Spatial Justice
Keegan Wyatt Strouse
Contents Abstract Compendium Timeline Researh Statement Ideation Sketches Model Sketches Proposition Sketches Materials & Mood Palette Select Images Propositions 01_TImescape 02_Valley 03_Bridge Next Steps Footnotes Bibliography
[Image 01_Overleaf] Early concept collage exhibiting thesis concept. [Imagee 02_Above] Concept collage
Abstract Historic works of the built environment are, inherently, vestiges of the past. They are time travelers, existing between their time and our own, between two very different worlds. While the bulk of what these venerable pieces of history provide us is positive, whether for their beauty, their craft or their story, what is all-toooften neglected in the common discourse, is what they represent. If the darker aspects of history are withheld from those buildings we venerate, does that insinuate, that because a building or monument is beautiful, the past is also beautiful? How can design give agency to the neglected past, to reimagine sites of injustice, as sites of healing?
[Image 03] Early concept collage exhibiting monument proposal using base of a now vacant pedestal in New Orleans. The middle portion is from “Liberty� atop the US Capitol and is topped with a noted image of Rosa Parks.
Compendium: Spatial Justice
Hate Map and Confederate Monuments Map including some of the 917 recognized hate groups in the United States,1 identified by the larger dots. The smaller dots represent the 1,503 Confederate monuments/sites remaining in the US.2 The map below exhibits how these sites might be activated as sites of healing and potentially transform the cultural conversation for the better.
Timeline
April 9th, 1865
Civil War is ended with the surrender of Lee’s army in Appomattox, VA following the death of over 600,000 Americans. April 26th, 1866
First iteration of Confederate Memorial Day held in Columbus, GA. February 12th, 1909
NAACP founded in New York City, sparks unprecedented upsurge in Confederate monuments in mostly Southern states. April 28th, 1928 Bennett Memorial Dedicated in Herald Square. James Gordon Bennett’s role as a Southern sympathizer and virulent racist brought Considerable ire to the abolitionist cause.
June 17th, 2015 Massacre of 9 parishioners at a historically black church in Charleston, SC. Setting in motion a movement, among others, to reconsider the place of Confederate and other monuments in the public realm.
August 11th, 2017 Unite the Right rally takes place in Charlottesville, VA in protest of the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee on the campus of the University of Virginia, resulting in the deaths of three people.
January 12th, 2018
Mayor de Blasio Releases Monuments Commission's Report, Announces Decisions on Controversial Monuments. April 17th, 2018 J. Marion Sims statue removed from Central Park. Known as the father of modern gynecology, he also experimented on slave women to make his medical discoveries. The statue was placed in Greenwood Cemetery at the site of his grave.
April 26th, 2018
March 3rd, 1972 Stone Mountain Memorial completed in Georgia. A memorial conceived by the KKK and officially opened on April 14th, 1965, the 100 year anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
National Museum for Peace and Justice opens in Alabama. The first memorial of its kind, it is dedicated to the victims of racial violence, including 4,400 recorded victims of lynchings across the United States.
[Image 06] Panoramic view of Herald Square as it exists. James Gordon Bennett monument is centered.
