Architecture at the service of history : Pittsburgh Industrial Museum, a design proposal

Abstract

Colonial stronghold, gateway to the west, forge and hearth for the industrial growth of the United States, the City of Pittsburgh, like few others, lays strong claim to prominence in all eras of the nation's development. The thesis is a design proposal for a museum facility in which to exhibit a collection of artifacts and documents of that particular heritage, a place in which the city's people and visitors will be informed of the roles Pittsburgh has played in the history of the country. The objective is to create a center which not only provides a home for research and display, but which also communicates the public nature of its offerings. It is, therefore, a proposal to study the manner in which architecture both specifically and emblematically contributes to cultural and historical understanding. It is my thesis that with care, a building can be designed which both in form and content creates an environment organizing perceptions of history. The intent lies in a means of defining the potential for architecture to strengthen memories of particular civic interest.