Description

What is the role of design in shaping how we engage with iconic landmarks marked by death, tragedy, and the macabre? From notorious sites like Alcatraz and the Tower of London to Melbourne’s own Pentridge Piazza, Carlton’s Underbelly, Old Melbourne Gaol and the city’s spooky laneways. As technology transforms our engagement, these sites attract visitors not only for their historical importance but also through the lens of dark tourism, where the past’s intriguing aspects are brought to life in our popular imagination through true crime stories, ghost tours and celebrity memorials.


Design has the power to both respect and challenge the legacies of these places, offering visitors meaningful connections to the past, in person and digitally. In this thought-provoking session, experts in design, pop-culture, and ethics will explore the role of design in educating and provoking reflection, creating respectful and insightful experiences at sites with haunting histories.


Natasha Mitchell, host of ABC's Big Ideas, will moderate the panel asking What challenges do designers face when reimagining places tied to unsettling pasts? How do we strike a balance between educational value and the emotional weight of such places and spaces? And what ethical dilemmas arise when reinterpreting those associated with suffering…where should we draw the line?

Beyond the Grave: Design + Death is presented by Open House Melbourne, supported by Program Partners DeathTech Research Team, Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, DocPlay and The Shrine of Remembrance, and Venue Partners Old Melbourne Gaol managed by National Trust.

This event is part of Melbourne Design Week 2025, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.