Compendium: Spatial Justice Oak Alley is a grandiose Greek Revival mansion named after the massive natural nave of Southern live oaks that line its drive. It was this place, and those like it, that inspired me to become an architect. In time, I came to understand the oppressive systems that allowed such places to exist at all and the blatant lack of agency provided to this regrettable but important part of our history. Historic works of the built environment are inherently vestiges of the past. They are time travelers, existing between their time and our own, between two very different worlds. While the bulk of what these venerable pieces of history provide us is positive, whether for their beauty,
their craft or their story, what is all-too-often neglected in the common discourse is what they represent. If the injustices of history are withheld from the narratives of those buildings we venerate, then does that insinuate that because a building or monument is beautiful the history from which it emerged is also beautiful? It is striking to consider the irony surrounding the very style associated with the Antebellum South. As a vernacular, much Southern architecture pulls from Greek prototypes ––the physical manifestation of democratic ideals–– a beautiful veneer to shield an insidious truth. We venerate these sites. They are romanticized vestiges of a fallacious past, characters in literature, idyllic
wedding venues, and tourist destinations by which entire economies are driven. Although recent efforts have been made to acknowledge the forced labor that made these buildings possible, the institution of slavery remains an obligatory footnote on tours, oftentimes a separate experience altogether, which leaves the vast majority of visitors safely removed from historical truth.3 Yet, if these sites are stained with such terrible pasts, what is to be done with them? Is it wrong to admire them? Should they be preserved at all? While I believe the answer for the latter question is yes, that does not discount the necessary reimagination of these places, for no one can discount the violent potency of oppressive symbols on popular culture, such as Confederate statues and flags; among other symbols. When these statues have fallen, and flags have been removed, a physical void is left in their stead. Learning from this opportunity, how can design give agency to the neglected past, to reimagine sites of injustice as sites of healing?4
[Image 07] James Gordon Bennett monument currently located in Herald Square, dedicated in 1928, the monument consists of the granite structure and a bronze group of statues that includes Minerva, the Etruscan goddess of wisdom and a smaller grouping known colloquially at the “Bell Ringers” which include two men posed to ring a massive bell. The grouping is situated in the large niche at the front of the monument, all of them having been reclaimed from the razed Herald building that stood immediately north of Herald Square between Broadway and 6th Avenue.
New York City’s Herald Square, at the crossing of Broadway and Sixth Avenue, is at the confluence of a major city artery. Once associated with the numerous publications that established themselves there in the 19th century, it is now a center for retail and tourism. Within Herald Square’s small triangular public space is a memorial dedicated to the founder of one of the most successful newspapers in its day, The New York Herald. James Gordon Bennett, the paper’s founder, was also an outspoken supporter of slavery and a virulent racist; albeit he was hardly unique to other white contemporaries. Bennett used sensationalism to expand his audience and attract advertisers, making
his paper one of the largest media outlets of its time.5 For instance, under the leadership of his son, James Gordon Bennett Jr, the newspaper famously published a fabricated story in 1874, claiming that animals had escaped from Central Park Zoo. Using Herald Square as a case study, I hope to reimagine this site and monument as a place of social justice using a design methodology that might be adopted elsewhere as more sites inevitably come into question. Herald Square, more specifically, the James Gordon Bennett memorial speaks to a less conspicuous stain on history.6 First, in regard to its connection to what we might today call “fake news,” which Bennett found turned a large profit and lead the Herald to become one of the biggest papers of its day. Bennett’s sensationalism would also fuel his racist rhetoric. In an an article published in 1859 in the Herald, Bennett famously wrote: “The whole history of negro insurrections proves that there is no race of men so brutal and bloody-minded as the negro…the negro, once roused to bloodshed and in possession of arms, is as uncontrollable and irrational as a wild beast…”7 It is troubling to know that given the social progress that has been made, and amidst our current political climate, Bennett’s monument still stands on its pedestal, dedicated to his honor. Despite many current struggles, social history has progressed in a largely positive direction. How then might this idea of social progress be physicalized through design? The ancient city of Rome for instance, embraces its layered past, both historically and physically, wherein entire piazzas are set more than twenty feet below the modern street grade, exposing the ruins of the ancient city below.8 Yet, New York
[Image 08] Early concept collage.
