This paper examines the topic of memorial design and experiential landscapes, emphasizing the role of memorials as spatial expressions of culture, history, memory, life, and death. Memorials have traditionally been monumental in form, but there is a growing shift in landscape architecture towards designing experiential memorial landscapes that allow for healing, reflection, and active participation. This progression in design highlights the landscape's role in preserving memories of tragedy and fostering a deeper connection between users and the land. This project focuses on the design of a memorial for the St. Francis Dam Disaster, a catastrophic event in California that reshaped the landscape and the lives of those affected. This project explores how a post-disaster site can be transformed into an experiential memorial landscape that tells the story of the past, present, and future landscape, creates a site pilgrimage through strategic memorial design, and reveals the profound impact of the tragedy on the land.
Studies of memorial design principles and case studies focused on trail systems, site programming, and landscape aesthetics guided the design work. Design guidelines and design study processes developed through this research exemplify how to approach an experiential memorial design and challenge designers to approach and adapt their designs to complement existing landscape conditions. / Master of Landscape Architecture / This paper explores how to design a memorial for the St. Francis Dam Disaster, a catastrophic event in California that altered both the land and the lives of those affected. A memorial is different from a monument because it focuses more on the visitor's experience within the space. Drawing on established memorial design guidelines and similar landscape architecture projects, this project creates a memorial that enhances the visitor's experience and educates the visitor on existing elements in the surrounding landscape. This project engages with existing research and establishes a way of approaching a large-scale memorial design that will be beneficial to the field of landscape architecture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/121148 |
| Date | 16 September 2024 |
| Creators | Plankeel, Rebecca Elise |
| Contributors | Landscape Architecture, Clements, Terry Lynn, Rosier, Shaun, Thomas, Jennifer L. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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