Clemie Eleady-Cole

With the interchangeability of today’s society and ease of development, impermanence is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Over time cities are required to change due to society’s everchanging needs, leading to the possibility of a weakened collective memory, which could result in a loss of overall identity. Richard Sennett touches upon the “brittle” existence of today’s cities (Sennett, R. 2006. p. 1), in which cities are seemingly rejecting the dialogue between their past and present through their constant “renewal”.

“It is more complicated than simple replacement of what existed before; it requires a dialogue between past and present forms, a dialogue which is amorphous and often juxtaposes present and past without any modulation.” – Richard Sennett, 2006.

This research project takes into consideration how collective memory can strengthen a city’s identity, by analysing the operations and intentions of existing organisations, whilst undertaking a study into what creative spaces are required by Dundee’s creative practitioners. The aim is to create a centralised creative collective that caters to both recent graduates and creative practitioners in Dundee’s city centre, by using the site of the Keiller Centre as a means of investigation. This seeks to provide the city with a means to grow, allowing Dundee to further develop its UNESCO City of Design identity it is continuing to develop.