BRIEF
By Francesco Vitelli
Melbourne, spatially defined as the original colonial town reserve is the realm of memory to be examined in this studio. The area is characterised by the colonial grid and the Shrine of rememberance the last monument of the 19th century colonial enterprise that used monuments to glorify and legitimate sovereign power. The studio adopts Giorgio Agamben’s notion of profanation to profane the glorious history associated wuth 19th century urbanism by recovering memories concealed by that enterprise.
CONCEPT
“ Memory is in permanent evolution , subject to the dialectic of remembering and forgetting, unconcious of the distortions to which it is subject, vulnerable in various ways to appropriation and manipulation .”
“ Memory is polarisation of space and time throught a matrix of well-designed fragments .”
“ In Proust, past and present are neither by willful collective memorisations nor by concious memorising but by individual acts of involuntary memory triggered by SENSES.”
MELBOURNE MARKETS
In the early years of settlement, Melbourne urban territory was filled with markets. These markets were one of the few significant public buildings within the city grid. Operated by market Commissioners which were the official government representatives, markets were not only economically significant, but more importantly, they were Melbourne’s public forums, an urban setting for public assembly and entertainment.
In the early years of settlement, Melbourne urban territory was filled with markets. These markets were one of the few significant public buildings within the city grid. Operated by market Commissioners which were the official government representatives, markets were not only economically significant, but more importantly, they were Melbourne’s public forums, an urban setting for public assembly and entertainment.
The principle market of Melbourne then,was the Western market - a wholesale vegetable and fruit market, established at the junction of Collins and William Street. As population increased, more markets were established and these include: Eastern Market , Hay and Corn Market , Old Fish Market, New Corporation Market, Cattle Market , Wood Market and Meat Market.
However, these markets were subsequently demolished in the 20th century at the arrival of modern movement to pave way for new modern buildings, leaving no trace at all.
REMEMBERING
Apart from its social and economical significance, these markets were the image of Melbourne city then. Its architecture also reflected the Europeanization of Melbourne. By bringing back the markets, its an act of reversing urban gentrification.
Hence, this project intention is to design a monument on the western market site that acts as metaphorical trope to enable citizens to identify with its past as a political, cultural and social entity- commemorate these markets and the experience associated with it.
MONUMENTALITY AND MODERNITY
Nonetheless, modernity and monumentality has always shared a tense relationship. As stated by Lewis Mumford,
‘The very notion of a modern monument is a contradiction in terms; if it is a monument, it cannot be modern, and if it is modern, it cannot be a monument.’ .In order to recreate the memories of market, the approach is to use fragments of historical elements . As Rossi argues, as a city remembers through its building , so the preservation of old building is analogous with the preservation of memories the human mind.
However, memory is only involuntarily triggered through senses and not by concious memorising. Hence, by using these grafted fragments of a vaguely familiar market architecture, a contrast is distinguished and a notion of shock is stimulated against its modern setting.
RESEARCH