City, a place some millennia younger than Rome, displays moments of its layered history with far more spatial subtlety. In Manhattan’s Financial District, for instance, archaeological sites are plainly incorporated into the sidewalk, clad in glass and walked on daily by passersby. The sidewalk becomes a space in which the public literally walks on history, a physical representation of the dominating power of time. In what ways could these ideas be applied to controversial monuments and other works of the built environment? Bridges are structures with a practical function that may provide one way of spatializing this relation to time and progress. Symbolically, bridges often represent transformation, passing from life into the afterlife, the passing of time, and most importantly hope. A bridge is meant to transport one over an impasse. Thus, in the case of Herald Square, I propose a bridge that would transports visitors over the toppled monument, and in doing so create two distinct spaces. To fully understand the site, one must understand the existing monument, which stands at about 50 feet in height and includes a statue of the Etruscan goddess of wisdom, Minerva, in addition to two smaller statues and a bell; the collection is known colloquially as Minerva and the Bell Ringers. The statues themselves are remnants from the original Herald building, that stood immediately north of the site, between Broadway and 6th Avenue. The only reference to Bennett on the monument is the granite epitaph that is inscribed on the monument’s base, therefore, it came as an opportunity to remove the statue of Minerva -considering her symbolism is not worthy of the antithetical notions purveyed by Bennett- and to place her at the highest point of the site, peering down at the toppled monument. She occupies one space, elevated above the
grade, and the Bennett monument occupying another, buried in the soil below. The bridge itself, which is planted with native plantings, visually dominating the monument below. The structure spans from 34th to 35th Street, reaching a height of 35 feet. Visitors can traverse the bridge and, in doing so, are provided privileged perspectives of the toppled monument below. In order to make this unique experience truly accessible, the entire experience is accessible by an ADA compliant ramp that meanders to the highest point from both ends of the bridge, much like progress, the path is interrupted by angularity and moves the viewer through a series of viewpoints along the experience. The secondary space is located below grade, beneath the bridge structure, providing a canopy for the public. At this level, the monument is effectively transformed into a piece of furniture, allowing visitors to climb and sit on the granite edifice. A key component of this secondary space is a high efficiency water feature, utilizing drainage water from the green roof above, a linear arrangement of dripping columns of water, falling into the niche that housed a statue of the goddess of wisdom, Minerva, which is placed atop the structure at its highest point: wisdom conquering bigotry. This design intervention is only a starting point, a case study in a scope of work that might be applied to the 1,500 Confederate monuments that still exist in the United States. By pursuing an additive approach to sites of injustice, we are not denying history, but we are providing necessary context, speaking to the inexorable progressive scope of history. History cannot be undone, but visualizing what was once considered the norm, from a new, privileged perspective, provides footing for those necessary conversations.
Ideation
[Image 13_Overleaf} Select sketches from ideation phase. [Image 14 - 21] Series of model sketches from ideation phase.
Blog Post_01 Choosing Herald Square as my thesis site was particularly difficult, since there are many more places with much more blatant connections to the current debate surrounding the role of questionable historical figures and the monuments dedicated to them. For instance, Columbus Circle, or one of the Robert E Lee busts that exist in the Bronx. However, I had a sense that these sites were almost too easy to select for my purposes, given that there is already a great deal of understanding on the racism and injustices purveyed and acted on by these men. Herald Square, more specifically, the James Gordon Bennett memorial speaks to a less conspicuous stain on history, one which I find interesting since the slippery slope argument is often quoted when referring to the removal of other statues and monuments. Bennett was a media tycoon whose New York Herald was also an early purveyor of “fake news� something we are all too often confronted with in this new reality in which we now exist. However, in the 19th century, Bennett found that sensationalizing the news sold copies, a lot of them, leading the Herald to become one of the biggest papers of its day. What makes it particularly interesting for my research, is that Bennett was also a flagrant racist, and was often quoted referring to African Americans as subhuman and incompetent, among other things. Of course, most white people were racist in the 19th century, however, given the fact he has a monument dedicated to him in one of the most diverse metropolitan areas in the world, I figure it was a fitting place to start. Adding to my interest in the site, is the fact that another
[Images 09 & 10] Concept proposal 01 including a layered and rigid construction speaking to the strata of time.
square, named after Horace Greeley, is situated just to its south. Greeley was also a media magnate, but one who was ideologically opposed to Bennett. He was also an abolitionist and supporter of Lincoln and other Republicans. These two sites, point at each other with Thirty Fourth Street between them. Finally, a 2017 article outlined a contemporary representation of Bennett’s racist legacy, James Tempro was awarded the highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of the NYFD. This medal happens to be named after Bennett and when it was awarded to its first African American recipient, he decided to give it back, given Bennett’s history of blatant racism, urging the City to rename the award in honor of someone else. This story cemented my desire to use Herald Square as my site and area of exploration.
[Images 11 & 12} Concept proposal 02 including a more free-from structure using plant-life to transform space through time.
Material & Mood Palette
[Image 22} Water, greenery juxaposed against concrete and steel. [Image 23] Contrasting rigit materials against greenery remainded a key element through the design process.
