Friday, January 15, 2016 9:30 am
-
9:30 am
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled:ÌýStates
of
Dependency
-ÌýInfrastructuresÌýof
the
Commons
ÌýÌý
Abstract:
TheÌýthesis
States
of
Dependency
is
concerned
with
exploring
architecturesÌýrelationship
to
socio-political
and
ethnographic
conflict
within
Jerusalem.
AsÌýa
city
of
incredible
political
and
national
importance
to
both
Israelis
andÌýPalestinians,
its
planning
and
urban
development
have
become
inseparablyÌýlinked
to
the
multi
generational
conflict
that
has
gripped
it;
a
conflict
whichÌýis
fuelled
by
issues
of
sovereignty,
cultural
identity,
messianic
mythology,ÌýandÌýreligious
history.
Within
the
context
of
post
1967
Jerusalem,
architectureÌýand
urban
planning
have
been
delegated
the
task
of
both
constructing
nationalÌýidentity,
and
in
solidifying
the
relationships,
or
lack
thereof,
betweenÌýIsraelis
andÌýPalestinians.
Thus,
the
way
in
which
the
city
is
designed
andÌýconstructed
is
essential
to
the
management
the
conflict
at
an
urban
scale;Ìýengendering
an
ideology
of
‘border
making’
between
Jerusalem’s
ethnicÌýcommunities.
Given
this
theÌýimage
of
the
city,
and
how
it
is
understood,
becomeÌýessential
components
in
furthering
ethnically
exclusionary
practices.
ThisÌýthesis
explores
the
connection
between
architectural
expression,
ourÌýperceptions
of
it,
and
the
perpetuationÌýof
the
ethnic
conflict
in
Jerusalem.
ItÌýchallenges
the
definitively
isolationist
model
of
its
ethnic
communities
byÌýseeking
to
define
the
role
of
public
space
within
this
context,
and
speculates
onÌýthe
formation
of
a
commons
between
twoÌýsegregated
communities;
firmlyÌýentrenched
in
the
idea
that
a
scenario
of
political
equality
can
only
beÌýengendered
through
an
understanding
of
the
other.Ìý
Specifically, the work examines theÌýdistricts of west and east Musrara, sites just to the north of the Old City,Ìýand reimagines the civic function of the no-mans land that runs between them.ÌýThe project works to literally bridgeÌýthe Israeli western half and theÌýPalestinian eastern half of this area, and explores the educational and civicÌýrole that a truly public space may provide in this context. It asks whetherÌýarchitecture, and public space, can operate as mediatorsÌýwithin complex socialÌýsystems, thereby becoming mechanisms of political criticism. In this way, theÌýwork does not seek to propose an architecture which offers a solution to theÌýJerusalem question, but rather one that recognizes andÌýutilizes its urbanÌýreality to become the impetus for a solution to emerge. In essence, this workÌýis grounded firmly in the notion that within conditions of instability andÌýimbalance lie the potentials for new urban, architectural and socialÌýconditionsÌýto emerge; it proposes an infrastructure of the commons.
The examining committee is as follows:
Ìý
Specifically, the work examines theÌýdistricts of west and east Musrara, sites just to the north of the Old City,Ìýand reimagines the civic function of the no-mans land that runs between them.ÌýThe project works to literally bridgeÌýthe Israeli western half and theÌýPalestinian eastern half of this area, and explores the educational and civicÌýrole that a truly public space may provide in this context. It asks whetherÌýarchitecture, and public space, can operate as mediatorsÌýwithin complex socialÌýsystems, thereby becoming mechanisms of political criticism. In this way, theÌýwork does not seek to propose an architecture which offers a solution to theÌýJerusalem question, but rather one that recognizes andÌýutilizes its urbanÌýreality to become the impetus for a solution to emerge. In essence, this workÌýis grounded firmly in the notion that within conditions of instability andÌýimbalance lie the potentials for new urban, architectural and socialÌýconditionsÌýto emerge; it proposes an infrastructure of the commons.
The examining committee is as follows:
Ìý
Supervisor:
DereckÌýRevington, University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
CommitteeÌýMembers:
Adrian
Blackwell,
UniversityÌýof
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
Robert Jan Van Pelt, University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
ÌýÌý
Robert Jan Van Pelt, University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
ÌýÌý
External Reader:
Scott SorliÌý
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Ìý
Friday
January
15,
2016
9:30AM
ARC
2003Ìý
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.