Publication: Architecture of Scars
Loading...
Abstract
Architecture is often regarded as a symbol of permanence and progress, yet the built
environment is equally defined by vulnerability, by its exposure to time, trauma, and
change. This thesis begins with a question: How can architectural scars, as markers of
history and transformation, be interpreted and reimagined through site specific
interventions to preserve their emotional and cultural significance?
To address this, the thesis approaches architecture as a living organism composed of
interdependent systems. Like the human body, buildings can suffer injury, decay, and
loss. Their systems, structural, circulatory, respiratory, and more, can collapse or adapt.
When failure occurs, the response should not be erasure or nostalgic restoration, but
systemic care. This work proposes that architecture, like the body, can benefit from
prosthetic intervention: a strategy that supports what remains and reactivates what has
been lost.