"Corporate architecture acts as a signifier of the myth of the efficient and powerful corporation, it is a physical symbol and public face of that corporation. A vocabulary of signs is built up and re-used by corporate architects in order to exert some control over the mood and behaviour of users of that space. The people who work in the city begin to believe the myths of the city, and try to live up to the image of the efficient and business-like lifestyle. Of course they don't manage it, nobody does, from office clerks to managing directors, so dissatisfaction sets in. People work harder in order to keep up their appearance and the corporations benefit."

Extract from the Second manifesto of the Spacehijackers
www.spacehijackers.org


Architects Brief:

  • The architecture of the city must gnaw away at the souls of its inhabitants. Every stone, every inch of steel and every pane of glass should instil the following mantra into the minds of the workers: must work, must earn, must buy, must impress.
  • Buildings should be as tall as possible, not only to maximise upon space but also to promote intimidation, users should be made aware of their own insignificance in the face of a greater power, namely money. Think architecture of the great Empires: the ancient cities of Rome, Greece and Egypt.
  • Nature is outlawed except where it may be used in controlled circumstances. Acceptable levels of nature include neatly laid out plant boxes in front of office complexes and large tropical plants in pots within reception halls. This use of nature has two main effects:
    a) To induce a false sense of the company's caring and fair attitutude towards business (ie we are a team you can trust and will want to invest in).
    b) To prevent receptionists and secretaries from moaning about the clinical and impersonal space that they have to work in.
  • Nature is dangerous. It stimulates the human imagination and may induce romanticism within those that experience it. Nature promotes inefficiency and encourages aspirations towards ideas that in no way relate to capital gain.
  • The human imagination is a dangerous tool. Thinking is dangerous and must be eradicated in order to ensure the efficient running of the city.
  • The architecture of the city should promote the compliance of its users. Workers must realise that power may only be gained via surrender to the system. Except for in the strict pursuit of greater capital gain users should not feel the need to:
    • Ask questions.
    • Seek alternatives
    • Exercise curiosity
  • The city should create a fortress that separates its users from the outside world, both physically and mentally. Interaction with the outside world should only be allowed in relation to business gain.


Efficiency is everything. Money is everything

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