Queer(ing) ___ - an experimental writing for liberation

This thesis examines contemporary architectural culture through the lens of queering - a theoretical framework that challenges normative spatial practicesand social structures. It critically analyses how modern architecture has shifted from human-centred design to profit-driven development, and explores whether queering methodologies can offer transformative solutions to the challenges facing architecture, society and the environment. The research explores how rapid technological development has mechanised architectural practice, potentially diminishing its creative and humanistic elements. Through experimental writing that takes the form of a personal diary, this thesis traces architectural discourse from early modernism, beginning with a critical examination of Adolf Loos’s anti-ornamental stance and its unintended consequences in contemporary practice.The analysis extends through various queer theoretical frameworks, examining how concepts of masking,performance and authenticity manifest in architectural space.The work culminates in a deeply personal examination of contemporary architectural practice, exploring how current working conditions and institutional structures affect designers, architects and students.Drawing on diverse methodological approaches including historical analysis, queer theory and autoethnography,the thesis examines how queering can functionas both critique and creative practice in architecture.It analyzes specific case studies, including the Villa Müller, architectural spaces in Seville and Athens, and the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, to demonstrate how queering can be manifested in both built form and cultural events. Ultimately, the research proposes that queering offers potential strategies for liberating architecture from current constraints and suggests pathways towards more inclusive, expressive and humane spatial practices.

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Publication Details

Journal
reposiTUm (TU Wien)
Published
2025-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.34726/hss.2025.123600
Primary Topic
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Queer(ing) ___ - an experimental writing for liberation

reposiTUm (TU Wien)
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
article

Queer(ing) ___ - an experimental writing for liberation

article en

Abstract

This thesis examines contemporary architectural culture through the lens of queering - a theoretical framework that challenges normative spatial practicesand social structures. It critically analyses how modern architecture has shifted from human-centred design to profit-driven development, and explores whether queering methodologies can offer transformative solutions to the challenges facing architecture, society and the environment. The research explores how rapid technological development has mechanised architectural practice, potentially diminishing its creative and humanistic elements. Through experimental writing that takes the form of a personal diary, this thesis traces architectural discourse from early modernism, beginning with a critical examination of Adolf Loos’s anti-ornamental stance and its unintended consequences in contemporary practice.The analysis extends through various queer theoretical frameworks, examining how concepts of masking,performance and authenticity manifest in architectural space.The work culminates in a deeply personal examination of contemporary architectural practice, exploring how current working conditions and institutional structures affect designers, architects and students.Drawing on diverse methodological approaches including historical analysis, queer theory and autoethnography,the thesis examines how queering can functionas both critique and creative practice in architecture.It analyzes specific case studies, including the Villa Müller, architectural spaces in Seville and Athens, and the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, to demonstrate how queering can be manifested in both built form and cultural events. Ultimately, the research proposes that queering offers potential strategies for liberating architecture from current constraints and suggests pathways towards more inclusive, expressive and humane spatial practices.

reposiTUm (TU Wien)
TU Wien (AT)
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 49%
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
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