The Eloquence of Emptiness: Architecturally Articulating the Trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade by Etulan A. Joseph University of Westminster School of Architecture and the Built Environment MA Architecture Thesis Project
The Eloquence of Emptiness: Architecturally Articulating the Trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade by Etulan A. Joseph
THE ELOQUENCE OF EMPTINESS: ARCHITECTURALLY ARTICULATING THE TRAUMA OF THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE FINAL DESIGN REPORT SUBMITTED ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2019 ETULAN A. JOSEPH[STUDENT I.D 1708803] UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MA ARCHITECTURE THESIS PROJECT TUTOR: DR. KRYSTALLIA KAMVASINOU
Acknowledgements
I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to Dr.Krystallia Kamvasinou, my thesis tutor,for her
unyieldsing
support
and
constructive
criticism in pursuing and compiling this body of
work.
Deriu
I
for
also
extend
allowing
beforehand,
me
thanks to
to
explore
Dr.Davide this
topic
inspiring the groundwork for this
thesis. Finally, I am forever grateful for the unwavering
encouragement
from
my
parents,
Dr.Livingstone Joseph and Hilary Joseph. Thank you, all. Etulan A. Joseph
Page I
Contents
01.
02.
Page 1
Page 5
05.
06.
Page 21
Page 41
Abstract
Theoretical Framework
Structure
The Articulation
Page II
Contents
03.
04.
Page 9
Page 15
07.
08.
Page 79
Page 85
Introduction
Conclusion
Methodolgy
Bibliography + List of Images
Page III
Abstract
01. ABSTRA Page 1
Abstract
ACT Page 2
Abstract
When one thinks of collective
trauma, the mind almost immediately thinks of the Holocaust. There have been numerous
articles,
documentaries,
memorials and other architectural expressions
that
highlight
this
historical tragedy. One of the most know
The Atlantic Slave Trade: a historic event with an extensive legacy, one that is usually diminished, neglecting the grim truths of societies and cancerous ideologies.
architectural articulations is The Berlin Jewish Museum Extension by Daniel Libeskind, completed in 1981; logging in 7,000,000 visitors within a decade. However, there are other catastrophes that are worth being architecturally expressed. That is not to say that The Holocaust doesn’t have its place in being addressed spatially, but it does bring into question of other tragedies. It should be said that there is no hierarchy to trauma and pain, however certain catastrophic events are not expressed architecturally. This begins to scratch the surface of implied hierarchy in architectural spaces – what gets built and by whom? But this thesis doesn’t aim to address this critical issue. It first sets out to situate itself in order to fill this chasm of architectural, cultural, historical and socio-political knowledge in relation to collective trauma, memory
Page 3
Abstract
and space. Thus, it shifts the lens to look
is explored, allowing these narratives
at another catastrophe deemed worthy
to be expressed through this theoretical
of being architecturally expressed – The
framework. “How does one design
Atlantic Slave Trade: a historic event with
space that articulates the trauma of
an extensive legacy, one that is usually
the cataclysmic events of the Atlantic
diminished, neglecting the grim truths
Slave Trade into space, however letting
of societies and cancerous ideologies.
emptiness and the experience control
Western slavery has essentially built
the narrative?� The thesis sets out to
many modern day Western cities and
answer this question. Like the proposal,
societies through free slave labour and
it serves to unearth a complex legacy of
then implicated a series of complex
bodies, ideologies and erasure. It takes
historical, cultural, political and social
the hidden layers of history, culture and
consequences that affect an entire
legacy and explores them critically. The
diaspora.
research hopes to answer to a question
The city of London is no stranger
not frequently asked yet holds much
to this legacy as the city started to
criticality, not only architecturally, but
reap the benefits of its stealing of West
also socially, culturally and historically.
African bodies by the 1660s. By the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade, the United Kingdom was the second largest Slave trading nation by volume. The connection is undeniable yet hardly visible spatially around the city; an erasure of sorts. What this thesis does is bring this legacy to the forefront, providing a radical proposal for a contemporary approach to articulating trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade architecturally. Additionally, the concept of emptiness
Page 4
Structure
02. STRUCTU Page 5
Structure
URE Page 6
Structure
This thesis constitutes five main
theories, objectives and interpretations
chapters – “Introduction”, “Methodology”,
are
“Theoretical
establishing
Framework”,
“The
formulated the
and
concretized,
groundwork
for
Articulation” and “Conclusion”. In the
the response to the questions and
Introduction we begin to broadly explore
objectives in the previous section while
the notion of architecture, catastrophe
simultaneously drawing out the essence
and trauma as to under their relationship
of the thesis and beginning to develop an
and set a basis for the thesis. These
answer for our research question.
terms are examined as generically in our
contemporary world. The Atlantic Slave
Articulation”, puts forward the design
Trade and the concept of emptiness
proposal for this thesis. It presents the
is also briefly introduced as the two
design manifesto, explores the site and
are actively intertwined and serves as
context of the proposal, illustrates the
specific contexts and conditions for
concept by further manifesting drawings
the body of work. Additionally, the main
of
research question is brought to the
intentions, shifting from questions
forefront.
to answers yet firmly being rooted in
The Methodology explores the
what was discussed in the previous
manner in which the terms and concepts
sections. The proposal is also looked at
in the previous section are considered
retrospectively, anticipating the effect,
and adopted as architectural history
response and future applications.
and theory in order to move forward
with the thesis, whether that’s through
concludes the thesis, looking at the
case studies, literature reviews and the
entire development of this thesis and
like. Further questions and objectives
presenting a final concrete answer
are also ratified, providing a clearer
towards our main research question.
path in the approach to the thesis. This extends into the third section – “Theoretical Framework”, where these
Page 7
The fourth main section, “The
different
The
scales
final
and
main
different
section
Structure
“THE DOOR OF NO RETURN” , WHERE SLAVES LEFT WEST AFRICA ON SLAVE SHIPS Dakar, Senegal//2018
Page 8
Introduction
03. INTRODU Page 9
Introduction
UCTION Page 10
Introduction
Architecture and catastrophe
have an almost parasitical and complex relationship.
