LIST OF APPENDICES
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
3.2. THEORIES AND CONCEPTS
The various theories, that have been identified as important to this research proposal and that will form the framework for the literature review, are as follows:
PRIMARY THEORY Dystopian Theory
“The opposite of utopia, dystopia describes a nightmarish vision of society” [Porter, 2004: 51]
Dystopia has been a part of the human imagination in the form of literature since the 19th century; with works like ‘The Time Machine’ by H.G. Wells leading the genre into the 20th century where dystopian environments became commonplace in fiction.
From a more contemporary viewpoint dystopian imagery is becoming increasingly popular in the creative industry; this can be seen in the areas of computer games and cinema (only been around in these mediums since 1950-1980).The romanticized neo- gothic landscapes that are often fantastically hybridized with nature and science easily capture the viewer’s imagination.
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The dystopian theme has developed over the years and is now being engaged by the likes of Darryl Chen as a productive architectural narrative; similarly the work of associate professor Daniel K. Brown at the University of Wellington has been an investigation into the beneficial interaction with dystopian landscapes.
It is important to make it clear that dystopian theory has been best studied in the field of literature and media studies [as opposed to architecture ] and it is within these fields that one can begin to grasp both the history and current standing of dystopian theory.
As Peter Stillman writes dystopian literature has “moved towards Moylan as recently identified, in his book ‘Scraps of the Untainted Sky’, as “critical dystopias.”” This form of dystopia is a reaction to critical utopia and it takes what, Sargent in Stillman refers to as, the dystopian strategy “to map, warn, and hope” and builds upon it. The main change in the traditional dystopian literature is that they do not end with warnings and
“the hope that readers will act to prevent the dystopian future- but they gain power and energy from a utopian horizon” [Stillman, 2001: 367]. This is what Stillman and Moylan refer to as “utopian anticipation”
It is the core aspects of mapping, warning, hope and anticipation that will be studied in order to develop a framework for engaging with dystopia from an architectural point of view.
The theory behind dystopian literature is a well documented field which makes it a suitable core theory to study; it has also been mentioned that it is a topic that is becoming ever more popular in the world today which could be due to its own appeal or perhaps because it people can relate with dystopias more so than utopias.
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Theory of Narrative Architecture
Dystopian theory is firmly rooted as a form of narrative within the field of Science Fiction and in order to bridge the gap between dystopian theory [critical dystopia in particular] and architecture one will research the theory of narrative architecture as discussed by the likes of Coates.
Narrative architecture is the way built form can convey a story or lesson to the user and relates to the success of storytelling through the medium of architecture; Coates identifies that the narrative experience within the built form, as with any experience, has a base within the concept of perception and phenomenology, it is for this reason that a sub section of narrative theory will need to by the work by Kevin Lynch on the
‘imageability’ of the city.
CONCEPTS
Urban Decay and Rejuvenation
Urban decay and rejuvenation are pertinent to this research because brown fields are in part a product of urban decay while rejuvenation is the terminology for the
redevelopment of such sites. The literature attached to both “decay” and “rejuvenation”
is wide and will therefore be considered in a supportive manner; looking how and where it relates to dystopia. It is through these concepts that dystopian theory may be woven into a more architectural thinking of the urban environment.
Briefly, urban decay is something that has been an identifiable phenomenon impacting built form since the early 1900’s and has therefore been debated by several authors, one such author would be Eliel Saarinen in the book The City: It’s Growth, It’s Decay, It’s Future which focuses on the post war problem of urban decay.
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Rejuvenation as described by Saarinen has to do with planned urban restructuring; a sort of surgery where the infected sites are removed and replaced with more suitable functions. This may be disputed as being slightly irresponsible and it therefore makes sense that there are many different architectural interventions that may rejuvenate a site or portion of the urban fabric. This said the majority of the literature on
rejuvenation will be in the form of precedent studies.
Brown Field Sites [Decay]
The topic of brown field sites falls under urban decay as it is a product of deindustrialization; it can be defined an follows:
“A brown field site is land previously used for industrial purposes or some commercial use. The land may be contaminated with low concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution” [Brownfield Land, 2013]
As far as literature on brown field sites goes the bulk of the information that describes their characteristics, locations, socio economic impacts and rehabilitation can be found on the EPA database [Environmental Protection Agency].
Phytoremediation & Adaptive Reuse [Rejuvenation]
These are concepts that link to the rejuvenation of both natural and built environments respectively. Both concepts are sustainable practices and are therefore a form of responsible design that ties in with the fore mentioned idea of a’ productive dystopia’
Phytoremediation is a natural process where the pollutants that are typical on brown field sites are contained and reduced through the use of various plant species; the plants gradually heal the environment and restore balance to the ecosystem. This process also has the added benefit of introducing nature back into the urban environment.
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Adaptive Reuse is also a relatively simple process where existing structures and materials on site are used for new functions and activities that they were not originally intended for; this can positively alter the perception of the site as well as lower the financial/environmental impact of the design.
The following sections cover all of the concepts and theories mentioned above in a detailed manner to develop an understanding of how they can work together and be applied to the problem of brown field sites.
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The value within the ‘bad place’
This chapter covers the primary theory of the dissertation; that being Dystopian Theory which will be looked at from both the fictional and non-fictional perspectives. This will allow the exploration into the characteristics of dystopian images and architecture that can be found in films and novels; it also allows for the exploration of what dystopia is within the built environment and how it is viewed within the discipline of architecture.
3.3 FICTION