The Unavoidable Metaphor of Memorial Architecture: The Boundaries and Event-Space of Chernobyl Reactor No. 4

<p>In the design of memorial architecture, there is encountered an overuse of literal metaphor in order to translate difficult concepts into the built form. These metaphors are explored in contemporary examples of memorial and hybrid-memorial typologies. Within Chernobyl, there is a set of criteria that enable these metaphorical interpretations to operate on a more complex level, and allow the act of memorialising a truer response. The unique conditions contained within the reactor allow for a reinterpretation of architectural process, which is already realised by the existing Sarcophagus - a reactive memorial itself, designed to entomb the burnt core and its radioactive properties. As such, the reactor and its attached site can no longer be re-used in any functional capacity; the proposed memorial embraces these criteria, exploiting phenomenological thought in order to locate a set of boundary conditions. This creates an event-space - that being the location of inhabitable architecture within the reactor. Event-space exists between the boundaries established, which is a conceptual entity that is able exist in reality, and enable flashes of the past events to surface, which are interpreted by the memorial inhabitants. The memorial uses this event-space, within the sites absence of function, to locate the actual event of the disaster in the past. This fragile undertaking is achieved by placing greater responsibility on architecture to mediate the design of memorial, and remove external influences that halt this process.</p>

The Unavoidable Metaphor of Memorial Architecture: The Boundaries and Event-Space of Chernobyl Reactor No. 4

<p>In the design of memorial architecture, there is encountered an overuse of literal metaphor in order to translate difficult concepts into the built form. These metaphors are explored in contemporary examples of memorial and hybrid-memorial typologies. Within Chernobyl, there is a set of criteria that enable these metaphorical interpretations to operate on a more complex level, and allow the act of memorialising a truer response. The unique conditions contained within the reactor allow for a reinterpretation of architectural process, which is already realised by the existing Sarcophagus - a reactive memorial itself, designed to entomb the burnt core and its radioactive properties. As such, the reactor and its attached site can no longer be re-used in any functional capacity; the proposed memorial embraces these criteria, exploiting phenomenological thought in order to locate a set of boundary conditions. This creates an event-space - that being the location of inhabitable architecture within the reactor. Event-space exists between the boundaries established, which is a conceptual entity that is able exist in reality, and enable flashes of the past events to surface, which are interpreted by the memorial inhabitants. The memorial uses this event-space, within the sites absence of function, to locate the actual event of the disaster in the past. This fragile undertaking is achieved by placing greater responsibility on architecture to mediate the design of memorial, and remove external influences that halt this process.</p>

7. Nuclear Energy and the Environment

This chapter gives the example of the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986 to show that nuclear power creates risks for all states, irrespective of whether they choose this type of energy. Every state, and the global environment, is potentially affected by the possibility of radioactive contamination, the spread of toxic substances derived from nuclear energy, and the long-term health hazards consequent on exposure to radiation. Whether the nuclear power industry has now attained acceptable levels of risk to international society cannot be answered in the abstract, the chapter argues, or solely by reference to regulatory standards and technical capabilities, but must take into account public perceptions of risk, as well as the alternatives and the competing risks, such as climate change. The chapter notes that for all governments there are inevitably difficult policy choices in which there are few electoral advantages.

Synthesis of simulant ‘lava-like’ fuel containing materials (LFCM) from the Chernobyl reactor Unit 4 meltdown

ABSTRACTA preliminary investigation of the synthesis and characterization of simulant ‘lava-like’ fuel containing materials (LFCM), as low activity analogues of LFCM produced by the melt down of Chernobyl Unit 4. Simulant materials were synthesized by melting batched reagents in a tube furnace at 1500 °C, under reducing atmosphere with controlled cooling to room temperature, to simulate conditions of lava formation. Characterization using XRD and SEM-EDX identified several crystalline phases including ZrO2, UOx and solid solutions with spherical metal particles encapsulated by a glassy matrix. The UOX and ZrO2 phase morphology was very diverse comprising of fused crystals to dendritic crystallites from the crystallization of uranium initially dissolved in the glass phase. This project aims to develop simulant LFCM to assess the durability of Chernobyl lavas and to determine the rate of dissolution, behavior and evolution of these materials under shelter conditions.

Facts & Fission

This article discusses the real-world practicality of nuclear power. Neither reactors nor casks of spent fuel have the capability of going “prompt critical” like a bomb. The laws of nature prohibit it and engineers must make clear that facts of nature are not matters of opinion. The Chernobyl reactor, which failed so spectacularly in Ukraine in 1986, became for many a symbol of the dangers represented by nuclear reactors. But that is not warranted; such an accident is simply impossible for the kind of commercial reactors now being planned or built. From a public safety standpoint, the most important feature of our current reactors is that, after any event that ruptures the reactor coolant system, a large amount of water and steam would be violently swirling around inside the containment structure, even if containment structure has been ruptured. In the emerging context of realistically reexamining many long-held assumptions, engineers will find opportunities to drastically improve the way nuclear power plants are built and operated.