Blog Post_02 When considering design proposals for the site, I found myself returning to the idea of time as a means of healing and considering that the general progression of social history has been in a largely positive direction. Which led me to consider how one might represent time in a way that would be indicative of an experience? The ancient city of Rome embraces its layered past, both historically and physically, wherein entire piazzas are set nearly thirty feet below the modern street grade, exposing the ruins of the ancient city below, even in New York, some millennia younger than Rome, displays moments, though far more subtly, of its layered history. In Manhattan’s Financial District, archeological sites are literally incorporated into the sideway, clad in class and walked on daily by passersby, who literally walk on history. Returning to my thesis, I imagined what it would be like to apply such a physical representation of time to said sites, and how that might relay a sense of dominance over the antiquated notions represented by the monument or other built work, but showing how time has (or is at least in the process
[Image 24} Water, greenery juxaposed against concrete and steel. [Image 25] Encased in a steel structure the monument would fade through time as greenery conquers it, eventually consealing the entire etiface.
of) conquering their ideologies and progress is imminent. Through a series of models I conceived of proposals that would result in the overall preservation of the monument in question. Suggesting instead that the site be added to, in one instance, building a layered fortification tightly surrounding the existing monument, just short of the height of the structure. This construction represents the passing of time with layers of strata, perhaps of concrete or rammed earth, and at some point, providing a small void through which visitors could enter the fortification, or perhaps, view from above. In either instance, the idea is to represent the domination of time of injustice and by mantaining the monument, it provides a means of viewing the past from a privileged place.
[Image 26] Concept included adding historic accounts into the concrete structure.
Propositions
Proposition 01: Timescape Blog Post_03 An issue that developed in regard to my thesis was the fact that the bulk of proposals that were produced through ideation resulted in fitting provocations but lacked the special and experiential component I wanted to create. The healing powers of time was a recurring reference throughout my research and ideation, which brought me to my most recent proposal, which include a forest of columns and a resurrected Broadway. The proposal can be broken down into a series of components: • Manhattan’s grid system, dating to 1811 was based as a starting point for the column grid, wherein I divided and further divided the grid into smaller portions and applied the columns to allow for a random appearance that was based on the structure and rigidity of a grid.
[Image 27} A lightwight steel structure is eventually consealed by native plantings that create a space of healing through the passing of time.
[Image 28} Within the transformed Herald Square, visitors are transported into a space that speaks to both the present and what once existed on Manhatan, reclaiming Broadway.
• The columns support a light-frame structure which is angled to allow for the clock atop the Bennett monument to remain exposed and provide a visual connection to the driving theme. • The ground plan is articulated in a manner that provides small plays on topography, providing naturalized spaces. Plantings include native plants connected to the site before colonization, including hempvine, creeping fern and Virginia creeper, these vines will be allowed to grow along the structure and monument, eventually concealing the bulk of it. • No set path or formal program will be provided, as the path will be developed through pedestrian traffic, the ground plain will be finished with pebbles or oyster shells. • Within the structure a frame will exist to provide a visual link to the statue of Minerva.
[Image 29} Looking north from Broadway at Herald Square. The clost remains visible from the structure, speaking to the notion of time.
Timescape By not prescribing a program, the square is activated by the visitors who pass through on a daily basis. In time, the plantlife will entrench itself and adapt to the foot traffic.
[Image 30} Plan view of site, with naturalized plan.
[Image 31} Front section [Image 32] Side section
Proposition 02: Valley This iteration of my thesis was inspired by the remote and reflective spaces I’ve discovered during my backpacking trips in the Pacific Northwest. In those experiences, I found myself reflecting, peering down at the majestic vista from my priveledged place along the face of a hill or mountain, protected fom the outside world. This design proposed the constuction of an artificial valley in Herlad Square. The toppled monument lays below grade in a massive reflecting pool. The statue of Minerva stands resolute from the neiche, dominating the sitelines from all parts of the space. The hillsides are convered in native grasses.
[Image 33} Perspective of the healing valley, wherein the tobbled monument is situated in a reflecting pool.
[Image 34} Plan view [Image 35} Perspective from northwest entrace to site.
