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The Inhabitable Flesh of Architecture: A New Vision for the Body and the Built Environment
Today's architecture has failed the body with its long heritage of purity of form and aesthetic of cleanliness. A resurgence of interest in flesh, especially in art, has led to a politics of abjection, completely changing traditional aesthetics, and is now giving light to an alternative discussion about the body in architecture. This article is dedicated to a future vision of the body in architecture, questioning the contemporary relationship between our Human Flesh and the changing Architectural Flesh. Through the analysis and design of a variety of buildings and projects, Flesh is proposed as a concept that extends the meaning of skin, one of architecture's most fundamental metaphors. It seeks to challenge a common misunderstanding of skin as a flat and thin surface. In a time when a pervasive discourse about the impact of digital technologies risks turning the architectural skin ever more disembodied, this article argues for a thick embodied flesh by exploring architectural interfaces that are truly inhabitable.
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What is Flesh?
Flesh is not just skin. Flesh is not just meat. Flesh is not just tissue. Flesh is more than that. Flesh is a concept that encompasses all these aspects and more. Flesh is a living material that connects us to ourselves, to others and to the world. Flesh is a medium of expression and communication that conveys emotions, sensations and meanings. Flesh is a source of pleasure and pain, of beauty and horror, of attraction and repulsion. Flesh is a boundary that defines and defies our identity, our morality and our culture. Flesh is a metaphor that shapes and challenges our understanding of architecture, of the built environment and of the human condition.
Why Flesh?
Flesh is relevant for architecture because it offers a new perspective on the body and the built environment. Architecture has traditionally neglected the body, or reduced it to a geometric abstraction, a functional unit or a statistical average. Architecture has also ignored the flesh, or treated it as a superficial layer, a decorative element or a technical problem. Architecture has thus failed to address the complexity, diversity and dynamism of the human experience, as well as the ethical, social and environmental implications of the architectural practice. Flesh challenges this status quo by proposing a new vision of the body in architecture, one that is more embodied, more expressive and more inhabitable.
How Flesh?
Flesh is not only a concept, but also a design strategy. Flesh can be used as a tool to create architectural interfaces that are truly inhabitable, that engage the body and the senses, that stimulate the imagination and the emotions, that provoke the curiosity and the dialogue, that reflect the identity and the culture, that respond to the context and the environment, that evolve over time and adapt to change. Flesh can be applied to different scales, from the urban to the interior, from the public to the private, from the permanent to the temporary. Flesh can be materialized in different ways, from the organic to the synthetic, from the natural to the artificial, from the living to the non-living. Flesh can be influenced by different disciplines, from art to science, from biology to technology, from psychology to sociology.
Flesh in Art: A Politics of Abjection
Flesh has been a recurrent theme in art history, especially in painting and sculpture. However, in recent decades, flesh has gained a new prominence and significance in contemporary art, especially in performance art and installation art. Flesh has become a politics of abjection, a way of challenging and subverting the dominant aesthetics of beauty, harmony and order. Flesh has become a way of expressing and exploring the human condition in its most visceral and vulnerable aspects.
The Abjection of Flesh
Flesh evokes abjection, a term coined by Julia Kristeva in her book Powers of Horror (1982). Abjection is a psychological reaction of disgust and horror towards something that threatens our sense of identity and order. Abjection is triggered by things that blur the boundaries between self and other, between inside and outside, between life and death. Abjection is experienced when we encounter corpses, blood, wounds, excrement, vomit or any other bodily fluids or wastes. Abjection is also felt when we witness violence, disease, decay or deformity. Abjection confronts us with our own mortality and fragility.
The Art of Flesh
Many artists have used flesh as a medium and a message in their works. They have exposed their own flesh or manipulated other flesh materials to create shocking and disturbing artworks that challenge our notions of beauty, morality and culture. Some examples are:
Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010), a French-American artist who explored themes of sexuality, trauma and memory through sculptures made of latex, rubber or fabric that resemble body parts or organs.
Matthew Barney (1967-), an American artist who created a series of multimedia works called Drawing Restraint (1987-2009) that involve physical challenges or constraints while drawing or sculpting with materials such as petroleum jelly or wax.
Marc Quinn (1964-), a British artist who made sculptures using his own blood frozen in silicone molds of his head (Self series 1991-2006) or using animal or human flesh preserved in formaldehyde (Garden 2000).
Jake and Dinos Chapman (1966-; 1962-), British brothers who created sculptures and installations featuring mutilated mannequins or anatomical models with grotesque features such as genitalia or animal heads (Zygotic acceleration 1995; Hell 2000).
Lee Bul (1964-), a Korean artist who performed wearing costumes made of fabric or latex that exaggerated or distorted her body shape (Sorry for suffering 1990; Monster 1998).
The Implications of Flesh
with ourselves, with others and with the world. Flesh art can show how flesh is not only a material but also a medium of communication, as it conveys emotions, sensations and meanings. Flesh art can suggest how flesh is not only a boundary but also a bridge, as it connects us to ourselves, to others and to the world. Flesh art can demonstrate how flesh is not only a metaphor but also a reality, as it shapes and challenges our understanding of architecture, of the built environment and of the human condition.
