Re-imagining a Petrochemical Landscape in Dartmouth Nova Scotia

Abstract

This thesis addresses the vast petrochemical landscape of the Imperial Oil Refinery situated within the urban context of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. The recent decommissioning of the refinery has reduced it to an arcane landscape of weathered steel towers, pipes and storage tanks. This thesis defends the inherent value of the refinery as a device of imagination and memory of the past energy era, both historically through the infrastructure of industry and the residual landscape that it is defined by. Architectural interventions act to reveal the potential of existing site infrastructure and are introduced through a phased strategy, providing thresholds and view that engage with this powerful residual landscape. Through this engagement both the experiential and imaginative capacity of the landscape is revealed, creating a sense of place through time, connecting memory and the community to this once forbidden site.