2023
Under the Guidance of Sabina Tanović.
Delft University of Technology.
Delft University of Technology.
This research paper addresses the topic of memorial architecture and monuments in our public spaces, referring to complex histories. The topic is very timely and highly important, mostly because these typologies concern our public spaces, which are spaces that are accessible for every person in society and therefor have the power to influence all of us. There has been a massive shift in our societal perspective on history and how we now think our past should be represented. But how should we deal with the monuments and memorials that have been in our public spaces for decades and don’t align with our current collective vision anymore? In recent years activist groups would damage or even tear down controversial monuments because they disagree with the way certain people or narratives are put on a pedestal. A great example of this phenomenon is Monument Indië-Nederland in Amsterdam, which is also used as a main case study in the research paper. But is 'erasing parts of our past' the solution? On the other hand, we can’t just leave it as it is right now, can we?
The theme is clearly a difficult and tricky one to write about, but therefor a highly important one to address. This paper inspires us to think of monuments as being more than just a ‘static’ object, but rather dynamic and flexible elements in our built environment that give space to add other perspectives to the narrative, and to be subject of societal change overtime. And so, we should be expanding the currently represented one-sided narratives with adding new perspectives to the monuments together with society. In this way, a variety of perspectives is being represented, without ignoring or denying our history. For that matter, these additions overtime will actually even enrichen the current memorial scenery, by also representing our changing societal perception on history over the years.
The abstract and full history research paper can be read here.
The abstract and full history research paper can be read here.