Catastrophes,
either
manmade or natural, have destroyed buildings, collapsed infrastructures and have even wiped out entire cities and
“A disaster zone where everything is lost offers the perfect opportunity for us to take a fresh look, from the ground up, at what architecture really is.”
towns, sometimes instantly. The city of London was set ablaze in 1666 for four days, damaging a part of the London Bridge and destroying over 13,000 houses and 84 churches. In 1970, a cyclone in Bhola caused a twenty foot storm surge, causing widespread flooding. The death toll was anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 people. In 2001, a set of planes crashed into New York City’s World Trade Centre. The disaster claimed the lives of approximately 3,000 people. Though after these catastrophic events there is usually mourning and melancholy, for architects there is also opportunity; the
- Toyo Ito
fortuity to begin on clean slates of spaces that is not only rebuilt but reflect the people and the catastrophe. According to Toyo Ito, “A disaster zone where everything is lost offers the perfect opportunity for us to take a fresh look, from the ground up, at what architecture really is,” (Poon, 2016) However, there
Page 11
Introduction
is a deeper cavity of knowledge and
memory, identity and humanity. What
understanding that needs to be drawn
this thesis seeks to explore is that
out in order for architects to respond
relationship by critically looking at
to these catastrophes in a way that is
architecture’s approach to shaping
effective in not only highlighting these
spaces that house trauma.
events but also their lasting impressions
and effects. Through observations, many
we turn our eyes to one of the most
spaces that memorialize a catastrophe
catastrophic events in modern history
seem to ignore the trauma that comes
– The Atlantic Slave Trade; a historic
with these tragedies. As architects,
event with an extensive legacy, one that
we
memorials,
is usually diminished, neglecting the
monuments, museum and other spaces
grim truths of societies and cancerous
that house memories from catastrophic
ideologies.
moments but do these spaces serve
essentially built many modern day
their purpose? Do we design to tell or to
Western cities and societies through
heal? According to Rowlands, “some of
free slave labour and then implicated a
these spaces designed by architects do
series of complex historical, cultural,
not work at the personal level of healing
political and social consequences that
and reconciliation,” (Rowlands, 1998,
affect an entire diaspora. Architecturally
p.54).
speaking, there are not many spatial
continue
to
Architectural
build
spaces
To add another layer of criticality,
Western
slavery
has
and
articulations dedicated to the traumatic
interventions of this typology should
event. This neglect diminishes the
not be erased; such would be futile and
memories of the community. It dilutes
shortsighted. There are ominous stories
the gruesome truths of what occurred
and histories that hold memories of
during the Atlantic Slave Trade and the
society as well as reflect the evolution of
entire oppressive and barbaric system
ever-changing values. Simultaneously,
behind it. What this does is leave room
they shape collective identities and
for cataclysmic ideologies to fester and
foster relationships between space,
permeate society which then serves
Page 12
Introduction
A CAGED SLAVE
Page 13
Introduction
as an exordium to such catastrophic events.
Furthermore,
the
emotional
backdrop behind the event ties in with a supplementary layer – emptiness; a new sort of character to be explored. The Atlantic Slave Trade has essentially left emotional scars and voids on the Black diaspora. It is a narratives that is deep, strange and powerful. Delving into this void and drawing out its potential as an architectural angle serves as a profound approach to these architectural spaces.
Thus, our thesis question is
brought to the forefront; how does one design space that articulates the trauma of the cataclysmic event of the Atlantic Slave Trade into space, however letting emptiness and the experience control the narrative? This thesis seeks to present a design proposal as well as present possible design strategies in order to articulate the emotional trauma of the Atlantic Slave Trade through space;
How does one design space that articulates the trauma of the cataclysmic event of the Atlantic Slave Trade into space, however letting emptiness and the experience control the narrative?
hopefully filling a chasm of a topic that in under-represented, broadening our understanding of space, trauma, history, memories, identity and their seemingly fickle yet complex relationship.
Page 14
Methodology
04. METHOD Page 15
Methodology
DOLOGY Page 16
Methodology
“How does one design space
research methods to meet these
that articulates the trauma of the
objectives as well as possess a deeper
cataclysmic event of the Atlantic Slave
understanding of theoretical ideas
Trade into space, however letting
on memory, trauma and space. These
emptiness and the experience control
objectives are:
the narrative?� Our research question is complex and layered and to answer this
1.
research question successfully, several
To understand and establish the
supporting questions should be asked
relationship between architectural
first:
space and trauma. 1.
2.
What design approaches can articulate
To simultaneously look The Atlantic
trauma?
Slave Trade and its events and critically evaluate design approaches of trauma-
2.
reflection spaces within the context of
How can the narratives of The
this human catastrophe.
Atlantic Slave Trade and its trauma be expressed through the built
3.
environment?
To understand the concept of emptiness and how it may serve as a compass for
3.
this thesis.
What is the effect of emptiness expressed as trauma within the urban
fabric?
To address the first objective,
I review several literature on both of the key terms – space and trauma,
From these questions, we can lay out
however doing so separately at first
some objectives that are interconnected
and then establishing the link between
and thus employ several architectural
the two concepts. By evaluating each
Page 17
Methodology
term, their theoretical understanding
brought to the forefront. Texts such as
as it works in this thesis is drawn
Barbarca M’Baye’s “Configurations of
out and contextualized. I rely on
Enslavement” and “The Atlantic Slave
several historical and contemporary
Trade” by Herbert S. Klein. Klein’s work
works such as Theresa Stoppani’s
in particular serves as a synthesis of
“Architecture and Trauma”, Michael
economic, political and social legacy of
Rowlands’
and
The Atlantic Slave Trade. By examining
Memorials”, as well as Mark Crinson’s
the hundreds of years of this calamity,
“Urban Memory: History and Amnesia
understandings of the cultural, social
in the Modern City”. Stoppani’s work
and
theorizes about viewing architecture
experiences are seen. However, to see
as actually being traumatized. It is from
these traumatic effects incorporated
this work the understanding of space
into the built environment, I rely on
as a body is conceptualized. In addition
mainly case studies, primarily analyzing
to this, Crinsons’ work really brings the
built architecture such as The National
two concepts together. It is significant
Museum of African American. However,
for this thesis because it is essentially
due to the lack of buildings that are solely
the first critical work in which the two
dedicated to the Atlantic Slave Trade, we
are interpreted concurrently. It not only
look at other articulations of The Atlantic
evaluates the connection between the
Slave Trade such as John Akomfrah’s
two but puts forward new terms are
installation - “Vertigo Sea”, MASS Design
learnt such as ‘mnemic symbols’ which
Group’s The National Memorial for Peace
are typically monuments, memorials
and Libeskind’s Berlin Jewish Museum. I
and other architectural interventions
evaluate their approach to these public
that act as theatres of memory and
histories, considering the tools used to
trauma.
highlight the narratives of this traumatic
With
“Trauma,
the
Memory
second
economic
implications
and
objective,
event while uplifting a community and
evaluation of several literature on The
honouring their collective memories
Atlantic Slave Trade and its effects is
and collective identity.
