Set in Stone? An intertextual reading of monumentality, national identity and creative preservation in Ashton Raggatt McDougall’s redevelopment of Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance

This thesis presents a close analysis of Ashton Raggatt McDougall's addition to the Shrine of Remembrance to examine opportunities for contemporary architecture to help shape the narratives of history, belonging and identity that make up public space. It draws on the theoretical concept of intertextuality, borrowed from literary theory and brought to architecture, to explore ways in which both contemporary architecture and visitors can have agency around what meaning and representation can be extracted from heritage spaces like memorials. It argues that we can engage with important architectural spaces in meaningful and respectful ways - calling this 'creative preservation'.