Hastings Commons:

https://hastingscommons.com/ [accessed 14th December 2021]

Figure 25: Robert Venturi, Roma Interrotta (1978): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/319826011011899313/ [accessed 1st April 2022]

Figure 26: Praxinscope by Charles-Emile Reynaud:

https://praxinoscope.weebly.com/ [accessed 17th March 2022]

Figure 27: Reynaud’s Theatre Optique (1882) https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/praxinoscope [accessed 17th March 2022]

Figure 11: Luigi Moretti’s analysis drawing of Andrea Palladio’s Vicenza Palazzo Thiene: https://socks-studio.com/2018/12/09/luigi-morettis-structuresand-sequences-of-spaces/#:~:text=Moretti%20focused%20on%20 the%20question,the%20journey%20of%20an%20observer. [accessed 11th April 2022]

Figure 12: Psychogeography, The Naked City Map 1957: https://bristolsocietyandspace.com/2015/11/09/summer-projectpsychogeography/ [accessed 11th April 2022]

Figure 13: Giulio Camillo’s Memory Theatre (1519):

https://socks-studio.com/2019/03/03/spatializing-knowledge-giuliocamillos-theatre-of-memory-1519-1544/ [accessed 25th March 2022]

Figure 14: Robert Fludd’s Theatre of Memory (1619)

https://socks-studio.com/2019/03/03/spatializing-knowledge-giuliocamillos-theatre-of-memory-1519-1544/ [accessed 25th March 2022]

Figure 15: Roy Lichtenstein’s painting

https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/engl3270/327.meta.html [accessed 25th March 2022]

Figure 16: Metatheatre Diagram

https://arealmidsummernight.wordpress.com/questioning-reality-in-amidsummer-nights-dream/metatheatre/ [accessed 25th March 2022]

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Encore

usually referred to as the appendix

Layers of Memory in Athens, Greece

Explored at the beginning of the text when the scenewas being set. This model was inspired by the layering of athens city. The way memory is laced between the layers, with some seeping all the way through to the top and others getting lost. The model also represents the land, city and neighbourhood which I focussed some time of study. There is also reference back to Rachel Whiteread’s bookcase casting and the sculptures of the Parthenon.

initial sketch design for model

described model

Encore EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

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Athens, then and now

During the break between semester 1 and 2, I visited an art exhibition in Nassau, Bahamas where fittingly there was an exhibition on history and memory. An artist, Leanne Russell, was showing a piece of work called ‘Living on Kendrick ST. IV: Hurricane Hut Rd’, layering old and new photographs of the same places. This is a technique in which the artist repeats for many locations, investigating the cycles of destruction and regeneration. The layering of old images over the present shows how the memory of places are held within the places themselves. The overlaying creates certain emotions, when the building is missing there is an immediate feeling of loss or almost guilt [even if you have no relationship to the place]. When the place has not changed much there is a much stronger connection to past events. Decided to reuse this technique in Athens. Due to a lack of photographic evidence of the city, it proved difficult however it was still quite telling how some structure have really been protected and others not.

Figure 17: Leanne Russell, Little Maggie Bar [2019]

Encore EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

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Exploratory sketch of all the different journeys objects take within the initial proposed site experience. Explores the complex routes and connections within the site but also the city. People can use the system differently. Locals can go in and out familiar doors whereas first time visitors can follow the more linear route, following the journey of the process happening on site.

EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

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Learning from others

The Danish Pavilion, Biennale, Venice 2021 con-nect-ed-ness ‘‘All life depends on water. Water exists everywhere on the planet in a dynamic cycle that the exhibition con-nect-edness links to. Water collected from the roof of the pavilion is made visible and tangible and flows through the exhibition – who knows where it has been before and where it will go next? Who knows what other bodies, countries, and centuries it has passed through? The cyclical flow and immanent boundlessness of water tie past, present, and future together and preclude any possibility of isolating ourselves from each other, acknowledging that we are connected. The water carries time, disaster, life, and others. It flows through our shared spaces.’’

Figure 18: herb garden room of Danish Pavillion

Figure 19: Corridor following water through building of Pavillion

Encore EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Commissioner: Kent Martinussen, Danish Architecture Center Curator: Marianne Krogh Exhibitors: Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects

Figure 20: Concept Sketch of Journey through the pavillion

This precedent is a reference point, used to explain how the sites are imagined. A much more detailed and immersive experience is to be had, to respect the past and be a strong enough experience to create or alter a future and memories. The journey of the building is explored through rainwater. Where rainwater hits the roof, it travels down the surface and into external water butts. It then finds itself in either exposed pipes running at head height within the building, or at ground level through the use of exposed channels. As the visitors wander through the spaces, the water acts as a guide - taking them on an experiential journey. The user then finds themselves in a room where herbs are growing, being watered by the collected

rain. The final room is a cafe environment where the simple act of drinking tea becomes part of the process. The tea is made from the herbs, which were grown by the water that made it from sky, to roof, to store, to transit, to purpose and finally into the stomach where its journey will continue onwards, through the body and further. It is at this point the user is able to sit and reflect. Think of the past memory in terms of where the rain came from, the journey they shared together of travelling through the building and finally future memory - where the water is going next.

