Course Contents
https://www.architektur.tu-darmstadt.de/atw/lehre_atw/semesterprogramm_3/aktuelle_veranstaltungen_atw/aktuelles_semester.de.jsp
Architecture of surveillance – From the disciplinary to the control society
Surveillance architectures encompass both physical and digital structures designed to record and control behaviour. From the historical panopticon – Jeremy Bentham's ‘perfect prison’ with a central tower and an unobstructed observation position – to modern ‘defensive architecture’ in urban spaces, they influence behaviour through constant or presumed surveillance. Digital surveillance (cameras, data collection) extends this to a digital panopticon. Architecture plays a central role in this as a medium that provides space and structure, both creating certain typologies (prisons, camps) and controlling human behaviour (habits, ritualised processes).
In the seminar, we examine historical and contemporary core aspects, taking into account their functionality and design. Michel Foucault sees panopticism as the foundation of modern surveillance theory: a central observer monitors many inmates without them knowing whether they are being observed. This leads to self-discipline. Gilles Deleuze complements this by conceptualising the philosophical transition from a disciplinary to a control society.
Control through design is particularly prevalent today in public spaces, which are increasingly permeated by ‘defensive architecture’ (also known as ‘hostile architecture’). The aim is to prevent undesirable behaviour, such as homeless people or skaters gathering in these spaces, through structural measures – for example, sloping seats, dividing bars on benches or metal spikes on wall ledges. Digital surveillance, the use of CCTV cameras, systematic data collection (data mining) and smart city technologies are also transforming public spaces into permanently monitored zones. The fusion of the physical environment and state data analysis systems (e.g. social credit systems) creates a seamless surveillance infrastructure. Architecture of surveillance thus refers both to a physical structure and a political instrument for controlling and regulating social life.
Lecturer: Prof. Sandra Meireis
Expected Number of Participants
15
- Lecturer: Sandra Meireis