Page 18
Methodology
THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE MASS Design Group Montgomery, Alabama, USA//2018
Page 19
Methodology
With regards to the final objective,
I take the two previous objectives and situate them within the framework of emptiness. In line with the findings from the two subsequent objectives, an interplay is established, formulating a relationship with the concept of emptiness and how this directs the thesis. Again, this done through literature such as Henri Lefebvre and “The Empty Space” by Peter Brooks. Understandings of the term and then further drawing from the previous findings become fundamental in answering the research question through the design proposal. Consequently, from the understanding of emptiness, the terminology “void” is drawn out due to possibilities of practical application as well as the emotional attachment and narratives that can be inferred and articulated.
Page 20
Theoretical Framework
05. THEORE FRAMEW Page 21
Theoretical Framework
ETICAL WORK Page 22
Theoretical Framework
As architects, we have a very
distant relationship with trauma; it seems like it is only fictitious. However, when
architecture
and
violence
collides, we see that the idea of the
As architects, we have a very distant relationship with trauma; it seems like it is only fictitious. However, when architecture and violence collides, we see that the idea of the two being disconnected is misleading.
two being disconnected is misleading. Now, we have some faint idea of what ‘architectural articulation’ may encompass. But for this thesis, there are certain frameworks for which articulation
operates,
serving
as
compasses to answer the research question. Firstly, we look at the term trauma, a key term in our question. TRAUMA
The term ‘trauma’ originates
from outside our field with earliest investigations of trauma being conducted by Jean Martin Charcot, a French physician who worked with traumatized women at Salpetriere Hospital during the late 19th century. Further studies were done by figures such as Sigmund Freud, Josef Bauer, Pierre Janet and Abram Kardiner (Ringell and Brandell, 2012, pp. 1 – 5). By 1942, the contemporary idea of trauma was conceived by
Page 23
Theoretical Framework
a psychiatrist who specialized on
come with political and social agendas
bereavement, theorizing about the
that either create, reinforce, or destroy
normalcy of certain reactions to grief
political and social constructs. In Gillis’
such
lost
book, “Commemorations: The Politics
loved ones, identification with the
of National Identity”, he says that “Both
deceased, expressions of guilt and
identity and memory are political and
hostility, disorganization, and somatic
social constructs, and should be treated
complaints,” (ibid) By 1980, the definition
as such… Identities and memories are not
of trauma that we use today was
things we think about, but things we think
formed – a psychological, emotional
with” (Gillis, 1994, p.8). Essentially, these
response to an event or an experience
trauma reflection spaces are important
that is deeply disturbing (ibid). Thus,
as they sometimes raise issues against
architecturally speaking, we can start
or for certain group, pushing narratives
bringing
that challenge agendas.
as
“preoccupation
architecture
with
and
trauma
together through Mark Crinson’s “Urban
Memory: History and Amnesia in the
and theorist also theorized about
Modern City” in which he references
viewing architecture as actually being
Sigmund Freud. He highlights that
traumatized. She sees these spaces
monuments,
other
as “a complex process of interactions
architectural interventions that act as
which affect the body of architecture
theatres of memory and trauma were
as well as its pasts, its memories, its
‘mnemic
narratives, and its languages”. Thus,
memorials
symbols’
and
(Crinson,
2005,
Theresa
Stoppani,
p.xvii). Essentially, Crinson suggests
trauma-reflection
that these spaces hold traces of events,
articulate the trauma through spatial
even as a collective. He also calls
operation while but also create an
contemporary spaces that do this as
almost bodily response that is rooted in
‘trauma-reflection’ spaces. He, along
time and space. Hence, in this thesis, we
with cultural and social historian, John
can suggest that identity and memory
R. Gillis, argues that these spaces
are important when articulating trauma
Page 24
spaces
architect
need
to
Theoretical Framework
Memorial
Monument
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
National Holocaust Monument
Gustafson Porter + Bowman London, United Kingdom// 2004
Studio Libeskind Ottawa, Canada// 2017
Installation
Film
Vertigo Sea
Iceland in a Blizzard
John Akomfrah London, United Kingdom// 2004
Adrian Searle Iceland// 2009
Page 25
Theoretical Framework
Exhibition
Photography
First World War Permanent Exhibition
Dusk #21 - Antelope Valley #230
Casson Mann London, United Kingdom// 2014
Mark Ruwedel Los Angeles, United States// 2008
Sculpture
Museum
Nkyinkim
The Palestinian Museum
Kwame Akoto-Bamfo Montgommery, United States// 2018
Heneghan Peng Architects Palestine, Palestine// 2017
THEATRES OF MEMORY
Page 26
Theoretical Framework
architecturally; these qualities need to be central. Along these lines, this articulation, as a trauma reflection space, should bring out these narratives,
Historians believed that approximately 1,200,000 to 2,400,000 Africans lost their lives during the trade and more did upon arrival to the Americas.
stories, traumas and memories of The Atlantic Slave Trade, acting critically as agents of political and social constructs. THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
This thesis, as much as it is
situated in articulating trauma and delves into what this means specifically for articulating trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade, which serves as the second key notion for this work. This event was four centuries of transporting African bodies to The New World by Western European slave traders; the Portuguese were the largest trading nation by trade volume, followed by the British, the French, the Spanish and the Dutch respectively (Klein and Klein, 1999, pp.103 – 139). Historians believed that approximately 1,200,000 to 2,400,000 Africans lost their lives during the trade and more did upon arrival to the Americas (ibid). A specialist in migration in world history and the demography
Page 27
Theoretical Framework
GOREE ISLAND, WHERE SLAVES WERE KEPT BEFORE BEING PLACED ON A SLAVE SHIP Dakar, Senegal//2018
Page 28
Theoretical Framework
of African slavery, Manning (1992),
murder, he forced two other slaves to eat
suggests that approximately 12,000,000
the heart and liver of the corpse (ibid).
