Iconography and Meaning, with Paul Hardin Kapp

In this episode, I talk with Paul Hardin Kapp about the intersection of architecture, memorialization, and pilgrimage, particularly in the context of World War I cemeteries. Paul discusses the historical significance of tropes, the role of American cemeteries in expressing imperialism, and the influence of architect Paul Cret on cemetery design. The dialogue also explores the experience of pilgrimage in these spaces, the evolution of memorial practices, and the relationship between nature and sacred spaces. Finally, the conversation touches on the contemporary issues of iconoclasm and memory in architecture.

Takeaways:

*The intersection of architecture and pilgrimage is profound.

*Tropes serve as powerful symbols of memorialization.

*Paul Cret's designs significantly shaped memorial architecture.

*Pilgrimage experiences are designed to facilitate reflection.

*Memorial practices have evolved over time.

*Nature plays a crucial role in creating sacred spaces.

*Iconoclasm challenges our understanding of memory and heritage.

*The relationship between humans and architecture is fundamental.

*Current scholarship is beginning to reconnect the human experience with architecture.

Paul Hardin Kapp is Associate Professor of Architecture, Director, Master of Science in Historic Preservation, and Director of the Michael Christopher Duda Center for Historic Preservation, Resilience, and Sustainability at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. He is an award winning author of multiple books and an award winning historic preservation architect. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2014 and a Fulbright Scholar at Clergy-Paris Universite, Neuville-sur-Oise, France in 2023. He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in 2019 and a Franklin Fellow at the U.S. Department of State in 2020. He is currently a Guggenheim Fellow and writing his latest book on iconoclasm in civic spaces, which will be published in 2027.