The [eye]con   |  Thesis   |   RPI Afghanistan, a country devastated by many years of war, was the ideal location to explore my thesis on symbolism and collective memory. Conflict and post-war reconstruction often “edits“ the
       
     
Architecture as an icon performs as a signifier for time and place. Precariously balancing between multiple scales, it draws definition from the past tense and assumes a role in the future. Inhabiting the space found between contradictions it’s arch
       
     
1. International Airport  2. The Empty Swimming Pool (Site)   3. Downtown   4. Kabul University
       
     
Located in Kabul, my project is situated on the slope of the Bibi Mahru Hill. Designed as an architectural intervention to guide users through a progression of perspective, it acts as a curration to the city of Kabul creating community space and gar
       
     
Screen Shot 2017-09-21 at 10.41.25 PM.png
       
     
The pool was constructed by the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Built to be a recreational facility, they located it on the strategic lookout point on the top of the Bibi Mahru Hill in North East Kabul. Due to the inclin
       
     
With the rise in power of the Taliban, the city’s public spaces began to change once again. Public execution was very common, and often these grisly events would be performed in previously public venues, such as stadiums and squares. The Empty Swimm
       
     
Since 2001 it has become a community gathering place. It hosts children fl ying kites, people looking for solitude in a sunset, joggers, and amazing views of the renovation of Kabul. It is this beautiful contradiction that lends itself to being the
       
     
The [eye]con   |  Thesis   |   RPI Afghanistan, a country devastated by many years of war, was the ideal location to explore my thesis on symbolism and collective memory. Conflict and post-war reconstruction often “edits“ the
       
     
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The [eye]con  |  Thesis  |  RPI

Afghanistan, a country devastated by many years of war, was the ideal location to explore my thesis on symbolism and collective memory. Conflict and post-war reconstruction often “edits“ the urban environment destroying the spatial and urban identity. 

 

Architecture as an icon performs as a signifier for time and place. Precariously balancing between multiple scales, it draws definition from the past tense and assumes a role in the future. Inhabiting the space found between contradictions it’s arch
       
     
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Architecture as an icon performs as a signifier for time and place. Precariously balancing between multiple scales, it draws definition from the past tense and assumes a role in the future. Inhabiting the space found between contradictions it’s architecture becomes more than a material reality. It is a medium to encounter the tension between individual experience and collective memory. 

1. International Airport  2. The Empty Swimming Pool (Site)   3. Downtown   4. Kabul University
       
     
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1. International Airport  2. The Empty Swimming Pool (Site)  

3. Downtown   4. Kabul University

Located in Kabul, my project is situated on the slope of the Bibi Mahru Hill. Designed as an architectural intervention to guide users through a progression of perspective, it acts as a curration to the city of Kabul creating community space and gar
       
     
+

Located in Kabul, my project is situated on the slope of the Bibi Mahru Hill. Designed as an architectural intervention to guide users through a progression of perspective, it acts as a curration to the city of Kabul creating community space and gardens along the way. At the top of the hill is the Empty Swimming Pool: a haunting symbol of both war and hope.

Screen Shot 2017-09-21 at 10.41.25 PM.png
       
     
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The pool was constructed by the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Built to be a recreational facility, they located it on the strategic lookout point on the top of the Bibi Mahru Hill in North East Kabul. Due to the inclin
       
     
+

The pool was constructed by the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Built to be a recreational facility, they located it on the strategic lookout point on the top of the Bibi Mahru Hill in North East Kabul. Due to the incline of the slope and the lack of resources, the Soviets were never able to bring water up the hill. Thus for many years the pool remained empty.

 

With the rise in power of the Taliban, the city’s public spaces began to change once again. Public execution was very common, and often these grisly events would be performed in previously public venues, such as stadiums and squares. The Empty Swimm
       
     
+

With the rise in power of the Taliban, the city’s public spaces began to change once again. Public execution was very common, and often these grisly events would be performed in previously public venues, such as stadiums and squares. The Empty Swimming Pool was one of such place, those condemned by the Taliban would be pushed off the high board to fall to their death. When the Northern Alliance invaded Afghanistan in 2001 they found the pool: its concrete floor stained with blood. However, this Empty Pool is not just a horrific reminder of the past.

Since 2001 it has become a community gathering place. It hosts children fl ying kites, people looking for solitude in a sunset, joggers, and amazing views of the renovation of Kabul. It is this beautiful contradiction that lends itself to being the
       
     
+

Since 2001 it has become a community gathering place. It hosts children fl ying kites, people looking for solitude in a sunset, joggers, and amazing views of the renovation of Kabul. It is this beautiful contradiction that lends itself to being the focus of this project.