Splitting the Seam: Exploring the tension between natural and manufactured spaces in abandoned granite quarries along coastal Maine

Abstract

The ruined sites of the extractive industries in America reveal the tension between the past and present, and between nature and industry. The processes of mining and quarrying have left behind not just the remains of physical structures but lasting scars on the landscape. These manufactured landscapes are a place where the power of natural forces and technological ones are held in balance. This thesis proposes a series of built interventions for a series abandoned granite quarry along the coast of Maine near the boarder town of Calais. These installations intend to provide opportunities to connect with the historical industry on the site through active memory and a sense of discovery. The interventions leverage the inherent spatial qualities of the site while providing access to activate and discover the spaces left abandoned by the extractive industry. The negative space left on the land, and the stereotomic characteristic of the granite contrasts with the tensile bridge structures derived from machinery used during the quarrying processes. The interventions will bridge the gap between past and present by referencing the process of stone and the original topography of the site. This thesis proposes to explore the tension of natural and manufactured landscapes through a series of interventions that promote active memory and a sense of discovery.