Proposition 03: The Bridge
Ultimately, my research brought me to consider the bridge and its role in our culture. While highly practical, bridges carry a wide range of symbolic value, inlcludiing the passing of time, of hope, of transformation, all while transporting one over an obstical; in this case, the toppled monument, and the ideologies associated with the man for who it is dedicated. At the highest point stands the statue of Minerva. The disticting is clarified between the highest and lowest points, right and wrong, love and hatred, truth and falacy. A path transports visitors over the structure. The structure itself is informed by the ramp system, which was designed to be ADA accessible. The “hillsides” are planted with native grasses. Below the bridge is a hardscape space, where the monument is the focal point. Having been brought to the human scale, it is now a space for sitting, climbing and playing. Visitors walk over Bennett’s name.
[Image 36} Looking north from Broadway, showing south façade. Native grasses are planted on the bridge structure, which resembles a hill from this perspective, topped with the statue of Minerva (and the Bell Ringers) at the highest point of the structure.
[Image 37} Ground plan showing covered plaza space and monument open to Macy’s façade to the west and 6th Avenue to the east. [Image 38} Bridge plan, showing ramp system and green roof, including Minerva pedestal.
[Image 39} Looking northeast from the corner of 34th Street and Broadway, showing the covered plaza wherein the toppled Bennett monument is placed at a human scale. [Image 40} Axon perspective of site, showing disassociation between Minerva and Bennett monument.
[Image 42} Looking north along path toward state of Minerva on hot rolled steel pedestal. [Image 43} Looking northwest from 6th Avenue toward Broadway and 35th Street. Toppled Bennett monument is activated as seating and activity space.
[Image 44} Front section [Image 45} Side section
[Image 46} Detail of ramp system [Image 47] Green roof detail
An issue that developed in regard to my thesis was the fact that the bulk of proposals that were produced through ideation resulted in fitting provocations but lacked the special and experiential component I wanted to create. The healing powers of time was a recurring reference throughout my research and ideation, which brought me to my most recent proposal, which include a forest of columns and a resurrected Broadway. The proposal can be broken down into a series of components: • Manhattan’s grid system, dating to 1811 was based as a starting point for the column grid, wherein I divided and further divided the grid into smaller portions and applied the columns to allow for a random appearance that was based on the structure and rigidity of a grid.
[Image 48} Urban context map.
Reflection & Next Steps
Reflection & Next Steps As I continue into my professional career, I hope to further develop this project by creating a sort of template that might be applied to the many remaining sites of injustice across the United State. While the propositions I’ve suggested in this text are complex, in the interest of the course requirements, I am seeking to provide practical interventions for other sites. A first step will be documenting a series of controversial sites, including ethnographic research, to provide a highly informed design that is unique to each site. I would also like to expand on the theoretical component of my work, building an even stronger foundation for my arguement.
Bibliography & Endnotes
Bibliography [Secondary] Denslagen, Wim. 2009. Romantic Modernism: Nostalgia in the World of Conservation. Amsterdam University Press. This journal article provides a thorough look into those post-WWII reconstruction efforts and how they diverged from the realities that existed before. In many instances. the reconstructed facades are seeking to establish a more storied, innocent and fabled past through the built form. __ [Secondary] Jackson, John Brinckerhoff. 1980. The Necessity for Ruins, and Other Topics. University of Massachusetts Press. This sentinel piece helps provide insight into the ways that we relate to space, especially in the urban context and especially in the United States, where the built environment is less layered through time. __ [Secondary] Mazrui, Ali A. 1999. “Built Form and Three Cultural Tendencies: Nostalgia, Presentism and Anticipation.” International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE) 7-11. The essay examines the ways in which various cultures orient design within the built form and how this is then reflect on those cultures as a whole. __ [Secondary] Nelson, Louis P. 2006. American Sanctuary: Understanding Sacred Spaces. Indiana University Press. This is a more visually heavy piece, but it provides insight into the unique role of sacred spaces in what would become the United States. I hope that this book will provide more insight into the roots of our connection to the built environment, and since sacred spaces were often the most elaborate in the scope of history, I feel this may be a good place to start. __ [Secondary] Stamp, Jimmy. 