-Marion Square, Protests regarding the Calhoun Monument
First off, I really appreciate Mockbee’s approach to architecture, community, and the bridging of these concepts. I believe that architecture that neglects the people that utilize the space is bad architecture and socially unjust. I want to use this blog post as an opportunity to touch upon a project I designed in Charleston, as I think it undoubtedly applies to the discussion of spaces and architecture being utilized in acts of social justice. People have the freedom to use public spaces as they please. With the current climate we’ve seen in society, many urban and architectural spaces have transformed into areas of cries for social justice. The spaces weren’t necessarily designed for this phenomenon, but the ability for them to enact as a platform for people’s voice depicts a space that is socially just. Last Fall, I participated in a studio that required a design for a monument relating to the death of George Floyd and the charge seen within society after his death took place. Charleston is a historical hub for racism, prejudice, and inequality to say the least and it's also linked to the Confederacy. My project resided in Marion Square, a public square that housed confederate memorials from the 1800s. Marion Square became a space for social justice when the riots took place. The designing of a product that aims to encapsulate social justice was a beautiful experience catered me to the ideals that Mockbee is referring to. Conflicting vantage points, emotional charge, justice, social equality. It all applies to the conversation of architecture as a means for social integration and equality.
-8:46 Memorial, on the site of the dismantled Calhoun Monument
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