Africans entered the Slave Trade with
Resistance, either by refusal to eat or
almost a third dying on the continent
suicide were the two more common
itself.
ways of resistance. With suicide, slaves
Upon leaving the continent, along
sometime jumped overboard but then
The Middle Passage – being transported
they were either left to drown or they
along the Atlantic Ocean between Africa
were shot dead from the boat (ibid).
and the Americas – wasn’t anything less
This way of suicide was so common that
than being captured. The treatment was
captains attempted to prevent this. One
ghastly and shameful, treating Africans
captain took a woman and lowered her
as cargo; transported for marketing
unto the water as a threat, then pulled
and sale. For example, in 1781, British
her out as quickly as possible. By the
slave trader Zong, had an overcrowded
time they pulled her back out, a shark
slave ship heading towards the New
had already killed by, biting off the lower
World. Malnutrition and diseases killed
half of her body (Bly, 1998, pp.178 – 186)
approximately
60
slaves
(Rediker,
Upon arrival, the series of
2007, p. 16). Slaves were also drowned
traumatic events continued – being
to preserve drinking water; this was
packaged into warehouses, literally
approximately 130 slaves. Additonally,
being auctioned for sale like animals.
slaves also chose suicide by jumping
They were sold directly to planters or
into the water willingly (ibid). This kind
wholesalers, families were broken
of torture and scenarios were common
up if they managed to stay together.
during
Owners essentially began obliterating
the
Middle
Passage.
Even
rebellion came with punishment and
identities,
torture. In one instance, after a failed
Africans, severing the bonds to their
rebellion upon a ship, a captain punished
past. The gruesome working and living
the group of slaves by immediately
conditions were forced unto them
killing one of them. Following the brutal
until they were either beaten to death,
Page 29
memories,
cultures
of
Theoretical Framework
SPATIAL CONDITIONS ON A TYPICAL SLAVE SHIP USED ALONG THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
Page 30
Theoretical Framework
LYNCHING OF BLACK PEOPLE SPECTATED BY WHITE PEOPLE
Page 31
Theoretical Framework
worked to death or committed suicide. (International Slavery Museum). Even upon abolition of slavery, racial and social injustices still permeated the lives of the Black diaspora. Lynchings were a routine way of traumatizing the
Black
community.
“Lynchings
were a way to threaten and terrorize. Fingers and toes were amputated for keepsakes, picture postcards of the events were sold. Newspapers published advanced announcements. Families packed picnics and made and outing of it, hoisting young children up onto shoulders to witness the violence,” (Schumacher, Journal Sentinel, 2018) A lot of terrorization continued with mass incarceration, segregation and police brutality.
This catastrophe destroyed and
ripped individuals from their histories, families, cultures and identities. There is heaviness within the entire cataclysm; melancholy and acrimony surrounds the overtaxing experience. The immoral
“Lynchings were a way to threaten and terrorize. Fingers and toes were amputated for keepsakes, picture postcards of the events were sold.”
and inhumane actions has left the Black diaspora with a set of complex interactions with societies as various groups perpetuated narratives that
Page 32
Theoretical Framework
justified actions of The Atlantic Slave Trade, which brings out the legacy it has left behind. Hence, within the thesis,
Emptiness brings forth these eternal qualities and provides space for contemplation, memories, sensations and a new sort of interaction with absence.
these collective identities, narratives and trauma are deeply intertwined and thus, this lacuna of architectural knowledge
that
addresses
this
catastrophe and the trauma that comes with it will act as collective heritage as well as a collective identity, of which needs to be embodied. EMPTINESS
The third notion within the
theoretical framework is emptiness. Architecture’s relationship to emptiness is quite a tricky one but one that’s undeniable. The field prides itself for being able conjure massive and aesthetic structures from this idea of emptiness or nothingness. However, what looking at emptiness does, is almost distills the architecture itself and presents it in a most meaningful way. Emptiness brings forth these eternal qualities and provides space for contemplation, memories, sensations and a new sort of interaction with absence. This in turn,
Page 33
Theoretical Framework
generates a new kind of dialogue not
be an event, a performance, according
only about the space and its possibilities
to Henri Lefebvre; he refers to space as
but the story emptiness seeks to convey.
“being produced by people,” (Lefebvre,
There are fundamental conditions of
1974). Similarly, in “The Empty Space”
space that play between what exists and
by Peter Brooks, he suggests of the
what doesn’t, between what is form and
creation spaces from other empty
formless, between the ordered and the
spaces (Brooks, 1968).
disordered. Emptiness allows for the
exploration of that interplay, making use
part of essential process of creation
of what in architecture is sometimes
and sensation. However, emptiness has
viewed as an “anarchic other space”.
many interpretations. From theoretical
Emptiness has possibility. We take the
understandings of the subject, we can
concept as a space of intimacy, a formless
identify five constructed classifications
field of contemplation or reflection, a
– nothingness, removal, enclosure,
space that is in between and a space
void and suspension. Nothingness is
within. Emptiness, therefore, becomes
the elimination of all senses, while
a process that reflects erasure, moving
removal is essentially displacement.
towards nothing, suspension and voids
With removal, one knows something
– all qualities that tie quite deeply to the
was there but now it is not. Enclosure
two previous concepts, trauma and The
is emptiness created by surrounded
Atlantic Slave Trade.
environment such as a courtyard.
A very simple definition of
Voids are volumes of spaces carved
emptiness is “a state of suspension and
out while suspension is emptiness
possibility.” Additionally, emptiness can
created by the sense of the body being
be a program – spaces where the void is
surrounded by nothing but space. For
the function. It can be observed in spaces
our sake, emptiness would be looked
such as contemporary art galleries and
at as a void in this thesis. The concept
religious buildings. This emptiness can
allows for the play between form and
express power or intimacy. It can even
formless, understanding the physicality
Page 34
In this thesis, emptiness is the
Theoretical Framework
“NOTHINGNESS”
“REMOVAL”
Elimination of all senses.
Displacement, something was there but now it’s not.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS OF EMPTINESS
Page 35
“ERAS
Created by surroun
SURE”
nded environment.
Theoretical Framework
“VOID”
“SUSPENSION”
Volume of space “carved out”.
The sense of body being surrounded by nothing but space.
Page 36
Theoretical Framework
“NOTHINGNESS”
“REMOVAL”
Elimination of all senses.