2013. How Nostalgia Plays Into Our Love of Buildings Old and New. November 8. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://www. smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-nostalgia-plays-into-our-love-ofbuildings-old-and-new-180947649/. This article was very insightful in providing a foundation for my research. The author argues, with Penn Station as his case study, that nostalgia filters our perspective of vanished architecture, while venerating something that had long since faded. He argues that nostalgia can play a role in architecture that has yet to exist, in that by producing something visually stunning and historically relatable, we can long for it to exist, a sort of reverse nostalgia. __
[Secondary] Wilson, Janelle L. 2005. Nostalgia : Sanctuary of Meaning. Bucknell University Press. This is a straightforward book which argues for the importance of nostalgia as a facilitator of the continuity of identity and providing a sense of connection that is emotionally beneficial. While not relating to the built environment, I feel the theory covered in this book will be imperative to my research. __ [Secondary] Zumthor, Peter. 2010. Thinking Architecture. Birkhauser. Personally, one of my favorite architects, Zumthor’s book is an insightful consider the mind and theory of a brilliant designer. The roll of emotion in design, appeal to both the heart and mind to create a vivid connection to the built environment. __
Endnotes
THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF / HERALD SQUARE. / MCMXL/”
1
Source Southern Poverty Law Center
2
Source Politico
7 The New York herald. (New York [N.Y.]), 23 Nov. 1859. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1859-11-23/ed-1/seq-1/>
3 Minor, Kelsey. “Visiting a Plantation but No Mention of Slaves.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/ kelsey-minor/visiting-a-plantation-but_b_8492104.html. 4 “Mayor De Blasio Releases Monuments Commission’s Report, Announces Decisions on Controversial Monumen.” The Official Website of the City of New York, The City of New York, 12 Jan. 2018, www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/030-18/mayor-de-blasio-releases-monuments-commission-s-report-decisions-controversial. According to de Blasio’s inquiry into the fate of controversial monuments in New York City resulted in an additive approach, providing context for existing monuments. The inquiry resulted in moving a monument dedicated to J. Marion Sims, who performed medical experiments on female slaves, to Greenwood cemetery in Brooklyn, from its original location in Central Park. 5 CROUTHAMEL, JAMES L., and ANDREW JACKSON. “James Gordon Bennett, the ‘New York Herald’, and the Development of Newspaper Sensationalism.” New York History, vol. 54, no. 3, 1973, pp. 294–316. JSTOR, JSTOR, www. jstor.org/stable/23169403. 6 The only reference to Bennett on the monument exists in the plaque which includes the following text: “A MEMORIAL TO / JAMES GORDON BENNETT (1795-1872) / FOUNDER OF THE NEW YORK HERALD IN 1835 / AND TO HIS SON / JAMES GORDON BENNETT (1841-1918) / THRUGH WHOSE VISION AND ENTERPRISE / THE NEW YORK HERALD BECAME ONE OF THE / WORLD’S GREAT / NEWSPAPERS / THE BRONZE FIGURES OF MINERVA AND THE / BELLRINGERS ARE THE WORK OF ANTONIN/ JEAN CARLES. THEY STOOD, FROM 1895 TO / 1921. ABOVE THE CORNICES OF JAMES / GORDON BENNETT’S NEW YORK HERALD / BUILDING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF HERALD / SQUARE AND TOLLED THE ACTIVE HOURS TO / THE MILLIONS. IN 1928, THEY WERE GIVEN / BY WILLIAM T. DEWART, PUBLISHER OF THE / NEW YORK SUN, TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, / THROUGH WHOSE GENEROSITY IN 1928 THEY / ENTERED ON PERMANENT LOAN, THE CARE / OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS OF THE CITY / OF NEW YORK, THAT THEY MAY BE HERE / RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL AREA OF PLEASANT SERVICE, AND / TO THEIR PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF OUR / CITIZENS FUNDS FOR THE RESTORATION / WERE PROVIDED BY SUBSCRIPTION OF/ BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE LIVES ARE / DEEP ROOTED IN
8 Largo del Torre Argentina is an ancient ruin situated at a square in Rome, the site is an excellent point of context between the ancient and contemporary world.
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