Democratic Space

I dream the body democratic

 

A promise and destiny is at stake.

The construction of democratic space is essential to avoid a false narrative where citizens presumed to be 'free' are flattened and transformed into a flock of sheep needing to be pastured.

Democratic space completely changes the narration of space fostered by traditionalist regression characterized by the architect who knows best, self-made entrepreneurs, and generational wealth, indifferent to the public interest but needing symbolic and protective skyscraper fortresses.

It creates the possibility of living in environments 'shaped' by a belief in the 'constructability' of a 'life in common,' symbolized by spatial systems such as inverted catenary arches, designed with structural reciprocity where the forces "lean" on each other yet remain self-supporting.

Structural reciprocity, as the primary design criteria of form, bets on the possibilities of transformation - where the physical narrative embodies nothing less than a kind of 'civic spirit,' a common feeling and agreement in concrete form regarding several fundamental principles, like freedom, play, and sexual equality.

From this perspective, democratic space is the spatial narration of a people building an identity and representation for themselves––where legitimacy and validation of architectural form derive from the people and demonstrate their ability to project the democratic objective into the environment.

Even though "the people" is a fictitious identity, the solidarity of a group intent on promoting the interests of democracy among themselves must be made visible through a form to generate emotional allegiance––so that emotional involvement animates the narrative and mobilizes a reciprocal process between identity and representation capable of producing a 'people.'

MOLM Structure Reciprocity 2010 Noted Yellow DH
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