Displacement, something was there but now it’s not.
VOLUMETRIC ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSIONS OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS OF EMPTINESS
Page 37
“ERAS
Created by surroun
SURE”
nded environment.
Theoretical Framework
“VOID”
“SUSPENSION”
Volume of space “carved out”.
The sense of body being surrounded by nothing but space.
Page 38
Theoretical Framework
BERLIN JEWISH MUSEUM’S MEMORY VOID Studio Libeskind Berlin, Germany// 1999
Page 39
Theoretical Framework
of emptiness. Here, the void becomes a process of creating sensations through multiple layers of articulations – urban, limitless, inconclusive, programmatic; a critical juxtaposition to the urban fabric of our site, London.
Page 40
The Articulation
06. THE ARTICUL Page 41
The Articulation
LATION Page 42
The Articulation
DESIGN MA
This design proposal seeks to take the conc
manifest these theoretical frameworks join
Slave Trade. It aims to articulate these traum
within the urban context of London. Throu literature and other research methods, the
question by unearthing a complex legacy of
city of London. It takes the layers of history
forefront. Through this proposal, hopefull
trauma and emptiness is diligently and el
under-represented topic that is ever so cri
future while simultaneously pushing the bou Page 43
The Articulation
ANIFESTO
cepts of trauma and emptiness as a void and
ntly through the specific lens of The Atlantic
matic events through the built environment
ugh a spectrum of precedents, analysis of proposal attempts to answer the research
f bodies, ideologies and erasure around the
y, culture and legacy and brings them to the
ly, the relationship between architecture,
loquently expressed, filling a chasm of an
itical to society and its social, and cultural
undaries within the architectural community. Page 44
The Articulation
WIDER URBAN CONTEXT OF THE SITE - 2019 The River Thames, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
Page 45
The Articulation
LONDON AND THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE: THE CITY AS A SITE
London had an integral role in
the Atlantic Slave Trade. The United Kingdom participated in the Atlantic Slave Trade for almost three centuries. That legacy is heavy, complex and layered. The industry of slavery created and supported significant financial institutions that are influential to this day such as The Bank of England. Though slave ports moved to Bristol and Liverpool in the later years, London was very essential in the beginning as ports of departure and receiving goods and slaves. A key area in this legacy is The River Thames.
The Thames was the central path
of transportation of human cargo and non-human cargo. The area of Thames looked at forms part of what we now consider east and southeast London; the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets,
The industry of slavery created and supported significant financial institutions that are influential to this day such as The Bank of England.
Lewisham, Newham, and Greenwich. At one time these areas were docks where the world’s largest port was located. Sites such as Deptford Dockyard is an integral part of this socio-political urban
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fabric. It was an important point of entry
the urban landscape itself.
for s laving ships in East London. Within
the built environment, the location holds
trauma attempts to highlight the site’s
traces of histories of political, cultural
history and its connection to this
and social constructs that appears
uniquely horrific industry of slavery
even in contemporary buildings with
and Atlantic Slave Trade. By extension,
several of these buildings along the
this articulation on the site of The Bank
River Thames possessing thick bars
of England, moves further across the
that were once used to prevent the theft
urban landscape of London, creating
of sugar that was brought from the West
a series of empty spaces or voids that
Indies. There have also been gruesome
weave together the memories and
events related to the Slave Trade in
narratives of The Atlantic Slave Trade
Deptford. Among notable ones occurred
and the physical built environment of
in December 1772, when a sea captain
London.
Thus, the articulation of this
beat a black boy to death (International Slavery Museum).
THE BANK OF ENGLAND
The most interesting thing yet
very
perplexing
and
disheartening
The
year
1660
marked
a
observation around the city is the
turnaround for Britain; it had a thriving
neglect and lack of acknowledgement
economy
of these cataclysmic events and trauma
institutions. Due to the expansion of
of these site. The city of London itself
overseas trade as well as the British
is traumatized, along the theory of
Empire, bills of credit were needed and
Stoppani. The city, as a body, has now
became essential to Atlantic Slave Trade
a complex connection or lack thereof
(BBC). The Bank of England, established
to its memories, its narratives and
in 1694, thrived on the system of credit,
its languages – however gruesome it
especially to its members from The City
may be; almost an attempt to deny the
who made their fortunes through the
agonizing events that has occurred on
Atlantic Slave Trade. It also stabilized the
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due
to
British
financial
The Articulation
HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT AND LAYERSOF THE CITY London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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nation’s finances and funded Britain’s major wars of that century. The bank became a depository for wealth stolen from Africa and the Caribbean from Apartheid dealings to providing millions of pounds to Caribbean slave masters. Thus, the Bank of England is chosen as a site for the proposal; not only is it a significant and powerful but the economic, social and political ties are there but hidden. By using the existing structure, one is able to highlight these ties; it becomes a space that reminds us of tragedies, that offers opportunity for reflection and possible emotional healing as well as inform Londoners on the history of slavery within the city. The void within the Bank of England is not empty but is full; an emptiness filled with trauma, terror and a grusome history.
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BANK OF ENGLAND City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2018
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BANK OF ENGLAND City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2018
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BANK OF ENGLAND City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2018
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THE SITE Bank of England City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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FIGURE GROUND Bank of England City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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SITE DIAGRAM Bank of England City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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CONTEXT From the Figure Ground and the Site Diagram, one begins to understand the immediate context of the site. Many of the buildings are Baroque and some of the earliest buildings in London itself. However, the topographical relationship between the Bank and other sites around London and even outside is critical. Diagramatically, it allows to see the extension between this site, The Atlantic Slave Trade and the city of London.
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TOPOGRAPHICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SITE AND EVENT: THE EXTENSIVE INFLUENCE OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND IN THE SLAVE TRADE London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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ARTICULATIONS THROUGH THE BLACK LENS
Considering the nature of the topic, particularly its historical and cultural grounding, one has to proactively examine the ways that the Black diaspora has articulated trauma and memories of The Atlantic Slave Trade.
