Satire in architecture: the literary concept of satire applied to the medium of architecture

Abstract

This report applies the workings of satire, as derived from literature, to the medium of architecture. It is essentially a discussion of satire in architecture, hypothesising that architecture can only be satirical if that is the intention or the perceived intention of the architect. This hypothesis is tested by means of a study of satirical literature and film to determine a definition of satire, an overview of satire in architecture, and a case study of a building that I have interpreted as satirical. The conclusion deems the hypothesis to be correct as far as the report can inform us, based on the notion that satire must be necessarily subtle (to the point of ambiguity) to exist in architecture. A further outcome is an indication of the ways in which the term satire can be used to interpret architecture.