Architecture as Spectacle

This subject considered the production of architecture in the age of commodification. It considered the place of architecture in a world that is growingly preoccupied with the visual and the culture of consumerism. It reflected on how such a world conceives, experiences and consumes architectural design as spectacle, placing striking visuality and iconography above other design intentions. Colonial imagining of otherness, nation building, heritage conservation, tourism industry, popular culture and media, as well as the branding practice of the 21st century were considered as the broader political and social contexts in which the conception of architecture as spectacle arises. Through a variety of case studies — ranging from the architecture of national pavilions at the world exposition series, the signatory works of 21st century’s star architects and their shaping of the image of the global cities, the strategic use of architecture in promoting place identity, arts, and heritage, to the commercial architecture of shopping malls, entertainment centres, and international franchise brands — we reflected on, not only the commodification of architecture, but also how architectural design operates as a medium of commodification of culture, heritage, memory, and otherness. The subject also explored the extent to which the notion of architecture as spectacle has infiltrated the space of everyday life, the house and the perception of urban life in general. We then pondered on the effects of the commodification of architecture in the way we experience and shape our built environments.

Institution

Melbourne School of Design

Coordinator

A/Prof Amanda Achmadi

Tutors

Amanda Achmadi, Carey Landwehr

Semester

2024 S2

Year

2024–2026

Guest lectures

Prof. Kim Dovey, Prof. Paul Walker, Dr Brendan Josey, Francesco Stassi

Student essays

1. Bjorn Tan Architect & The State: Wielding the Sword of Empires
2. Danna Wan The Spectacle of Tiananmen Square; Architecture and Political Framing
3. Daquan Guan An Examination of the Architectural Crisis and Emerging Paradigms: Critical Analysis and Future Direction
4. Eddy Zhou Capitalising on the victims of Capitalism: Spectacle of Melbourne's 'Public Housing Towers'
5. Elvis Choi Architecture as an Instagrammable Space in Post-Tourism
6. Iggy Licup Architectural Image Making in the Exponential Age
7. Jack Osborn The Generic City Realised: How the spectacle of globalised place produces inauthentic urban environments
8. Jeremy Hui Participatory Design for a Better City Planning and Image Making
9. Jingxuan Yan Olympic Branding: Spatial Control and the Cultural Symbolization in Rio's Favelas
10. Jonah Schembri Moving beyond Capitalism with Biomimetic Architecture
11. Katia Romanic How does the concept of Orientalism explain ongoing stereotypical portrayals of Egypt in contemporary media?
12. Lisa Biasotto Architecture's role beyond branding amidst globalisation and changing identities
13. Madeline Craigie The Weaponisation of Architecture as an Apparatus: Power, Resistance and Spectacle
14. Matthew Gallmann The 'Other' Architecture: The Case of Kosovo
15. Michael Giese On Greenwashing: Image-making and the Spectacle of Sustainable Architecture within the 21st Century Climate Crisis
16. Nathan Arceri Echoes of an Old Memory: The Australian Dream, Expectations, and Belonging in Greenfield Suburbia
17. Polly Gemmell Dark Tourism - an Essay
18. Raymond Hao The City Branding of Xi'an
19. Sebastian Konyn Seeing green: Spectacle and representation in NEOM
20. Sharvari Rane Reimagining Power: Decolonizing British Museums Through Architecture in the Post-Tourism Era
21. Yueyao Xu Idealisation and Contested Memorial Spaces: Rethinking the Critique of Spectacle. National Stances, and Emotional Accommodation