Counteracting Socio-spatial Segregation through Architectural Verwandlung

Abstract

One of the places where the phenomenon of socio-spatial segregation is most evident and tangible is the city of São Paulo in Brazil, which is also known as “the city of walls.” I developed an architectural concept based on philosopher Elias Canetti’s concept of Verwandlung that relates the social and mental levels of segregation with the spatial dimension of the architectural project. As ‘empathic metamorphosis’, Verwandlung for the human subject implies both an internal transformation and a behavioural exteriorisation, and thus moreover always occurs in relation to the context or environment one finds oneself in. The knowledge from my research that architectural expressions of socio-spatial segregation limit or even inhibit Verwandlung and the assertion that architecture has the ability to encourage human Verwandlung resulted in the idea of architectural Verwandlung as a main theme/aim for my design. Architectural Verwandlung denotes the coincidence of two transformations: a formal architectural one and a social one that is instigated by it and that gives it first meaning. By stirring citizens‘ ability of Verwandlung, architectural Verwandlung helps in building bridges among citizens from different social groups. Counteracting socio-spatial segregation by means of architectural Verwandlung means here to address foremost the mental level through an architecture that is both open and engaging. Particularly the built work of Lina Bo Bardi provided me with inspiring case-studies for the further elaboration and exemplification of the concept of Architectural Verwandlung. Based on the history of socio-spatial segregation in the area of the design plot, the design of my final proposal refers back to the typology of the mansion. In my proposal of a public multi-purpose building that includes various programs, the most important of which is a social centre, the mansion typology is combined with an office tower whereby the complex as a whole embodies the social transformation of the current business district, both architecturally and functionally. Thus at large my project should be understood as the transformation of an ordinary office tower into a mansion and that in turn into a social centre as a shared home for the community. The latter transformation implies not simply a formal typological transformation but truly an Architectural Verwandlung. It involves a change of association but also an evocation of atmosphere until the smallest scale level of the architectural element and creates a social environment which enhances social integration.