Semester 1 Design Research TEH XUE KAI 18023215 DS3 // 2019 Spectatorship & Commodification of Nature
The market bridges the global scale of logistics with the domestic scale of daily and life. As the space of encounter between goods and bodies, where resources become commodities and value is sold and bought, the space of the market is reflective and/or indicative of the current conditions of change and exchange. It is the interface for the confrontations and contradictions inherent to global capitalist trade. The studio, DS3 aims to unpack architecture’s role as an instrument of political agency through critical reading of the site at a multitude of scales- from the dividual subject of the workers to the global forces operating with extrastate power, confronting the imaginaries and materialities of power built by architectural and territorial projects.
Contents Chapter 1 /
-Reflection-
Theme Consolidation
Chapter 2 /
-Mapping-
Copper Market London Metal Exchange
Chapter 3 / -Unseen View-
Theatre of Production
Royal Saltworks, Arc-et-Senans
Chapter 4 / -Projective View-
Fortification
Chapter 1 -ReflectionTheme Consolidation
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The dormitory labour regime in post-socialist China by Chris Smith & Ngai Pun
The reading discusses about the employer- controlled accommodation in the human resources management in the China which is undergoing rapid industrialization. Having immediate labor supply in a way prolongs working hours, on the other hand helps the management in responding to the unforeseen/fluctuating demands. However, in this case the employers would have excessive power beyond employment to the life of the workers as a form of coercive control. Being integrated into the global economy, most of the workers are internal migrants. The recurrence of the dormitory labor regime is a spatial production politics articulated with the revival of capitalism in China, or even globally. As the hybrid outgrowth of global capitalism with the legacies of the state socialism, the dormitories in a way paternalize the workers group and concentrate the labor but not the labor organization as the high circulation of transitory labor power can effectively prevent the workers to form a community or build a working-class institution to fight for their rights and welfares. Furthermore, two different spatial integration of dormitories were compared by Ngai and Smith to study the dormitory labour regime and the living conditions of the workers. In short, a well-accommodated working environment is important in ensuring the efficient delivery and fulfillment of the goods and commodities. Spatial politics of production requires consistent and systematic configuration in labor control and practices for the market and business to grow exponentially as spatial qualities and organization play important roles in affecting the outcome of the transnational production scale on global capitalism.
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The Container by Charmaine Chua
Through the reading it can be argued that containerization has induced and accelerated growth, efficiency and mobility in global logistics behind the productions, increasing the demands of logistical infrastructure. At the same time, containers should be viewed from a bigger picture as a part of something of bigger scales that reaches into our collective spaces of inhabitation. With that being said, this can be used to inspire us into perceiving containers as the structure of logistics that infinitely sprawl and often overlooked. Thus, I am taking this opportunity to investigate the productions and its component that are always out of sight to the population but nevertheless play an important role in the global trade. Another interesting point worth-mentioning is the sprawl of infrastructure and its intermodal nature that have “pushed� the ports to the peripheries of the cities where it disrupts the vulnerable members of the society. All these were made happened with the excuses that they will bring employment opportunities to the community to improve their life. The material violence that etched into the capitalist development debilitates the sense of logistics as a part of place identity, leaving populations disorientated.
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The deadly life of logistics by Deborah Cowen
The reading discusses about the citizenship of stuff, the commodity supply and links of the global market along with the history of logistics. The movement of materials through spaces has undoubtedly reshaped the global economics while the revolution of logistics has reconstructed the concept of capitalism into a global supply chain in which complex productions and distributions take place. Tracking back to the history of logistics, due to the changing in the era of globalization and privatization, logistics has shifted from a supporting role to a more strategic role in today’s market. As a result, the circulation of goods across places has redefined borders, territories and spatial qualities to enable exchanges to happen. The revolution in logistics has changed the entire system of production that it is a norm nowadays that manufacturing process happen across multiple spaces and circulation of goods are spanned across national borders. Furthermore, logistics remain very political, setting new dimension to social life with urban citizenship and affecting workers from different countries. In short, the world of logistics goes beyond the circulation of goods whereby the flow of materials has become a driving force in redefining territories, markets, labour and global economies.
