CFP: Architecture and Experience in the Nineteenth Century, St John’s College, Oxford, March 17-18, 2016
CFP:
Architecture and Experience in the Nineteenth Century, March 17-18 2016
Submission
deadline: November 5, 2015
Conference
Venue: St John’s College, Oxford, United Kingdom
Please send proposals of
up to 250 words and a one page CV to Victorian.architecture@history.ox.ac.uk
by 5 November 2015.
Details
Victorians constructed their buildings to be more than
just seen; they were made to be inhabited. This seemingly obvious statement
raises an important but often overlooked question: how was architecture
experienced in the nineteenth century? This period witnessed unprecedented
urban growth, radical new materials, invented building types and sometimes
dangerous technologies. Now more than ever buildings embodied the cultural
values of their patrons, architects, and builders. The aesthetics of churches
were shaped by desires to secure particular responses from congregations. The
architecture of scientific laboratories could be intended to guide specific
approaches to knowledge production. Of course once complete, the meanings of
such works were unstable and subject to an audience’s interpretation.
Architectural history has traditionally focused on
questions of style and form. However in recent years the discipline has
demonstrated a growing interest in the social history of architecture, with
attention paid to how buildings were used. This has led to the analysis of
building as more than merely a passive background to human activity. The
question that this conference addresses is, what were the purposes of
architectural projects and how did they perform? Clubs, debating
chambers, schools, cathedrals, houses, hotels and laboratories were all built
to perform specific functions. Once constructed, they were all experienced by
audiences who inhabited these spaces. At a basic level, how did people
hear, breath, see, and smell these structures? Ventilation, acoustics,
and lighting were all vital considerations for architects. But also, how did
these buildings convey meaning? How did they instruct and educate?
Nineteenth-century buildings were not just works of art, but mechanisms of
function, utility, and performance.
We welcome submissions from all disciplines, and are
keen to encourage interdisciplinary applications from scholars and
architectural practitioners.
Papers should be no more than 20 minutes in length.
Please send proposals of up to 250 words and a one page CV to Victorian.architecture@history.ox.ac.uk
by 5 November 2015.
Conference website: http://events.history.ac.uk/event/show/14393