Memory in the Ecosystem of the City: The Design of a Funerary Landscape in Shark River Valley, Port Elizabeth

This thesis evolved from an inherent fascination with the architecture of funerary landscapes. Funerary structures can be regarded as the first architectural interventions and provide a fundamental perspective of how societies dealt with death and its meaning. Architecture has manifested in this type for many years, for many reasons and in many different expressions. Monolithic burial mounds of the Neolithic age, the pyramids of Giza and the mausoleums of the classical era are typical examples of funerary landscapes. The architecture of contemporary funerary landscapes, however, does not display characteristics similar to those of their predecessors. Contemporary funerary landscapes appear to be dissociated from their environment and motivated by efficiency rather than any attempt to reflect and embrace the deeper processes of death and mourning. Subsequently, these landscapes lack identity and the notion of meaning, appearing derelict, dull and forgotten by society. There is a common approach, particularly in South Africa, of displacing these landscapes to the peripheries of cities, further exacerbating the divide between society and the roles and rituals of death. This approach is a paradox to the ecological paradigm of our time. In order to address this issue and understand funerary landscapes as type, this study firstly explored various relevant theoretical aspects as well as examples of successful funerary landscapes around the world. The typical cemetery with its inherent problems provided an opportunity for this study to respond constructively through an architectural design, taking into consideration the function of the funeral, the process of grief and the concern of re-integrating the funerary landscape into the ecosystem of the city. Then, an appropriate site was chosen in the city of Port Elizabeth for the design of a funerary landscape. In order to explore the established set of principles, this thesis proposed a funerary landscape as a place of both memorial and recreation within a delicate ecosystem in an underutilised urban park of Port Elizabeth; Shark River Valley. This design aimed to integrate with both the natural environment and the surrounding built fabric, encouraging interaction with the rich cultural and natural heritage the city has to offer. The ambition is for this funerary landscape to become a narrative journey, framing a series of experiences which will bring people together, reconciling society and encourage them to embrace and cope with death in a meaningful way.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 202