Critically reviewing the case
studies to inform the proposal brought out that the articulations were essentially homogenous in terms of who were designing – white and male. Considering the nature of the topic, particularly its historical and cultural grounding, one has to proactively examine the ways that the Black diaspora has articulated trauma and memories of The Atlantic Slave Trade. One sort of commonality is the material used as well as the human figure that possesses black features. However, there is also the very strange yet poetic approach of sinking these bodies or figures, an almost silent tale of struggle or an attempt to escape or being oppressed. This “sinking” of bodies coincidently ties in the concept of the void; being suspended in the unknown, the trauma that continuously plays out to the point where one’s humanity ceases to exist. Thus, the proposal includes this notion of void, sinking and body in order to articulate the trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade.
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The Slave Memorial Clara Sornas Zanzibar, Tanzania// 1998
MEMORIALIZING THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE THROUGH THE BLACK LENS Zanzibar, Tanzania//1998
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Anse Cafard Slave Memorial Laurent Valere London, United Kingdom// 2004
MEMORIALIZING THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE THROUGH THE BLACK LENS Diamond Rock, Martinique//1998
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THE ARGUMENT OF THE PROPOSAL: ARTICULATING THE TRAUMA OF THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
From the coalition of research,
information, theoretical framework as well as design intentions, the proposal essentially argues for the highlighting several sites that connect to the Atlantic Slave Trade in London. The design approach fundamentally starts with voids within these buildings, in this case – the Bank of England; or the complete removal of the building itself always for an expression that appears intangible but feels tangible, an interplay between what is there and what is not. These spaces also leave room for social engagement,
interaction,
reflection
and discussion, of which the last is critical to the progress of society as a whole. The legacy of the Bank of England and, by extension, London is made public – openly showcased,
The void becomes a physical manifestation of the traumatic event, attempting to tie the multiple layers of the built environment, slavery, narratives and erasure together.
striking conversations and allowing the formation of newer and more honest narratives about catastrophe, trauma and the communities affected. The void becomes a physical manifestation of the
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traumatic event, attempting to tie the multiple layers of the built environment, slavery, narratives and erasure together.
The collective trauma and memory of the black community should centre the articulation; black identity and its journey from this specific trauma should serve as the agent of creativity.
The articulation also attempts
to bring forth emotions – sorrow, disturbance, anger, pride, rage, remorse, empathy, drive. The truth is, The Atlantic Slave Trade remains as one of the most arduous and vexatious episodes in history. The stealing of Black people from the continent of Africa, storing and treating them as nothing more than cargo, as well as the psychological and emotional grievances both during slavery and after, has lasted generations. The effects are still lingering. Any articulation that intentionally dilutes this catastrophe for the sake of “making other comfortable� is doing a disservice to the cataclysm and the communities affected by it. The collective trauma and memory of the black community show centre the articulation; black identity and its journey from this specific trauma should serve as the agent of creativity. Navigating
these
histories
and
memories and using them to inform the articulation would allow for society and citizens to acknowledge loss and accept
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the violence and suffering that occurred, and in turn, serve as a heavy reminder of the possibilities of cancerous ideologies.
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01
02
+
+
“BANK OF ENGLAND”
“THE VOID”
The Bank of England is highlighted for its connection to The Atlantic Slave Trade. The traumatized architecture is highlighted and the hidden narrative is uncovered and revealed.
The carved out void into which the place of contemplation, revelation, what is known and unknown, is materialized. One is able to enter the void, 20m deep.
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03
+
04
= “THE MONOLITH”
“THE PROPOSAL”
The singular monolith as an abstraction of trauma. The monolith itself has a void to be entered. The monolith stands 35m above ground.
Essentially, the site of Bank of England becomes a theatre of memory and trauma, highlighting and connecting the built environment to the human catastrophe. The monolith, sunk into the void, is visible within the urban context. Additionally, connect to other trauma-reflection sites related to The Atlantic Slave Trade across the city of London.
THE CONCEPT Bank of England City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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THE PROPOSAL Sinking Into The Void City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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PLAN Sinking Into The Void City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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CONCEPTUAL PLAN Synopsis of Spatial Thresholds City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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SECTION The Monolith + The Void + The Bank of England City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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CINEMATOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE OF THE PROPOSAL Synthesis of Simultaneously Experiencing Space, History and Emotion in the Void City of London, London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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The House of Parliament
Guildhall Town Hall
West India Quays
Site where the law allowing Britain’s participation in The Atlantic Slave Trade was passed as well as abolished.
Site of the Zong Massacre trial. Slave Trades who manned The Zong, a slave ship tied the hands and feet of 133 slaves and threw them overboard, and then tried to collect insurance on their dead cargo.
Site where many warehouses of Atlantic Slave Trade was situated. Good and sometimes slaves were stored in these warehouses; particularly those from the Caribbean, hence the name of the location.
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Deptford Dockyards
Cato Street
439 New Cross
Slave ships were built at this location. However, another noted event occcured in December 1772, when a sea captain beat a black boy, who was a slave, to death.
In May 1820, William Davidson was arrested at Cato Street, convicted, and then executed in front of a huge crowd by heing hung by the neck until dead, before having his head chopped off.
At this site, thirteen young black people were murded in a racist arson attack
SERIES OF PROPOSED SPACES TO UNDERGO SIMILAR ARTICULATION Possible Wider Urban Context of Proposal London, England, United Kingdom//2019
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Conclusion
07. CONCLU Page 79
Conclusion
USION Page 80
Conclusion
Architecture, catastrophe and
trauma have a considerable impact on individuals, communities and societies. Architecture’s approach to trauma
To architecturally articulate the trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade, a system of narratives, memories, emotions, nuanced experiences and conversation needs to be captured within the space.
merits criticality, both in theory and in practice. More specifically, the gap of this discourse as it relates to the trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade is greatly underrepresented, and that in itself raises questions. This thesis started with the question, “How does one design space that articulates the trauma of the cataclysmic event of the Atlantic Slave Trade into space, however letting emptiness and the experience control the narrative?� Even with the research for this done, and a proposal given, the answer to this question is not yet complete. Its complexity provides a deeper landscape of approaches, histories and literature to be explored. However, this thesis does begin to fill the lacuna with regards to the research question.
To
architecturally
articulate
the trauma of The Atlantic Slave Trade, a system of narratives, memories, emotions, nuanced experiences and conversation needs to be captured
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Conclusion
within the space. The articulation of trauma needs to create a landscape of consciousness that not only highlights the community affected or the dealers of trauma, but also allows for citizens to reflect on society and its ideologies past, present and future, individually or collectively.