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Resurrecting the Sublime, Biennale, 2019 ‘‘Resurrecting the Sublime, a time-bending project by Sissel Tolaas, Christina Agapakis, and Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg at the 2021 Venice Biennale, found its origins in the Harvard University Herbaria, a library of extinct specimens. Tissue samples of floras were then collected, and the gene sequences that could code for the flowers’ smell molecules were subsequently identified and isolated by the team. These tissue samples were later inserted into yeast for a ‘brewing process’ that allowed for the cultivation of the flowers’ smell molecules. Lists of possible smell molecules that the flowers might have produced were later sent to Sissel Tolaas, who managed to recreate what the flower might have smelt like using various smell molecules in her archive or by merging comparative ones.’’ 01

Figure 21: glass box exhibition containing flower molecules

Figure 22: Ginkgo Bioworks, leaf material removed from DNA analysis for extinct enzyme studies by Christina Agapakis and Dawn Thompson (5.10.16)

https://therme.art/events/resurrecting-the-sublime/

Encore EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Assemble Architects | Granby Four Streets, 2013 ‘‘Granby Four Streets is an ongoing community-led project to rebuild Granby, a Liverpool neighbourhood that was nearly made derelict by decades of poorly-planned regeneration initiatives. Granby Street was once a lively high street at the centre of Liverpool’s most racially and ethnically diverse community. The demolition of all but four of Granby’s streets of Victorian terraces during decades of ‘regeneration’ initiatives saw a once thriving community scattered, and left the remaining “Granby Four Streets” sparsely populated and filled with tinned up houses...’’ ‘‘...The resourceful, creative actions of a group of residents were fundamental to finally bringing these streets out of dereliction and back into use. Over two decades they cleared, planted, painted, and campaigned in order to reclaim their streets.’’ 01

https://assemblestudio.co.uk/projects/granby-four-streets-2

Figure 23: Assemble Studio Granby Four Studio sketch

The Hastings Common ‘‘Hastings Commons is a community-led approach to transforming the unique area around the old Observer Building. It’s a collection of buildings and spaces brought from dereliction into use for homes, workspace, leisure and learning, and it’s also a way of behaving. Rents are capped to protect affordability, good uses are prioritised over profit, mutual support and commoning are encouraged.’’01

Figure 24: An aerial view of the cluster of buildings that make up the Hastings Commons.

https://hastingscommons.com/

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Designing the Undesignable

Externality [noun] | 1. economics

‘‘a consequence of an industrial or commercial activity which affects other parties without this being reflected in market prices, such as the pollination of surrounding crops by bees kept for honey.’’

2. philosophy ‘‘the fact of existing outside the perceiving subject.’’

- Oxford Dictionary Externalities are outputs from processes which have not been accounted for or designed in. They are not included in the final cost of the project and they can be either positive or negative. Example: a bakery For the owner the purpose is to bake and make money, and for the customer the purpose it to purchase, eat and enjoy. The externality of this process is the smell of the bakery in and around the buildings, so it is a positive and indirect outcome of the process. When thinking about this idea in terms of collective memory we can continue with the bakery now that it is familiar. Focussing more on the customer and their experience we can imagine 3 different scenarios. Person 1: walks to the bakery every morning to get rolls Person 2: meets a friend outside every Friday at midday Person 3: walks past the bakery every day to get to work Whilst each of these individuals have different purposes for being around the bakery, they share the same memory of scent. The smell of the bakery does not change. It may be stronger in the morning but the smell still escapes every time the door is opened. Designing on the fringe of memory and for the

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undesigned and uncontrolled is a place which not many designers explore. The idea of designing the undesignable, influencing emotions, triggering memories and creating personal experience for people as well as providing function to a site ensures a truly efficient system, where all outputs are considered.

Signage

The use of signs as communication/identification. ‘‘a sign is a contradictorily, for day and night. The same sign works as a polychrome sculpture in the sun and black silhouetter against the sun’’01

Curious in the effect of placement [in this case a model on a window sill] and how signs [like McDonalds] can create very distinct and recogniseable shadows. If there was time to explore something in this project further it may be the use of signage to allow users to recognise the temporary immersive experience sites.

Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas

shadow cast by authors concrete model of existing abandoned site

Figure 25: Robert Venturi, Roma Interrotta, 1978

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Praxinoscope

The praxinoscope was designed as an animation device through illusion of movement. A series of still images spun in quick succession meant the viewer’s eye saw ‘moving’ images which told a story. There was a point in the design process where a raised terrace acted like the praxinoscope, where the user found themselves in the story, on the stage and viewing and imagining the surrounding city as the moving story if memory.

Figure 26: Praxinoscope drawing by Charles-Emile Raynaud

Figure 27: Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique 1882

Encore EXOSOMATIC MEMORY

Portmanteau

portmanteau - [noun] |

‘‘a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel or brunch.’’ - Oxford Dictionary

Many words were created in the process to combine memory with systems language. They are as below: