After the Fall

Since 2011, the Syrian Civil War has been causing devastation to ancient historic sites and forcing Syrians out of their ancestral homes. These people have the ability to flee from their country to temporary safe havens while the war continues - the ancient ruins however do not have the ability to avoid the war. This design-led thesis looks at innovative ways to create a new symbol of hope in the form of a museum acting as a memorial to the horrific disaster. It looks at a how new architecture may preserve fragments from not only the war but all historical periods as an allegorical time line. In doing so, the outcome hopes to allow the returning people to recognise the building as a reminder to the war in a sensitive way which then holds key fragments to a time which is now part of the history of Syria.  The ancient city of Bosra al-Sham is the site for this thesis as it (along with many others) has sustained considerable destruction due to the ongoing war. Bosra has obtained significant loss to not only contemporary homes, but also to its ancient ruins, which represents Bosra’s cultural heritage to Syria. This research project looks at speculative ideas of how to best preserve both contemporary and historic artefacts which have sustained damaged from the war in a museum context - in turn creating a memorial through the experience and journey of each space.