In terms of design approaches,
in this thesis the notion of emptiness and the void served as a framework, allowing for eternal qualities to be drawn out and the opportunity for interpretations of these voids as space of form and formlessness as well as what exists and what doesn’t. The void becomes an anarchic other space where trauma is revealed, terror is showcased, identities are highlighted, and stories are unearthed. By using the already built environment, a more tangible yet intangible articulation is achieved. Furthermore, the notion of voids or empty spaces are not the only design approaches. Others include, but
The void becomes an anarchic other space where trauma is revealed, terror is showcased, identities are highlighted, and stories are unearthed.
are not limited to, a series of memorials, a new typology of the museum, removal or reinterpretation of monuments and the like.
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Conclusion
From research, it is clear that the
just the beginning in understanding how
most important and critical aspect of
architecture plays a role in manifesting
architecturally articulating The Atlantic
the best and worst of the human
Slave Trade, regardless of the design
experience.
approach, is bearing the monumental weight of The Atlantic Slave Trade’s legacy. It is raising arduous and complex questions that may not necessarily be the easiest to answer but necessary to at least attempt to do so as honestly and critically as possible. Essentially, as previously mentioned, in designing for the trauma, black identity and its journey from this specific trauma should serve as the agent of creativity. That is to say, these histories and memories, when being used, should be done so sensitively. It is the unearthing of history, culture and legacy and shining light unto them, regardless of how ugly, disturbing or uncomfortable it may be. This is because, in order for society to move forward together, there needs to be reconciliation. However, in order to reconcile, there needs to be truth. This thesis attempts to take the truth of The Atlantic Slave Trade and look at the larger story of human cataclysms and destructive ideologies. Hopefully, it’s
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Conclusion
It is the unearthing of history, culture and legacy and shining light unto them, regardless of how ugly, disturbing or uncomfortable it may be. This is because, in order for society to move forward together, there needs to be reconciliation. However, in order to reconcile, there needs to be truth.
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Bibliography + List of Images
08. BIBLIOG + LIST OF IMAGES Page 85
Bibliography + List of Images
GRAPHY F S Page 86
Bibliography + List of Images
BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, S., 1999. Memory without Monuments: Vernacular Architecture. Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 1 September, 11(1), pp. 13 - 22. Anon., 1979. The African Slave Trade from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century. s.l.:United Nastions Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Baer, U., 2002. Spectral Evidence: The Photography of Trauma. s.l.:MIT Press. Bastea, E., 2004. Introduction. In: E. Bastea, ed. Memory and Architecture. s.l.:UNM Press, p. 5. Bloom, S. L., 1999. Trauma Theory Abbreviated. The Final Action Plan: A Coordinated Community Response to Family Violence, 1 October.pp. 1 - 17. Boym, S., 2009. Nostalgia and Its Discontents. The Hedgehog Review, 1 July, 9(2), pp. 7 18. Breuer, J. & Freud, S., 2009. Studies on Hysteria. s.l.:Basic Book. Brooke, P., 2015. Tracing the Legacies of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade with Images of Identity, Race and Custom. [Online] Available at: https://prisonphotography.org [Accessed November 2018]. Chibber, K., 2017. Inside the African-American history museum on the last day of Obama’s presidency. [Online] Available at: https://qz.com [Accessed October 2018]. Chisick, H., 2016. On the Margins of the Enlightenment: Blacks and. The European Legacy:, 20 January, 21(2), p. 138.
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Crinson, M., 2005. Urban Memory - Introduction. In: M. Crinson, ed. Urban Memory: History and Amnesia in the Modern City. s.l.:Routledge, p. xviii. Figueira, J. & Carvalho, B., 2016. Architecture and Pain. Lisbon, University of Coimbra, pp. 1 - 9. Fisher, T., 2004. What Memory? Whose Memory. In: E. Bastea, ed. Memory and Architecture. s.l.:UNM Press, pp. 283 - 291. Gaber, C., 2018. New Orleans Area Plantations. [Online] Available at: https://www. neworleans.com [Accessed December 2018]. Gillis, J. R. ed., 1994. Commemorations: The Politics of National Identity. s.l.:Princeton University Press. Guerin, F. & Hallas, R., 2007. Introduction. In: F. Guerin & R. Hallas, eds. The Image and the Witness: Trauma, Memory and Visual Culture. s.l.:Wallflower Press, pp. 1 - 17. Herman, J. L., 2015. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. 2 ed. s.l.:Hachette UK. Hicks, D., 2000. Ethnicity, Race and the Archaeology of the Atlantic Slave Trade. [Online] Available at: http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk [Accessed November 2018]. III, J. J. C., 2015. The U.S. has 35,000 museums. Why is only one about slavery?. [Online] Available at: www.washingtonpost.com [Accessed October 2018]. Jones, E. & Wessely, S., 2006. Psychological trauma: a historical perspective. Psychiatry, 1 July, 5(7), pp. 217 - 220.
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Keys, D., 2018. Details of horrific first voyages in transatlantic slave trade revealed. [Online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/ [Accessed November 2018]. Klein, H. S. & Klein, J., 1999. The Atlantic Slave Trade. s.l.:Cambridge University Press. Leys, R., 2000. Trauma: A Genealogy. s.l.:University of Chicago Press. Maclear, K., 1999. Beclouded Visions: Hiroshima-Nagasaki and the Art of Witness. s.l.:SUNY Press. Manning, P., 1992. The Atlantic Slave Trade: Effects on Economies, Societies and Peoples in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. s.l.:Duke University Press. M’Baye, B., 2016. Configurations of Enslavement. The European Legacy, 20 January, 21(2), pp. 205 - 209. Mustakeem, S. M., 2018. Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage. The American Historical Review, 1 February, 123(1), pp. 188 - 189. Novak, L., 2012. Photographic Interference. In: J. Prosser, G. Batchen, M. Gidley & N. K. Miller, eds. Picturing Atrocity: Photography in Crisis. s.l.:Reaktion Books Ltd, pp. 283 311. Reilly, K., 2016. Read President Obama’s Speech at the Museum of African American History and Culture. [Online] Available at: http://time.com/ [Accessed November 2018]. Ringel, S. & Brandell, J. R. eds., 2011. Trauma: Contemporary Directions in Theory, Practice, and Research. s.l.:SAGE. Rodney, W., 2018. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. 4 ed. s.l.:Verso Books.
