Victorious Oamaru

Abstract

Formally a prosperous town due to the potential of the port and its abundant natural resources, Oamaru failed to strive beyond the late 18th century due to problem of the port being uncovered as false and the subsequent cost speculation had driven the town’s progress downhill. By the early 19th century, people had realised there was no longer a flourishing future to come, and Oamaru was left with nothing but a crushed false hope. This thesis aims to make an attempt to re-activate the development of Oamaru which has ceased for more a century since its economic downfall. The research starts with an investigation of the relationship between science fiction and architecture, this is particularly important as the strategy is inspired by Oamaru’s local emerging sub-culture trend, Steampunk. Steampunk is a sci-fi fantasy that features steam-powered technology set in an alternate 19th century Victorian era. This idea of a superior alternate outcome in contrary to the current reality manifests why the theme of steampunk is so well fitted with Oamaru’s background. In this thesis, an alternate reality named Victorious Oamaru is theory crafted as a study model for us to critically reflect upon when juxtaposed with the current situation of Victorian Oamaru. This speculative scenario is further expressed through an architectural input of a newly designed Steampunk Convention Centre; an architectural proposition that fundamentally challenges the principles of time, it is a concept of architecture as a device to connect Oamaru with multiple realities, acting as a portal enabling an exchange of experience between fantasy and reality. As a reader of this thesis, you are encouraged to put aside your preconception of the present and indulge in a blend of optimism and nostalgia in the re-imagined setting of Victorious Oamaru, where creativity and imagination stir up conversations of how else Oamaru could be like. I sincerely welcome you all aboard on my time machine, and join this journey for a peek of the fantastical Victorious Oamaru.