History of Art and Architecture VII: Burning Down the House: Architecture and Political Dissent

When we talk about meaning in architecture we often begin with the architect, the patron or any number of contingencies which shaped a particular building’s construction. But it is perhaps when architecture is violently destroyed that its capacity to embody meaning is most explicit. During acute periods of political dissent certain buildings have such a palpable entanglement with oppression that for certain groups their elimination almost becomes a necessity. In such moments architecture is suddenly transformed from an apparatus of control to an instrument of rebellion.

Whether it is the burning of the 3rd precinct headquarters of the Minneapolis police after the murder of George Floyd or the storming of the Bastille, there is no ambiguity here. Stones, concrete and plaster become so loaded that all involved know precisely why they are raising them to the ground. When Black Jamaicans burnt down Morant Bay courthouse in 1865, they were very consciously attacking an object of imperial control. And when suffragette women bombed baroque churches in Britain they were bringing the fight to a religious-political structure which refused to give them the vote. In many of these cases, recourse to violence came only after it was clear that polite pleading was all too inadequate.

Each week we will look in detail at the violent destruction of a specific building through political dissent. Where available we will turn to textual sources which record the voices of those who were committed to violent dissent against architecture but we will also recognise certain cases as acts of direct political speech through architecture by those to whom printed representation was not available.

This course is a combined lecture and discussion class. There will be short set texts to read each week. Active in-class participation in the discussion is required. The final assignment is a short written research assignment which will be due during the exam period.