Manifesting architectural memory in Sudbury, Ontario

Abstract

This thesis investigates various types of memory through a design process that reveals faded architectural narratives in Sudbury, Ontario. The city’s ambiguous architectural identity is, in part, the result of the excessive demolition of it’s historical buildings. Historical research and mappings uncover patterns in the city’s morphology and destruction. A series of interpretive graphite drawings reveal the architectural memory and memory loss in the downtown. A design process exploring ‘remembrance’, a concept that synthesizes memory and imagination, is employed toward the creation of several new structures. These additions to the downtown attempt to reinforce the identity of the city with place-specific architecture that remembers the past while offering a framework for new memories.