Infinite jest: an investigation of humour in architecture

Abstract

Theories of cultural criticism developed by Mikhail Bakhtin are useful as a means to understanding humour in architecture. After a summary of traditional theories of humour, the philosophy of Bakhtin was introduced followed by an in-depth study of key Bakhtinian concepts in order to review the methods by which these ideas could be used to understand concepts of humour in discourse theory. In particular, the theories of Carnival, dialogism and polyphony were used to try to establish parallels between Bakhtin's ideas and architecture. Four built works of architecture were selected intuitively as containing humorous elements. An attempt was made in each case to describe the work and then relate it back to the ideas of Bakhtin. Many of Bakhtin's concepts occurred in the chosen examples and led to interpretations which often departed from convention criticism. The research suggests that Bakhtin's ideas have wider implications than merely an exploration of humour in architecture.