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Commodification of Nature
Architecture and agriculture have both become tool for capital accumulation which led to social inequality and environmental destruction. Nature is commodified as the victim of capitalism as natural resources form the basis of economy in this era. Supply chain of nature goods has become capitalist’s tool for private wealth accumulation by undermining the original source of all wealth: soil and workers, exploiting the cheap labor which mainly constituted of refugees and illegal immigrants. Besides, one of the consequences of such is the pollution created during the food production and transportation of the supply chain. Moreover, architecture has been used as a tool to seduce land ownership in the worship of capitalism, advocating the misconception that the buildings and land are no longer to be used, but to be owned. Thus, architects need to rethink the revolution of agriculture in relation to land as it will have ripple effect on the social and urban landscape in the future.
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Architecture and the State
In many cases, architecture is weaponized in a political sense with the propensity for violence of architecture being instrumentalized by political agendas to segregate the population. Moreover, from spatial configuration point of view, “markets� are the perfect candidate to be converted into shelter/detention center due to its open plan configuration which facilitates optimal control over their inhabitants especially those with centric configuration. However, although the ideologies behind were not invented by architecture, we cannot deny that architecture is a tool to implement their violence on bodies.
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Chapter 2 -MappingCopper Market
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The aim of this cartography is to map the network and traces of copper production monitored by the London metal exchange (LME). This is to highlight the dimensions of usage and commodification of copper as a natural resource, monitored by a centralized body in a bigger scale, inspired by the Royal Saltworks. LME is the futures exchange with the world’s largest market in future contracts on base metals including copper but with that being said the metals do not physically go through the LME to be exchanged. There are over 550 LMEapproved storage facilities in 33 locations across the USA, Europe and Asia. However, the LME does not own or operate the warehouses, nor does it own the material they contain. LME authorizes warehouse companies and the warehouses the operate to store LME-registered brands of metal, on behalf of warrant holders and issue LME warrants through their agent in London for material to be delivered into the warehouses. In order to support the mechanism of physical delivery the LME licenses a network of warehouses and storage facilities, in which strict criteria must be met in handling of the metals.
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Copper Market
Copper was the first metal traded on LME when it was founded in 1877. Due to its widespread use in industry, copper is viewed as being closely connected to macroeconomic events. Copper is one of the oldest metals known to man, which was discovered and first use around 10,000 years ago for coins to enable exchanges of goods. It was an essential element in transitioning from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, as copper is mixed with tin to create bronze. It is a good conductor of electricity as well as being ductile, so it was also extremely crucial in the industrial revolution. In modern era, copper is used mainly in wiring, piping, electric product manufacturing, building construction, infrastructure, power generation and transportation. Its widely utilization in construction is preferred in part because of its aesthetic appeal but also because it does not burn, melt or release toxic fumes in the event of a fire. In piping, it protects water systems from dangerous bacteria. Most importantly, copper does not lose its chemical or physical properties during the recycling process, thus copper scrap serves as an important source to the production of copper products through electrolysis refinement.
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d on the London Metal Exchange (LME) when s widespread use in industry, copper is viewed as oeconomic events – so much so that some say mics.
ch was coins and g from with tin
infections. ctile, so it on.
Copper mine production by country 2016 (thousand metric tonnes) Chile Peru China United States Australia Congo Zambia Mexico Indonesia Canada Russian Fed. Kazakhstan Poland Mongolia Brazil Iran Lao Spain Bulgaria Turkey
Oceania Africa
5%
Latin America
9%
Copper production by region 2016
41%
Europe
12%
North America
15% 18% Asia 0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
Source: ICSG Industrial
North America Latin America
11%
Equipment
2% 31%
13%
0.04% 10%
Europe
18%
Transport
Copper consumption by industry 2016
ts aesthetic ase toxic ems from oes not lose g process.
