A b s t r a c t.
Space, identity, and memory; each entwined and fundamental to our understanding of how we navigate our lives within our urban environments. Cities are microcosms of life that nurture and facilitate our experience of everyday life. The central point of these chaotic environments, in many cases, has evolved to be the shopping Mall. Evolving side by side with capitalism over the years, our cities have become increasingly interior; complexes such as shopping centers providing their own culture somewhat differing from the historical culture perpetuated over many years. Within this dissertation, I aim to explore the capitalist takeover of our urban environments and what this means for local culture. This bodes questions of what creates culture? Is it architecture, physical space, or something more covert we cannot see? Cities are ultimately inhabited, meaning humans leave their physical and mental footprint within the city's fabric. Human patterns, routines, and habits breathe life into our urban environments and establish cultures. Building upon building for generations, cities are layered with memories of past inhabitation and architecture. However, in our contemporary city, globalism, a profound effect of capitalism, threatens to invalidate past memories and force an anonymous culture, onto our cities. This is something I will discuss using the main themes of loss of identity, urban memory, hauntology, and duality of space.
Memory of Eldon Gardens | Protagonist Journey Beginning
Memory of Eldon Gardens | Eldon Gardens Journey Begining
Memory of Handyside Arcade | Protagonist Journey into Handyside
