[ME]morial – Memorial architecture for the individual

source: architecturemitedu

“MEmorial” presents a new concept in memorial architecture. Based on Freud’s and Bergson’s ideas of memory, “MEmorial” emphasizes the relationship between individual memory and the individual to offer a new way of experiencing memorial space.
Contemporary architecture’s focus on communal memory has led to the primacy of a single image or rendering. Thus memorial architecture tends to miss opportunities for deeper exploration and individualized experiences beyond simplistic representations of memorialized events or figures.

This thesis project proposes a memorial architecture for victims of the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan. Three spatially different MEmorials are the starting point for this open-ended project. The goal of the project is to create a new relationship between individual memory and the individuals, such that each individual will have personalized experiences in each MEmorial. MEmorial will serve as a space not only for soothing victims’ wounded hearts, but also for letting people memorialize their individual memories. The project seeks to challenge and extend traditional architectural definitions of memorial architecture.
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source: super-architects

Challenging an archetypal relationship between collective [ memory ] and a multitude of traditional memorials, “[ME]morial” presents a new concept in memorial architecture based on the reinterpretation of Freud’s and Bergson’s ideas of memory. [ME]morial emphasizes a new relationship between individual memory and the individuals, to offer a new way of experiencing memorial space. Contemporary architecture’s focus on communal memory has led to the primacy of a single image or rendering. Thus, memorial architecture tends to miss opportunities for deeper exploration and individualized experiences beyond simplistic representations of memorialized events or figures.

This thesis project proposes a memorial architecture for victims of the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan. Three spatially different [ME]morials are the starting point for this open-ended project. The goal of the project is to create a new relationship between individual memory and the individuals, such that each individual will have personalized experiences in each [ME]morial. [ME]morial will serve as a space not only for soothing victims’ wounded hearts, but also for letting people memorialize their individual memories. The project seeks to challenge and extend traditional architectural definitions of memorial architecture.

This thesis project is proposing three [ME]morials with different spatial concepts. Each of them has been considered according to different current physical conditions. These three [ME]morials function as a starting point for this open-ended project and give a certain direction for the future at the same time. These three [ME]morials are designed for different types of individual architectural experiences: through air, earth, and water. Architectural-ized space to create a new relationship between individual memory and the individual is projected into air, earth, and above water, and lets the individual have novel experiences in each [ME]morial.

There is no boundary for this project. It is open-ended. The spatiality of each [ME]morial will be different according to both existing conditions of the different remnants and different spatial representations. This [ME]morial project in Sendai will also [ create ] communal memory by spreading out memorial spaces for memorializing individual memories so that, in the future, it will allow every individual to feel both individual and communal mnemonic sensations at the same time.
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source: beomki

Beomki Lee is an architectural designer and artist.

He is a Master of Architecture Candidate ’15 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Konkuk University, Seoul.

Previously, he has strengthened his professional experience ranging from small atelier such as Philippe Rahm Architects in Paris, to renowned international architecture practices including Gensler New York and Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo.

Beomki also has participated in several art installation and photography exhibitions in Cambridge (MA) and several cities in Japan.