Cultural nostalgia: a commemoration of Marabi

Abstract

Over the years architecture has played an integral role in the commemoration of past people, cultures and events. It has been used as a medium of memory making whether in the form of memorials, monuments and museums to capture a certain part of history and thus becomes a reflection of that past in today’s society. The dissertation investigates the theme of commemoration and the creation of spaces that facilitate remembering and making memory in architecture with specific reference to the neglected pasts of the city of Pretoria. The focus area is Marabastad, located in the north west quadrant of Pretoria’s Central Business District (CBD), which was a vibrant and diverse community prior to the passing of the Group Areas Act in the 1950’s and its consequences of forced removals. The proposal intends to explore commemorative architecture in a 21st century society by questioning the typologies of past commemoration methods (monuments, memorials and museums) which tend to become a static representation of time and place, and not a true reflection of current conditions. This investigation will be in terms of a museum precinct using Marabastad’s past diverse Marabi culture as a study with the possibility of re-imagining past memories into a new image that takes into consideration the everyday activities of the current existing society. The aim is to rethink the unfolded narratives of the past in order to transform commemorative architecture into a representation of a collective consciousness in a society that is in a flux of constant change. The architectural intent seeks to move beyond the current conventions of a museum to enable a platform that makes use of a combination of commemoration strategies to introduce a typology that can encourage an on-going dialogue within the community. This dialogue will be facilitated by means of different programs and types of exhibitions which combine to make a space that can commemorate the past whilst accommodating the existing activities. Furthermore, the architecture seeks to be a point of transition within Marabastad in order to attract the flow people into the intervention when moving from one point to another.