NEW STUDENT UNION: REVIVING THE HISTORIES AND MEMORIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF YANGON

Abstract

This research focuses on redesigning the demolished student union building located at the University of Yangon, which has a significant political history. As the University of Yangon campus and its buildings hold important histories and memories of student lives at various points throughout time, the social and cultural values that students possessed in the past and the historical significance of the University of Yangon are studied in-depth. Further, these values and significant memories are revived in the new, contemporary student union design. Literature reviews, archival materials, drawings, photos and on-site observations are used to analyze the campus and its buildings. Additionally, case studies of contemporary architecture that deal with important past histories and case studies of student union projects are chosen to better understand contemporary design approaches. By reinterpreting the past historical values in the new student union during the contemporary period, this study will revive its fading significant history and memories of the University of Yangon and student union for both current and future generations. The methodologies used in this study can also be applied in other contemporary projects with significant histories.