Flesh in Architecture: A Thick Embodied Interface
Flesh can be applied to architecture as a concept that extends the meaning of skin, one of architecture's most fundamental metaphors. Skin has been used to describe the outer layer of a building that separates the interior from the exterior, that protects the structure from the elements, that regulates the temperature and the light, that expresses the style and the function. However, skin has often been misunderstood or misused as a flat and thin surface, a mere facade or envelope, a passive or inert membrane. Flesh challenges this misconception by proposing a thick embodied interface, a way of designing architectural skins that are truly inhabitable, that engage the body and the senses, that stimulate the imagination and the emotions, that provoke the curiosity and the dialogue, that reflect the identity and the culture, that respond to the context and the environment, that evolve over time and adapt to change.
The Skin of Architecture
The skin of architecture has a long and rich history that can be traced back to ancient times. The skin of architecture has been influenced by different factors such as climate, culture, technology and aesthetics. The skin of architecture has been materialized in different ways such as stone, brick, wood, metal, glass or concrete. The skin of architecture has been categorized in different types such as load-bearing, curtain wall, double-skin or smart skin. The skin of architecture has been explored in different styles such as classical, modern or postmodern. The skin of architecture has been challenged by different movements such as organic, brutalist or deconstructivist.
The Flesh of Architecture
The flesh of architecture is a new paradigm that proposes a different way of thinking and designing architectural skins. The flesh of architecture is inspired by various examples of buildings and projects that have explored flesh as a concept and a material. Some examples are:
Hyperdermis/Walls for Communicating People (1999-2000) by Marcos Cruz, a project that proposes walls made of latex membranes that can be inflated or deflated by air pressure to create different spatial configurations and acoustic effects.
Neoplasmatic Design (2008-2010) by Marcos Cruz and Marjan Colletti, a research project that explores synthetic neoplasms as new semi-living entities that blur the line between the natural and the artificial.
Blobwall (2006) by Greg Lynn, a pavilion made of hollow plastic blobs that can be stacked together to form different shapes and patterns.
Blobmeister (2001) by Hernan Diaz Alonso, a project that imagines buildings as organic masses that grow and mutate according to their own logic and desires.
The Future of Architecture
The flesh of architecture offers new possibilities and challenges for architectural practice, research and education. The flesh of architecture requires new skills and tools to create and manipulate complex forms and materials. The flesh of architecture demands new methods and criteria to evaluate and critique architectural quality and performance. The flesh of architecture invites new collaborations and interactions among architects, engineers, artists, scientists and users. The flesh of architecture implies new responsibilities and consequences for architectural ethics and sustainability.
Conclusion: Towards an Inhabitable Flesh of Architecture
This article has presented a future vision of the body in architecture, questioning the contemporary relationship between our Human Flesh and the changing Architectural Flesh. Through the analysis and design of a variety of buildings and projects, Flesh has been proposed as a concept that extends the meaning of skin, one of architecture's most fundamental metaphors. It has been argued that Flesh can challenge a common misunderstanding of skin as a flat and thin surface by proposing a thick embodied interface that can create architectural skins that are truly inhabitable. It has also been shown how Flesh can be informed and inspired by flesh art, which has led to a politics of abjection that completely changes traditional aesthetics. It has been suggested that Flesh can offer new possibilities and challenges for architectural practice, research and education, as well as for architectural ethics and sustainability.
FAQs
What is the difference between skin and flesh in architecture?
Skin is a metaphor that describes the outer layer of a building that separates the interior from the exterior. Flesh is a concept that extends the meaning of skin by proposing a thick embodied interface that engages the body and the senses.
What are some examples of flesh art?
Flesh art is a type of contemporary art that uses flesh as a medium and a message to challenge and subvert the dominant aesthetics of beauty, harmony and order. Some examples of flesh artists are Louise Bourgeois, Matthew Barney, Marc Quinn, Jake and Dinos Chapman and Lee Bul.
What are some examples of flesh architecture?
Flesh architecture is a new paradigm that proposes flesh as a concept and a material for architectural design. Some examples of flesh architecture are Hyperdermis/Walls for Communicating People by Marcos Cruz, Neoplasmatic Design by Marcos Cruz and Marjan Colletti, Blobwall by Greg Lynn and Blobmeister by Hernan Diaz Alonso.
What are some benefits of flesh architecture?
Flesh architecture can offer benefits such as creating architectural interfaces that are more embodied, more expressive and more inhabitable, stimulating the imagination and the emotions, provoking the curiosity and the dialogue, reflecting the identity and the culture, responding to the context and the environment, evolving over time and adapting to change.
What are some challenges of flesh architecture?
Flesh architecture can pose challenges such as requiring new skills and tools to create and manipulate complex forms and materials, demanding new methods and criteria to evaluate and critique architectural quality and performance, inviting new collaborations and interactions among architects, engineers, artists, scientists and users, implying new responsibilities and consequences for architectural ethics and sustainability.
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