The influence of material usage on the perception of memorials

Abstract

This thesis examines which materials are most used in memorials and what is the spectator’s expected emotional response to their material properties? First, is researched which materials are frequently used in memorials and what functional reasons lie behind them. The literature will be obtained from websites and internet articles. The observational research will be done online by studying the most famous Western contemporary memorials. After this, online books and scientific articles will be consulted to explain the functioning of the perception of materials. This will be done for the material properties colour, texture, transparency & reflectivity and perceived mass. Following this, the findings will be examined in the case studies. For this purpose, the material sused in the case studies will be analysed and compared by means of self-made drawings, analytic sketches, and photographs. To do this, we will look into three different public historical and trauma-related memorials where different materials have been used. Research shows that granite, marble, sandstone,limestone, iron, weathering steel, bronze, concrete, and glass proved to be the most used materials in current memorials. It also shows that the different material properties influence the emotional response of the viewer in different ways. The analyses show the expected emotional response to the materials and how they could have better matched the ideology of the designed memorial to achieve the desired emotional effect.