Visiting the Chernobyl exclusion zone was a surreal experience. Bereft of people since the diaster in '86 yet still active with workers and security - The site being in lock down under state control and perhaps we will be the last public visitors for a while since the shut down to the public of the site last week. The Chernobyl tour took us around The Atomic City of Tomorrow: Pripyat and around the sarcophagus reactor 4 of the power plant. The invisibility of the radiation and apparent natural abundance of trees make the site seem safe, the danger of cause lies hidden under cracks and rooted within the topsoil for as long as humans will ever know. But alot was learnt and discussed by members of the Unknown Fields Division headed by Liam Young and Kate Davies of the Architectural Association in particular how the atomic city of tomorrow may relate to the past, present and future of our time. Looking back are we also looking forwards to future relics, myths and monuments.