Oceania
1% Copper consumption by region 2016
16% Building construction
29%
Infrastructure
69% Asia
Source: ICSG
Source: ICSG
Copper mineElectrolysis production by country and copper consumption charts
refinement
Anode
metimes the concentrates are roasted but all are ormed into a ‘matte’ during smelting process, before g converted and refined to produce copper anodes
Cathode The anodes are refined predominantly by electrolysis to create copper cathodes. This is classed as ‘primary copper production’. The deliverable of 13 an LME Copper contract is Grade A copper cathode
Copper scrap
During the semi-fabricated or finished product manufacturing stage, copper scrap is sometimes generated and is regarded by the industry as ‘secondary production’
Africa
LME copper ware There are a comprehensive network of warehouse the metals don’t physically reach the LME as an e of copper stockpiles monitored by LME in metric t in close proximity to the sea/port as the main mo sources of copper for LME are
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ehouses network es monitored remotely by LME across the globe as exchange node. The circles in orange are the sizes tonnes. Worth-mentioning the warehouses are all ode of logistics is by shipping. Moreover, the main from mines in Chile and Peru.
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Anti-government protests that have shaken the world’s largest copper producing nation Chile have spread to the mining sector as unions call for stoppages. Workers at BHP Ltd.’s Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper operation, will hold a “warning stoppage” in solidarity with protests taking place across the country. The stoppage risks disrupting copper supply from the world’s largest producer, with ports already being impacted by protests. Copper futures climbed to the highest in more than a month in London.
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Conceptual territorial mapping of copper market in London, connecting all the adjacent manufacturers, suppliers, depots, mining and tinning companies. As a result, a big “factory� is formed, sitting on the ground in the city of London.
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London copper m Actual routes are connected among the importan manufacturers, suppliers, building and plumber d dealers. As a result, a distinctive boundary is crea copp
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Plumber depot Mining company
market territory nt nodes in the copper market in London such as depots, mining and tinning companies and scrap ated to form a territory in the city of London for per.
Supplier Scrap dealer Electrical manufacturer Builder depot
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Exchanges of copper through LME LME serves as a platform to enable exchanges of copper to take place without having to physically handle the metals. LME monitors and overlooks throughout the process of production and manufacturing of copper from raw materials to end products across national borders.
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Copper Production Chain Diagram
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London copper t The mapping shows areas in London that have cop that the public are well aware of the value and the behind planning copper theft related crime
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Highly proned area
theft prone areas pper theft cases reported within 1 year. This reflects application of copper and there are organisations e, inducing the informal market of copper.
Safe area N/A
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Around 3,650 metres of copper cable was removed by criminals, and police believe that the power, signalling and communications wire was stolen to order before being sold abroad as part of an international crime ring.
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Optic fibre
Usage of copper Ethernet cables in UK Copper cabling such as Ethernet, is the cheaper of the two, making it a low cost alternative with a bevy of possible applications. But sometimes a high-cost option like fiber is required.
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Copper
Chapter 3 -Unseen ViewTheatre of Production
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Royal Saltworks In the 18th century salt was an essential and valuable commodity. At the time, salt was widely used for the preservation of foods such as meat or fish. The ubiquity of salt use caused the French government to impose the gabelle, a tax on salt consumption. The Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) is a historical building at Arc-et-Senans in the department of Doubs, eastern France. It is next to the Forest of Chaux and about 35 kilometers from Besançon. The architect was ClaudeNicolas Ledoux (1736–1806), a prominent Parisian architect of the time. The work is an important example of an early Enlightenment project in which the architect based his design on a philosophy that favored arranging buildings according to a rational geometry and a hierarchical relation between the parts of the project.
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Spatial Configuration Ledoux designed the semicircular complex to reflect a hierarchical organization of work. The entrance building sits at the midpoint of the semicircle and contains on one side guardrooms and on the other a prison and a forge. Other buildings on the semicircle include on the left, as one faces the entrance, quarters for carpenters and laborers, and on the right, marshals and coopers. At the center of the circle is the house of the Director, which has a belvedere on top. On either side of the Director’s house are the saltworks themselves. These two buildings are 80 meters long, 28 meters wide, and 20 meters high. They contain the drying ovens, the heating pots, the “Sales des Bosses”, and the salt stores. At each intersection of the diameter and the semicircle sit buildings that housed the works’ clerks. Behind the Director’s house there is an elegant, small stables for the Director’s horses. The support of salt works by a state monopoly probably explains why this building is so grand. The gabelle was very unpopular and was one of the complaints that led to the French Revolution.
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Worker’s Housing The pavilions housed the principal workers of the saline. The carpenters and coopers occupied the pavilion to the west of the gatehouse. The central hearth and chimney of the rotunda was common to all the workers of the building.
