Architecture of memory

Buildings and city forms are restructured and reused through time in response to evolving contexts, with each successive change leaving traces of the past that accumulate as layers. Collective knowledge and memory are strongly tied to these artifacts, which provide the depth and continuity necessary for the affirmation of identity. Dramatic changes in the contemporary city have prompted a reconsideration of the way architecture adapts, and highlights the need for a creative approach to change and advancement. A successful approach would meaningfully engage the past and memory to record and transmit vital aspects of culture and history while simultaneously using them to inform future actions. The palimpsest as an evolving record provides a productive framework for this kind of transformation, and uncovers the tangible and intangible layers of a site to protect and project the future layers.