Sketches of war: the graveyards of historical memory

Jonathan Charley

Sketches of war: the graveyards of historical memory

Jonathan Charley

Architecture

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Our extraordinary ability to destroy buildings and cities, the industrialisation and mass production of armaments and building components, the impact of the 'culture of fear' on urban and architectural design, the ubiquitous presence of military technology in the civilian world, and the 'soft' militarisation of everyday life in advanced capitalist societies. These are just some of the themes that inevitably arise in any discussion about the relationship between war and architecture. Sketches of War reflects upon these issues and is narrated in the form of a journey to the 'graveyards of historical memory'. As such it visits places as diverse as the military remains of the cold war along the coastlines of Scotland, slave forts in Brasil, the headquarters of the secret police in Moscow, a bombed maternity hospital in Belgrade, and the Oradour memorial village in France. It tries to grapple and answer one burning question in particular; is it possible in any meaningful sense to objectify the memory of war and tragedy?

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ordnance
Subtitle of host publication	war + architecture & space
Editors	Gary A. Boyd, Denis Linehan
Place of Publication	Farnham
Pages	253-271
Number of pages	19
Publication status	Published - Jan 2013

Keywords

built environment
war
buildings
achitecture
cities

Cite this

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title = "Sketches of war: the graveyards of historical memory",

abstract = "Our extraordinary ability to destroy buildings and cities, the industrialisation and mass production of armaments and building components, the impact of the 'culture of fear' on urban and architectural design, the ubiquitous presence of military technology in the civilian world, and the 'soft' militarisation of everyday life in advanced capitalist societies. These are just some of the themes that inevitably arise in any discussion about the relationship between war and architecture. Sketches of War reflects upon these issues and is narrated in the form of a journey to the 'graveyards of historical memory'. As such it visits places as diverse as the military remains of the cold war along the coastlines of Scotland, slave forts in Brasil, the headquarters of the secret police in Moscow, a bombed maternity hospital in Belgrade, and the Oradour memorial village in France. It tries to grapple and answer one burning question in particular; is it possible in any meaningful sense to objectify the memory of war and tragedy?",

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Sketches of war: the graveyards of historical memory

Abstract

Keywords

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