Design Thesis (Research)

The culmination of 12 months of research and site visits exploring the spacial implication of sexual transgression, as part of the culmination of the Masters of Architecture at The University of Melbourne.

Research Question
How can performance theory be adapted to narrative based architecture? Through exploring themes of sadomasochism on architectural performance, how can George Bataille’s and Michael Foucault’s theories of transgression be explored in an architectural environment?

Research Statement
George Bataille theorises that sexual transgression and the breaking of sexual and violent taboos allows us to ‘experience mortality’ in a way we cannot in everyday life. He uses the subversive pornographic works of the Marquis de Sade to qualify the yearning for erotic practices. The sexual taboos of contemporary society have meant that the design community has largely ignored the marginalised BDSM community.
This work will investigate transgressive spaces – particularly those of the Marquis de Sade and Antonin Artaud – and apply these theories to a narrative based architectural project, exploring the idea of the ‘limit experience’.
This thesis will take the form of an investigation on the application of architectural theory on theatre and immersive performance traversing sexual transgression and sadomasochism.
How do trangressive practices manifest themselves spatially? How can eroticism and transgression be more adequately designed for? (i.e. the inadequacies of the traditional bedroom space for sexual activity) and what are the further implications on designing an architecture for sexual transgression?