Un campo de concentración para menores de edad TPF

5.6  ARCHITECTURE  STUDENT  PARTICIPANT  06|THINKER    

Figure  41  –  Route  describing  the  architecture  student  participant  06’s  tour  of  the  city.  

academy  ahead  around  back  begins  between  

building  buildings  

down  

him  

john  kebab  lights  

lime  

points  

post  raised  rivets  road  section  shop  side  sights  

sign  

station  

street  

towards  

Figure  42  –  word  cloud  to  illustrate  the  most  used  terms  to  describe  participant  06’s  interactions   with  the  surrounding  environment  during  the  tour.  

Thinker  is  a  third  year  architecture  student  at  Liverpool  John  Moores  University.  Thinker  has  

resided  within  the  city  centre  for  the  past  two  years  and  recounts  his  experiences  of  living   with   other   students   in   Liverpool.  Thinker’s   route   through   the   city   follows   a   route   that   parallels   that   of   many   of   the   traceurs;  however   the   emphasis   is   on   documenting   the   buildings   and   spaces   that   have   contributed   to   his   understanding   of   architecture   as   an   academic  subject  rather  than  the  places  significant  for  parkour.  Subsequently,  throughout   the  tour  Thinker  highlights  the  locations  of  key  university  buildings,  and  situates  a  number   of   buildings   into   a   historical   context.   The   variety   of   spaces   and   situations   that  Thinker   describes   provides   a   distinct   portrait   of   the   city   through   the   gaze   of   a   student.  Thinker’s   tour,  like  that  of  other  student  participants,  highlights  the  transient  nature  of  the  student   community.  Thus,  when  interpreting  the  representation  of  the  cityscape  it  is  important  to   consider  how  a  relatively  short-­‐term  presence  living  within  the  city  influences  the  manner   in  which  it  is  identified  with.    

One  feature  that  is  unique  to  Thinker’s  tour  is  his  movement  of  Lime  Street  station   that  results  in  his  inclusion  of  a  subterranean  aspect  of  the  city.  In  a  manner  that  again  is   akin  to  parkour,  the  decision  to  tour  the  city  in  such  a  way  reveals  an  aspect  of  its  three– dimensionality.   Like   the   stair   highlighted   by  Stylist,  Thinker   discusses   the   potential   of   escalator  that  takes  him  beneath  the  ground  level  in  relation  to  the  affordances  it  offers  for   physical   play   by   suggesting   one   could   slide   down   it,   but   explains   how   rivets   have   been   placed  as  a  strategy  to  prevent  this  from  happening.    

Figure  43  –  Thinker's  tour  goes  underground  revealing  a  three–dimensional  perspective  of  moving   through  the  city  (18,  R  on  map).    

Thinker’s  tour  is  critical  of  the  general  culture  of  the  city  as  a  place  dominated  by  consumer  

culture  and  explains;  ‘I  tend  to  avoid  town,  because  every  time  I  go  there  I  feel  tempted  to   buy   something’.   Consequently,  Thinker’s   critical   response   to   contemporary   culture   leads   him  to  highlight  buildings  that  speak  of  permanence.  When  discussing  St  Georges  Hall  he   describes   how;   ‘after   coming   back   from   Rome,   I   look   towards   this   Neo–Classical   building   and  I  just  feel  as  if  I  take  this  building  for  granted  as  well.  Not  only  compared  to  what  some   of   the   Romans   have   built   during   the   golden   age   of   architecture   but   it’s   outside   our   doorstep.’  Thus,  Thinker’s  ability  to  read  architecture  in  terms  of  historical  context  assists   his  awareness  of  both  the  physical  and  social  qualities  of  his  surroundings.  His  description   of   the   value   of   such   buildings   could   also   be   seen   as   a   romanticised   view   of   the   symbolic   meaning  of  neo–classical  architecture.    

Figure  44  –  Thinker  discusses  St  George's  Hall  within  the  context  of  Neo–Classism  (20,S  on  map).  

Additionally,  Thinker’s  consciousness  of  spatial  qualities  is  reflected  in  his  description  of  a   district,   the   Lynchian   element   associated   with   areas   that   provoke   a   distinct   subliminal   reaction.  Whilst  crossing  a  busy  road  in  the  city,  he  explains  how;  ‘This  is  almost  a  barrier,   this  street  here  that  divides  town  to  the  business  district.’  Thinker  goes  onto  discuss  how  he   feels   as   if   he   is   in   a   more   ‘respected   area’   and   how   he   is   ‘surprised   we   haven’t   had   any   funny   looks   yet’,   both   indicators   of   the   atmosphere   that   he   feels   that   the   environment   creates.   This   instance   provides   further   support   that   unseen   urban   codes   that   are   a   by– product  of  the  spatial  and  functional  qualities  of  cities,  create  the  binary  conditions  of  being   either  in  or  out  of  place.  This  also  relates  to  Thinker’s  observations  of  an  adapted  form  of   street   signage   that   is   used   to   indicate   Liverpool’s   Gay   district   as   he   highlights   the   role   of   semiotics  in  identifying  the  gendered  identities  associated  with  specific  places.    

Figure  45  –  Thinker  highlights  the  use  of  signage  to  communicate  the  type  of  user  associated  with   a  district  (30,R  on  map)  

Documenting  the  use  of  signage  and  symbols  in  such  a  way  also  provides  an  indication  of   how  the  identity  of  a  place  relates  to  beliefs  about  the  body.    

Path   Node   Edge   District     Landmark  

Brownlow  Hill     Ainsworth  Street     Lime  Street    

St  Johns  Gardens   Victoria  Street   Town  

Business     Gay    

JMU  Design   Academy    

JMU  Building  (under   construction)   Grand  Central  Halls   Museum  

St  Georges  Halls     JMU  Library     Liver  Building     Town  Hall  

Table  10  –  Urban  elements  significant  to  Architecture  Student  Participant  6