Harry Pearce
Shadows on our Past
Rarely do we take the time to learn about or acknowledge our past heritage, century old heritage buildings that once gave face to Auckland city have been reduced to rubble at the hand of 20th Century modern progression. These buildings connected past and present, they were and still are part of the soul identity of our city yet many are all but lost to the turn of time.
Big monstrous high-rises dominate the city skies in place of what was, an unmarked grave where some of Auckland’s most historic buildings once stood. ‘Shadows on the past’ aims to pay tribute to our lost heritage buildings to revive the past so that their memory can be immortalised in the present day.
My project explored the former heritage of Auckland city seeking to revive our cities lesser known past. Throughout much of the late 20th century many of Auckland cities prominent heritage buildings were reduced to rubble to make way for more modern monstrosities in an act of shear ignorance. Few of these former structures have been formally recognised within the public domain. In an effort to keep our cities past heritage alive I went about conducting thorough research into our cities former heritage buildings then consolidating my findings into a complete packaged artefact.
The phrase ‘Shadows on our Past’ has been given to signify the presence of our former heritage buildings even after their disappearance. These buildings were and are still a part of our core identity as a developing city. Educating people about the history of our former heritage buildings is fundamental in preserving our past whether be tangible or intangible. This project is designed to appeal to a broad demographic providing a more engaging, immersive learning experience tying together both visual and interactive components in connection with written content. The final deliverables share a common theme that is representative of the overarching topic complimenting each-other cohesively to provide an intuitive, seamless user experience. Each attribute of the project has been carefully considered from the paper stock through to the type, copy and hierarchy of visual elements to create continuity and flow throughout. The project aims to generate greater awareness about our past and former architectural heritage so to educate future generations of its importance and why we must do our best to preserve the past so it may not be forgotten.
The view-masters sole purpose is to give people a glimpse into our past heritage through an honorary pilgrim around Auckland city. Locations of former heritage buildings have been marked on the map wherein users create a superimposed image against the modern backdrop. Not only are people able to walk in the presence of Auckland cities former heritage buildings but also learn more about them at the same time.
