Projects
The KB3 project is one around a sensitive perception given the strong and charged symbolism of the site, it was important to make a project that would put the identity of the people of Thetford at its core. The intention behind the project was to bring together the memory of the past and the dreams of the future as an experience in the present. We wanted a project that commemorated an important heritage and at the same time celebrated renewal. What the site walk-through tells is the story of a transformation through various stages.
It all starts with the end of mourning and the healing that goes with it; around the site there are railway tracks planted hard into the ground. On these rails are pieces of history written on their surface. This stage of the journey is the evocation of the bruises left by the mining and railway past. Mourning is often composed of a certain necessary discomfort that must be confronted before it can be healed, and the exhibition is therapeutic. The outskirts of the site, moreover, are jagged and irregular, like roots inviting us to enter the story.
Then the adventure towards re-enchantment begins. In the area where the site once housed the "dry rock storage" we find various monoliths of different sizes. These large blocks are filled with stones. The stone storage here becomes a great memorial to the people of the community, the miners and the sacrifices they have made over time to make this town what it is. On top of these stone monoliths, as well as throughout the site, we find white flowering plants, shrubs and trees. The mineral fiber that was present on the site has now become vegetal, a symbol of life, its resilience and its capacity to bloom again. Then a triangular structure recalls that of the old building, as well as those of other typical mining buildings of the time. The mist evokes the smog that used to exist in large parts of the city due to airborne asbestos dust, but here a playful and pleasant breeze of freshness takes its place. Through this wandering, we hope that the figures of the past will be reshaped and reassessed with a new eye; untroubled and amazed.
The final stage of the journey is the great reconciliation. After having crossed the site to its core, we find ourselves at the foot of KB3, where a large public square will be set up, where people will gather for various celebrations. We hope that this place will symbolize for all, the reconciliation with their history, but also the reconciliation of people with each other in the face of a past that divides popular opinion. We hope that this space will become the culmination of a site that represents the acceptance of an eventful past and the celebration of a promising future, through a present experience of coming together for all.
The KB3 Museum Park is therefore a story of inner conquest, this site tells the white epic of dreams' prospectors, from those who dug the foundations of the city of white gold, to those who are creating the economy and wealth of tomorrow and renewing the dreams of a prosperous future. This is your story, so we hope you will make it yours.
You can be proud of your history, it is far from ordinary, and we hope you will be proud of this site too. We wanted to make it unique and out of the ordinary, in the image of this city and its community.
