The design of an archive and memorial park in South End, Port Elizabeth: an interactive community educational project

This treatise addresses the current lack in concern for acknowledging and preserving the memories and historical elements of a once thriving place: South End, Port Elizabeth (fig. 11, p. 20). The Group Areas Act of 19501 (Y. Agherdien, A. C George, S. Hendricks, 1997) resulted in expropriation of land and the demolision of buildings and roads which started to take place in South End during the 1970’s, forcefully removing the residents from their home neighbourhood and home. The treatise focuses on the traces of what is left of South End (fig. 02, in red) and how these elements can be acknowledged and preserved for the future generations. Theories on the discourse of memory, specifically collective memory, are investigated to establish an understanding on different methods to capture, record and preserve these traces and memories of South End. This investigation will be followed by principle explorations to establish how these theories can be implemented and manifested in the historical landscape. It is proposed to design an archive next to St. Peter’s Church, above St. Mary’s Cemetery in South End and a memorial park on the “triangular site” across from the cemetery, addressing the existing conditions of the landscape and the memories of the ex-residents of South End (figs. 16-18, p. 24). The archive will consist of a conventional archive (static element) housing the maps and documentation related to the city of Port Elizabeth, and an oral archive (dynamic element) consisting of a recording studio that collects and records the stories of the ex-residents of South End, constantly changing and adding to the archive. The memorial park will resemble a “living archive” which constantly changes and re-evokes the memories of the original inhabitants of South End. The proposed project is intended to act as an educative catalyst to the visitors, citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay and the future generations