Fragments of the subconscious: Building dreams in the ruins of memory

Abstract

Imagine is to go beyond the bounds of reality, where the imagination explores the unknown and creates new possibilities. It is the process of creating new concepts by combining aspects of the known and unknown. By creating new worlds, meanings, and scenarios, imagination helps us to think beyond the limitations of the here and now. The essential medium for perception, cognition, language, and memory is the mind. One could argue that imagination is a fundamental component of our human nature. „All reality is brought forth solely by imagination... This act which forms the basis for the possibility of our consciousness, our life”. This thesis investigates how architecture in dystopian environments portrays the emotional interplay of loss, memory and hope. Architecture becomes an instrument through which dystopian stories are told, serving as a medium for both destruction and memory. Film captures the ethereal beauty of abandoned buildings and neglected environments through its capacity to frame space and mood. Thus, it is a logical progression of this investigation. This research investigates the interrelationship of architecture, emotion, and film in order to analyze how built environments generate dystopian experiences and how their unsettling beauty is captured through a film's aesthetic. It portrays how dystopian space may be envisioned, built, and eventually experienced through a series of design concepts and visualizations that investigate the boundaries between reality and fantasy.