A personal tour, philosopher.
Why now? Your husband was about to give a speech.
That’s why.
Listen to my heels click-clacking. I’ll take them off. Bare feet is very grounding, isn’t it?
And then: I like the university when it’s deserted. At night. When there’s no one there. You can just .. wander around.
Is there life here in the daytime? The hum of activity? Do people leave their doors open? Call hello down the corridor?
It’s all pretty quiet now. Everyone works from home. Once upon a time, there used to be departmental football teams. There used to be … fun, laughter. There used to be parties.
We’ve just left a party.
Proper parties. Back when we were just plain ol’ Business Studies.
And then: This whole building was designed be someone or other. And featured in Pevsner. My husband takes a keen interest in architecture. It’s seriously sustainable.
Yuck.
Are you not into sustainability? Come on. Who could be against it?
That’s why I’m against it – because you can’t be against it.
You’re just perverse – but I actually like that perverse.
Keep the wound of the negative open.
I like that, too.
It’s Kierkegaard. The philosopher.
I think I like philosophy.
And then: These corridors. There should be a study of the academic corridor. Of the stuff academics put on their doors. Showing personality, or whatever.
All the fascinating personalities of Organisational Management …
Don’t be sarcastic. We’re encouraged to express our individuality. Not bad for synths …
This guy’s displaying his poems …
Sure – our in-house poet. We’re not all hardheaded business people, you know. And we have an in-house artist, too – I told you about her. She's all about extended practice and post art. She's making a garden with some of our PhD students. She does all these herbal remedies and yoga with them. This is her office. You can tell by the posters of mushrooms.
Now. A special design feature of our building: The Notch.
What is it? There isn’t anything here.
A space for contemplation. An area that has no purpose. My husband’s idea. To foster unexpected encounters. A whatever space. That can be used … however anyone likes. An ideas generator. A place for ideas jamming. Or just to breathe. For periods of contemplation. And even meditation. It’s purposeless. Yet ready to be used for any purpose. It’s pure potentiality. Philosophical, wouldn’t you say it? Are you impressed?
Lea, drawing close.
I’m tired of talking. Stop me talking. Do something, philosopher. Act.
Forget it – I’m not doing anything in the … notch. Not here.
And I thought it’d be just your kind of thing.
It’s … frightening.
Why – because you thought we were just technocrats?
The way you’ve commandeered the arts. And architecture. And even philosophy.
Why do you think we brought you here? Poor you: you’ve got nothing to object to.
Nothing but everything. The whole thing …
How are you going to keep the wound of the negative open here? Actually, I manage quite well.
Onwards. The open foyer.
I like institutions, philosopher. I like vast buildings that are totally indifferent to me.
And then: They’re going to install a waterfall here at some point. It’s modelled on something in Singapore. My husband’s very keen on Singapore …
A large plaque.
You’re going to love this. It’s the building philosophy.
Reading: Interfaces between indoor and outdoor spaces … The juxtaposition of open and closed, noisy and quiet, hard and soft, public and private. Permitting multiple pedagogies and curricula … A shared dynamic space of transformative and democratic dialogue. Truly interdisciplinary – or transdisciplinary – or multidisciplinary … Overturning the reification of space. Contesting the usual division between boundaries, pathways, walls, sectors which serve to reinforce social roles and relationships. With special areas for contemplation. For whatever use we want to make of them. Deliberate surplus spaces or spatial remnants for no particular purpose … You guys really have the lingo.
Looking out.
What’s that?
A Chinese dragon. Made entirely from drones.
And that flies about every night? The way you can just take over the air space …
People in Chinatown like it. Tourists.
Lea, taking my hand. I’m leading you, philosopher. Follow me.
Work in Progress 