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Rowlands, M., 1998. Trauma, Memory and Memorials. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 1 September, 15(1), p. 54. Schneider, T. & Till, J., 2009. Beyond Discourse: Notes on Spatial Agency. Footprint, 1 January, 3(4), p. 108. Schumacher, M. L., 2018. Alabama memorial captures the scale of racial terror in the U.S.. [Online] Available at: https://eu.jsonline.com[Accessed December 2018]. Solomon, A., 2018. Writing Wrongs: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. [Online] Available at: http://www.designcurial.com [Accessed December 2018]. Stoppani, T., 2016. Architecture and Trauma. In: Interdisciplinary Handbook of Trauma and Culture. s.l.:Springer, p. 137.
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Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Wikipedia
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Slaves>
[Accessed August 1, 2018]
Page 2
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 6
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Wikipedia
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Slaves>
[Accessed August 2, 2018]
Page 8
The Door of No Return
[Photograph] Courtesy of Wikipedia
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Slaves>
[Accessed August 2, 2018]
Page 10
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 13
A Caged Slave
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo
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Bibliography + List of Images
sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 16
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed November 3, 2018]
Page 16
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed November 3, 2018]
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Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Travel Brothers
<https://www.travelwithbrothers.com/the-senegal-what-to see-dakar-goree-island-trip>
[Accessed August 12, 2018]
Page 25
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
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Bibliography + List of Images
sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 16
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed November 3, 2018]
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The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed November 3, 2018]
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Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Travel Brothers
<https://www.travelwithbrothers.com/the-senegal-what-to see-dakar-goree-island-trip>
[Accessed August 12, 2018]
Page 25
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
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Bibliography + List of Images
<https://www.archdaily.com/803509/diana-princess-of-wales- memorial-fountain-gustafson-porter-plus-bowman
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 25
National Holocaust Monument
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/881316/national-holocaust-monument- studio-libeskind/59dccf55b22e383a41000075-national-holocaust- monument-studio-libeskind-image>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 25
First World War Exhibition
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/529022/imperial-war-museum-foster-pa rtners/53c94041c07a80492d000204-imperial-war-museum-foster- partners-photo >
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
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Dusk #21- Antelope Valley #230
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
https://www.anothermag.com/artphotography/gallery/7431/the- memory-of-time/3>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 25
Vertigo Sea
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
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Page 25
Iceland in a Blizzard
[Photograph] Courtesy of Archdaily
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/interactive/2013/may/19/ power-photography-time-mortality-memory#adrian-searle>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
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Nykyinkim
[Photograph] Courtesy of Archdaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 25
The Palestinian Museum
[Photograph] Courtesy of Archdaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/871986/the-palestinian-museum- heneghan-and-peng-architects/59246a0be58ece158400020e-the- palestinian-museum-heneghan-and-peng-architects-photo>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 28
Goree Island, Where Slaves Where Kept Before Being Place On
a Slave Ship
[Photograph] Courtesy of Travel Brothers
<https://www.travelwithbrothers.com/the-senegal-what-to see-dakar-goree-island-trip>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
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Bibliography + List of Images
Page 30
Spatial Conditions On a Typical Slave Trip Used Along The
Atlantic Slave Trade
[Photograph] Courtesy of Re-Reading Public Images
<https://readingpublicimage.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/ iconic-image-of-a-slave-ship/>
[Accessed December 10, 2018]
Page 31
Lynching of Black People Spectated by White People
Atlantic Slave Trade
[Photograph] Courtesy of BlackPat
<https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/marion- indiana-lynching-1930/
[Accessed July 20, 2018]
Page 37
Volumetric Architectural Expressions of Conceptual
Frameworks of Emptiness
[Photograph] Created by author
Page 39
Berlin Jewish Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Memory Void
[Photograph] Courtesy of Archdaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/773361/daniel-libeskinds- jewish- museum-berlin-photographed-by- laurian-ghinitoiu/55f089dde58ece 9c4e000008- daniel-libeskinds- jewish-museum-berlin-photographed-by- laurian-ghinitoiu-photo>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
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Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Economy
Page 96
Bibliography + List of Images
<https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/bank-england-thinks-public-can- teach-something-economics/>
[Accessed August 10, 2018]
Page 45
Wide Urban Context of the Site
[Photograph] Courtesy of Google Maps
[Accessed March 8, 2018]
Page 48
Historical, Political and Economic Context and Layers of the
City
[Drawing] Created by author
Page 50
Bank of England
[Photograph] Courtesy of Economy
<https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/bank-england-thinks-public-can- teach-something-economics/>
[Accessed August 10, 2018]
Page 51
Bank of England
[Photograph] Courtesy of Economy
<https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/bank-england-thinks-public-can- teach-something-economics/>
[Accessed August 10, 2018]
Page 52
Bank of England
[Photograph] Courtesy of Economy
<https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/bank-england-thinks-public-can- teach-something-economics/>
[Accessed August 10, 2018]
Page 97
Bibliography + List of Images
Page 53/54 The Site
[Photograph] Courtesy of Google Maps
[Accessed August 1, 2018]
Page 55/56 Figure Ground
[Drawing] Created by author
Page 57
Site Diagram
[Drawing] Created by author
Page 59/60 Topographical Relationship Between Site and Event
[Drawing] Created by author
Page 67/68 The Concept
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Page 69
The Proposal
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Page 70
Plan
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Page 71/72
Conceptual Plan
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Page 73/74 Section
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Page 75/76 Cinematographic Experience of the Proposal
Page 98
Bibliography + List of Images
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Page 77/78 Series of Proposed Spaces to Undergo Similar Articulation
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Page 80
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of ArchDaily
<https://www.archdaily.com/894065/new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama/5af1d345f197cc611900036d-new-photographs-released- of-mass-design-groups-national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice- in-alabama-photo>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 86
Chapter Cover
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Back
[Photograph] Courtesy of Lisson Gallery
<https://www.lissongallery.com/news/akomfrah-s-vertigo sea-opens-at-the-arnolfini>
[Accessed November 31, 2018]
Page 99
THE ELOQUENCE OF EMPTINESS: ARCHITECTURALLY ARTICULATING THE TRAUMA OF THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE FINAL DESIGN REPORT SUBMITTED ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2019 ETULAN A. JOSEPH[STUDENT I.D 1708803] UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MA ARCHITECTURE THESIS PROJECT TUTOR: DR. KRYSTALLIA KAMVASINOU