oneshotexhibition.org blog

The issues of gender in Architecture has been swirling on whether there is an identity that can be defined. It is a subject that will bring into question about the roles of producing architectural space.

Can the audience decipher what is feminine architecture to the rest of the male dominate world that is ever-changing with the shift of woman playing a important role in world politics, business, commerce and leadership. Does feminine architecture has to come from a woman whose ideals evoke femininity in their work or someone else other than whose work displays forms of femininity for the stimuli of men desire? It is a subjugated issue which should be understand in ways of define relationships on what are men and women perspectives, to show the mobility and visibility of public space, historically and theoretically, whether it comes from a woman’s point of view.

There are 2 books that addresses those issues, both by the same author, is sort of an introductory of gender architecture and space- Gender Space Architecture: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and The Pursuit of Pleasure: Gender, Space and Architecture in Regency London by Jane Rendell. It is an important subject that looks in the make up and influences towards the relationship of man, woman and commodity.

Julia Morgan, the celebrated woman Architect form the early 20th Century who was responsible for the design of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, is considered of great talent but what’s interesting is the attire she wearing, not necessarily from the exquisite design of her work. The reason it was significant was the woman’s appearance of their roles in a male dominate society; she did not dress in womans’ attire, she dress in male clothes with the suit and tie, as she did it before Diane Keaton’s character dressed on the movie Annie Hall.

Julia Morgan with William Randolph Hearst

Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) w/ Woody Allen (Alvy Singer) in the movie Annie Hall.

Similar to gender discrimination, a women back in the past disguised or masked themselves into being a male cohort in order to be accepted in their professional field. The reality of women are subjectively introduce themselves as part of a problem on gender roles when the merit of work is not into question. The masculinity in their presence can only be serve for their acceptance.

Today, there might be still a disparity between men and woman in the field of Architecture, but there is more of a visibility in the media that is focusing on design and architecture. Women who collaborated with their male counterpart and some women on their own practice seems to be on a rise of acknowledgment for their work in art, design, writing and architecture.

Zaha Hadid, the Iranian-born and Pritzker Prized architect, is the most publicized and well-known in terms of her work and been able to received commissions base on merit. She doesn’t believed being a woman reflects her body of work as being female and she is not worry or even care as being as a role model for women because she is only cares about the work she produces, a sort of ego-maniacal rant mostly associate with men.

Now she finding herself into a quandary. In the Building Design (BD) website article, the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, refuse to build the Architecture Foundation Headquarters Building in Southwark, England, on grounds that it cost too much to build and is unwilling to work on the scheme.

Would it make a difference if it was designed by male architect like Rem Koolhaas? Is there gender politics in this matter when the Architect is a woman in a man dominating machine?

Zaha Hadid’s Architecture Foundation Headquarters

The reason for this inquisition and the focus in one of the subjects on diversity for the exhibition is the interdisciplinary study of discourse in regards of race, gender and politics in Architecture and design, possibly today’s race for the presidency. The only hope is to have different perspectives in tackling the issues of development, response and openness.

Is it the female who produces architectural space cause a definitive mode of representation in becoming gender architecture or is it the author themselves (male or female) who creates define qualities of architectural space inherently femoral or a feminist point of view that can be understood? Still searching for those ideals that makes sense.

Song of the Blog: Is this Desire? from PJ Harvey from the album Is This Desire?