Eternal Echoes
Archiving Death through Sound | Columbia GSAPP | Generative Design | Spring 2024
Ammar Rassai, Devansh Shah, Xiaoqi Shen, Yi Wu
Introduction
The project introduces an approach to memorialization by transforming personal memories into 3D sculptures, reimagining traditional graveyards as sculpture parks.
Utilizing generative design technologies, this product transfers the sound of significant life events, for example: birthdays, graduations, marriages, and the birth of children — into personalized 3d forms.
Our prototype reimagines the traditional tombstone by dividing its temporal structure and repurposing its elements to capture memories.
The DATA of Death in New York’s landscape
In many urban landscapes, the topic of death is often marginalized, a reflection of society’s discomfort with mortality.
As cities expand and modernize, traditional graveyards, which once held significant cultural and historical value, increasingly become relics at the periphery of daily life.
This physical and psychological distancing reflects a broader societal trend where the dead and their resting places are pushed to the margins of city life.
Archiving Death in a Post-pandemic World
The evolving “Archive” of our experiences with death during the pandemic era is reshaping our perceptions of loss, memory, and community in significant ways. The pandemic has thrust mortality into the spotlight, making it a constant and immediate presence as we confront losses on a scale unprecedented in recent history. As traditional mourning rituals were altered by essential safety measures, many have found themselves adapting to new forms of expressing grief and finding community amidst isolation.
Methodology
We developed a framework to synthesize memory data, enabling users to create timestamps at significant milestones along a life’s temporal graph. Memories are categorized into audio and video files. One’s lifespan is separated into distinct epochs demarcated by significant milestones such as “18th birthday,” “marriage,” and “graduation.”
Within each life phase, we extract a 10-second audio clip to construct a spectral representation scripted by the sound of the corresponding phrases of memory. The geometry of the tomb is generated by the soundtrack corresponding to the milestone of life. Individuals are allowed to select from a variety of alternatives.
Generative Process
To enhance the digital archive of an individual’s timeline, we projected the sound data onto increasingly hierarchical increments. We used a circular base form, offset around the centre, to visually represent the value of memories.
Parameters:
Audio Source Input
Audio Analysis
Point Oscillation
User Interface
Our program offers a deeply personalized approach to mourning, featuring an intuitive interface that swiftly guides users to its core functionalities. Within the platform, users can input cherished dates — be it birthdays, graduations, weddings, or the births of children — and transform these milestones into customized 3D graphics.
The platform also allows for the browsing and editing of previously uploaded content, enabling users to share these poignant memories with friends and family. Additionally, the display settings can be tailored to incorporate unique touches, such as selective colour enhancements and geographic details, making each tribute distinctively personal.
Projection-Mapping
People who visit the tomb can also interact with sound. By scanning the unique geometry of each tomb, the sounds of their voices are transformed into an interactive projection mapping. This process turns the simple act of visiting a tomb into a ceremonial experience, enriching the way individuals connect with the memories of their loved ones.
Conclusion
The topic of death is often marginalized in many urban landscapes, reflecting society’s unease with mortality. As cities expand and modernize, traditional cemeteries, once culturally and historically important, are increasingly fading from everyday life. This physical and psychological alienation reflects a broader societal trend that pushes the dead and their resting places to the margins of urban life.
This project responds to this societal situation and the demand for death mourning by taking a personalized approach to transforming personal memories by encoding them into three-dimensional sculptures, thus re-imagining traditional cemeteries as vibrant sculpture parks. The product utilizes generative design techniques to transform the sounds of life events such as birthdays, graduations, marriages, and the birth of a child into personalized three-dimensional forms. Our original design was to translate each person’s unique attributes and memories into a visible, readable and audible tombstone design.
Additionally, our prototype revolutionizes the traditional headstone by deconstructing its temporal structure and repurposing its elements to capture memories in a tangible and evocative way. This paradigm shift in memorialization not only honors personal narratives, but also fosters a deeper connection between the living and the deceased, and enriches the cityscape with meaningful and interactive memorial spaces that make the process of mourning more human and connected.