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Director’s Building Architecture in this case is used to express the symbol of state (POWER) by manipulating the visibility of the lower class, being watched by the upper class/authorities. The semicircle is a figure for surveillance symbolised by the large roundel window piercing the pediment of the director’s pavilion like a giant eye.
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Surveillance Devices The central courtyard can be perceived as a stage where the daily routine and leisure activities are carried out, being watched by the directors and other workers in the buildings. With the eyes on the “stage�, one can argue that the safety and security are enhanced; but on the other hand the privacy of the workers is invaded with eyes on them 24/7.
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Royal Saltworks
Greek Theatre
Roman Theatre
Teatro Olimpico
Vitruvius Greek Theatre
Theatre Comparative Studies The project is read through the lens of surveillance of the workers thus the typology of the theatre is taken as a comparative study, where there is a central focus and an audience to explore the exchange of spectatorship by using Vitruvius Greek Theatre as the model.
Canadian Stratford Shakespeare Festival Theatre
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Royal Saltworks
Fifth Century BC Greece Theatre
Theatre of Dionysus Athens
Eretria Early Theatre Greece
Hellenistic Theatre
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Theatre Comparative Studies (Massing)
Watching-Eye The illustration is inspired by Ledoux’s engraving of “Coup d’oeil du théâtre de Besançon” where the eye appears to face outward from the stage toward the curved auditorium and semicircular colonnade of the theatre. This in a way symbolises the perception of the performer (workers) on the stage, looking into the audience (authorities) while being looked at the same time. This exchange of eye contact evokes the unique relationship between the “watching” and “being watched”, questioning the imposition of authority: in fact, who is watching whom? The collage takes an ironic approach whereby in the sclera there is the forest of Chaux as the source of wood and the fumes from wood fires in the production of salt. They are intentionally being drawn outside of the iris to symbolise the negligence about the exploitation of nature in the name of capitalism. Meanwhile, the “veins” in the eye are the Aqueduct constructed to channel the brine to the factory, another case of commodification of nature. Moreover, the frame of the director’s window is used as the outer ring of the iris to represent the perspective of the authority, with the priority lays on the circle of production and the efficient workflow by the workers. In the iris the workers can be “seen” to be working on producing salt around the evaporating stoves. On the wall there are two beacons acting as eyes for further monitoring purposes, as if there are not enough eyes on them. In addition the wall separates the workers from the rest of the production, symbolising the alienation of production. Lastly, the reflection in the descending cone of light structures the image by a paradoxical duality which suggests the symbol of authority from workers’ point of view with monument as a tool for the trapping of power.
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Director’s Office Building
Beacon
Forest of Chaux
Worker’s Building
Theatre of Production
“Stage”
Taxonomy Drawings of Royal Saltworks
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Unseen View A journey into the mine, where mine serves as a stage to celebrate the circle of production. The “stage� is being looked by audiences with a beacon anchoring at the center, acting as panopticon. Traces of commodification of nature can be noticed around the stage while only little sky left in sight, showing how suffocating it is.
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Chapter 4 -Projective ViewFortification
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Mock-up 1 (Extrusion) This projective view approach is to highlight the exploitation and commodification of nature to build a capitalist empire. The centralised authority further enable the spectatorship over the workers in the production.
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Mock-up 2 (Excavation) This projective view approach is to showcase the messiness of the unseen production of the project. As a result, a “mine� is formed whereby the authority sits at the center. It is then further perceived as a theatre where the center yard is used for celebration of production.
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Model 1 (Extrusion) Casting was used as the modeling method to reflect the earthiness of the production while the wood shred tells the cost of the production at the expense of the forest.
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Model 2 (Excavation) The material of the model creates a fortress with the aid of the configuration and levels. Center of the fortress is for production of salts, in the expense of the nature as a lot of wood is burned in the production of salt from saline.
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Model 1 + 2 (Fortification) The difference in level of the salt and wood across the two models depicts the exchange of goods that takes place in the factory along the production. Salt is extracted from underground in the form of saline while wood is being cut down from the Forest of Chaux to fuel the evaporation process. With the two models now combined, the scenographic factory is at the centre of the buildings, serving as a panopticon overlooking both sides.
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