SPACES OF EMOTIONAL INVESTMENTS : QUEENSTOWN DAWSON ESTATE

Abstract

Lefebvre states in his book on Production of Space, that social production of urban space is a key foundation to the reproduction of Society. In this increasingly institutionalized society, the social production of space is commanded by a hegemonic class as a tool to reproduce its dominance. As a result, these repetitive spaces lose its authenticity and identity unique to its users as no bond/attachment exists between them and the current space/architecture/place. Social space is a product of labour and can only be achieved when there is an emotional investment on space. In search for authentic social spaces, the exploration begins from attempting to communicate and translate the intangible elements of emotional belonging into a possible mechanism governing the user groups of the past, the present and ultimately the future. The scheme measures its success when the hope of preserving and enhancing the social construct that persists in its quality for the users even through constant redevelopment and regeneration of the surroundings. This emotional investment in space is dealt with in the exploration of the public space in this project –restoring existing investments of spaces of the past; preserving spaces of investment of the present and providing grounds for potential investments for the future.