Reena Ardeshana
Borders & Territories
Spaces in Play: Institute of Memory
Moving beyond the borders of the city centre, Bucharest reveals itself as a city of both urban development and decay. Within this fragmented city lies forgotten, isolated and forbidden spaces often being appropriated by groups on the edge of our society. The issue of decay is often portrayed as a negative quality that should be shielding from sight. However this ‘dystopic’ quality that is found in many spaces of abandonment offers rich grounds for observation. They become a hub of radical activity as temporal visitors seek out spaces with no rules and no order so that they can begin to engage with, play in and transgress these spaces.
The lack of accessibility to these spaces that allow free play remain unaddressed within the fabric of Bucharest and the negative connotations of decay prevent us from seeking out spaces of play. The design proposal therefore seeks to build within the centre of Bucharest, in an area that has been radically altered itself by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The destruction and scars that are present in the landscape has lent itself to the design of an institute of memory. This collection of continually accumulating buildings seeks to address the memory of the pre-1980s site and interweave functions that embody the multiple understandings of the word memory.