An atlas of Armageddon : interpreting cultural history in a nuclear missile silo

Conventional historic preservation of military artifacts and sites is typically limited to presenting technological context and/or official military history. Cultural context is usually ignored in developing preservation strategies for these sites. This thesis explores ways in which the Atlas F Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) came to embody cultural fears and concerns about nuclear technology, including ways in which these fears were expressed in cultural media. It then goes on to argue for a more culturally inclusive, dynamic, interpretive approach to preservation of historic military landscapes and architecture. Using a specific Atlas F ICBM silo, three possible design alternatives are generated as examples of how to present relevant cultural history on such a site.