Linda Neumer
Heritage and Architecture
Vanished matter(s): An investigation into authentic reconstruction
Architecture shapes our physical environment and embodies cultural, social and historical values. The destruction of historically significant buildings disrupts this connection, erasing shared cultural memories and silencing embedded stories. Such losses weaken ties to the past and deprive future generations of important lessons, making it crucial to minimize these losses.
This project is investigating authentic reconstruction as a solution to this problem. By proposing to focus on representing the full historical narrative within the architectural design, a new outlook on the highly discussed topic of reconstruction in heritage preservation is achieved.
With the reconstruction of three barns on the site of the former Gebroeders Pot shipyard, the new approach is tested. The three barns, consisting of a cafe, a multifunctional pavilion and a museum, represent the various stages of history, representing the ‘golden days’ as well as the absent years, offering visitors a full image of the past history.