MADA
  • Prahran Market Square
  • Market Main Hall
Mridula Bhatia
Bachelor of Interior Architecture
mbhatia36@gmail.com

This project investigates the reciprocal relationship between heritage and the individual: how we shape heritage and how it then shapes us. Employing the site of Prahran Market, this is explored by looking at individuals' varied experiences of heritage, which contribute to both personal and communal senses of identity. The co-existence of multiple heritage layers is examined, including quotidian, conventional, and false heritage. This project is framed within an emerging paradigm that redefines heritage as a cultural process, rather than a 'thing'. The design proposes a range of sensory interventions that activate embedded heritage within the Market, enriching existing experiences as well as creating new encounters. These interventions are produced by regarding the site as a narrative and retelling its story through interpretation. The aim of this project is to transform individuals' relationships with Prahran Market and its heritage, in an attempt to renew its value to the community.