Rape Space #1: Orlando Public Library
Rape space is a term that I first encountered while in attendance at the University of Cincinnati’s undergraduate architecture program. The term rape space was spoken by faculty members with the same frequency as other designer-ly words such as form and hierarchy. If you have not yet guessed, a rape space is a bad thing, and no student ever wants to be credited with creating a rape space or hearing that phrase during a critique. The exact origin of this term remains unknown to me, and I am unsure if this term has populated the architectural vocabulary of other respected architectural education programs.
I have always been fascinated by the presence of rape spaces in our built environment, not because I am creepy that way, but because of the fact that half of my library at work is dominated by code and zoning books and I have not yet found a single section that addresses the issue of creating rape spaces. Rape spaces do not only pose risk for rape, but provide empty spaces for assault, robbery, murder or even as habitat for killer Care Bears. The word rape is loaded with negative visual imagery that causes the word to be taboo in our culture. Many would say kill or murder without pause, but would hesitate to use the word rape in a sentence. While researching for this article, I even hesitated googling the term rape space for fear of consequences generated by my overactive imagination. Again, why is rape space so interesting to me? As architects we are charged with, legally, to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Regardless of style, shape or form, the creed of the architect must be to do no harm, yet there are empty spaces that lurk in the shadows of our built environment. In nearly every city those empty spaces without purpose, pose as possible threats to the public. The purpose of this article is to initiate the discussion on rape spaces, raise awareness of the problem of urban rape space, and to define the problem and propose solutions to these spaces through a series of case studies.
City Clueless:
I have had the opportunity to present several designs to city design review boards, and the city architects that I have dealt with often discuss items which are driven by personal preference, tastes or style. The city entity often focuses on superficial items and avoid looking at real problems like the spaces at the ground level and how they encourage positive or negative activities within the city. As far as the city government is concerned, at least in my experience, the concept of rape space is foreign.
Feminists on Rape Space:
In researching this article I found one mention of the term rape space in a significant critical text by J. K. Gibson-Graham, the pen name for Julie Graham and Katherine Gibson. I have not read the book in its entirety, and will attempt to avoid taking ideas or concepts out of context. I must also admit that I am only partially familiar with the feminist philosophy, however I am well read enough to understand that the feminist philosophy is about more than just ‘girl power’. In the text The End Of Capitalism (As We Knew It): A Feminist Critique of Political Economy
. . . “rape script” portrays women’s bodies and female sexuality in spacial terms as an empty space waiting to be invaded/taken/formed. . .”
This citation of Lefebvre allows us to make our first conjecture that rape space could be defined as any empty space, without public purpose, waiting to be formed. Simplifying further, a rape space is any urban space without specific use that could be used according to the user’s aspirations, whether for good or evil. In order to address the problem of rape space in the urban environment, one must first develop a working definition of what a rape space is in order to check one’s research against a working concept. Below is my first attempt at the definition of a rape space:
rape space [reyp speys] noun
A rape space is a space which is either exterior or interior. A space without public purpose or use, receives little circulation, often a dead end, and poorly lit during the day and night. An empty space waiting to be formed. The term rape space suggest that the space has no other purpose other than to promote illegal or mischievous activity.
Case Study:
It would be very easy for me to approach this topic in a way that could be very combative. I could slay the architect that creates rape spaces with words like stupid, untalented or bad, embarrassing them on the internet with photos of their rape promoting spaces, but that is neither productive, nor beneficial to anyone. I, like hopefully many of you, have learned that name calling gets one nowhere. I have decided to focus on developing standards and techniques for the prevention of the creation of rape spaces a feature of the site, and one of the first items added to the Critique This Constitution which outlines design standards and ideals that this site stands behind. It is easy enough to find rape spaces, but in the rape space case study series I will examine rape spaces in the urban environment and develop a listing of common features and attributes of rape spaces.
Rape Space #1:
John Johansen is the architect credited with the unique design of the Orlando Public Library located at 101 E Central Blvd, Orlando Florida. The library design itself is worthy of a critique which will be posted in the near future. John Johansen is a distinguished architect and more will be discussed about him and his biography at a future time. A significant addition was added to the structure by architect Duane Stark in 1980 so it will be difficult to give full credit to the creator of this series of rape spaces, but what is known is that the building has a number of rape spaces. Twelve rape spaces by my count, and one very rare, rape space balcony. See the below slide show for visual reference, images are attached with descriptive text to help identify context.
Photo Gallery:
[nggallery id=5 template=3]
From the above photographs it should be evident that there are certain trends that are present in most rape spaces. The nine photographs depict only a portion of the rape spaces at the Orlando Public Library. The first characteristic of rape spaces is the lack of visibility and accessibility. All of the rape spaces found at the Orlando Public Library have visibility levels of less than 10% from the street level. The visibility levels are attributed to the opaque guardrail barrier, and the fact that the rape spaces are one level below the ground level. A recommended solution would be to incorporate perforations or embrasures into the guardrail design which would increase visual accessibility to the space. Visibility should be between 30%-100% to avoid blind spots, and it would be interesting to study the percentage of visibility required to make a space ‘visible’ in the urban environment. Visibility also poses another problem, and that is that many of the rape spaces are not visible until you are right up on them, which gives attackers or killer Care Bears and advantage.
The other attribute of the rape spaces found at the Orlando Public Library is the fact that these spaces are not defined. Are these spaces the result of the need for egress? Are these service spaces? Johansen should have celebrated these spaces and turned them into small urban parks, a seated wall, anything but a rape space. If you do not define a space or function, the user will. The spaces at Orlando Public Library should be defined, active and public.
The last attribute of the Orlando Public Library, and perhaps the most dangerous, is the landscaping. Within the rectilinear order of the city, landscaping appears friendly, warm and inviting. The landscaping at the Orlando Public Library creates a false sense or security, and even further shields the rape spaces from the from the visual field of the city dwellers. Landscaping should be carefully integrated into the building to avoid the shielding and creation of rape spaces.
In Closing:
Rape space is a problem in the city, and I think that architects as a matter of good policy should avoid creating spaces that serve no purpose/function, and should certainly avoid creating urban spaces that promote negative social activities. As a personal belief of mine, I don’t think that architecture can save the world, but it serves as a setting for enabling certain social activities. If we can create spaces that promote community and interaction, our cities will be better for it. I am curious to hear what you, the readers, have to say in regards to urban rape spaces. Do you feel that the rape space typology is a real problem?
Critique This below!
Additional Sources:
Creating Defensible Space
Concern over high crime rates and deteriorating inner-city neighborhoods has reawakened interest in Defensible Space, architect Oscar Newman’s groundbreaking physical design approach to crime prevention. Defensible Space theory encompasses a wide range of planning and design strategies that focus attention on reassigning the perceived ownership of residential space. Newman argues that when common spaces associated with highrise housing such as community rooms and outdoor grounds lack clear owners or are open to too many users, residents cannot assert responsibility for their safety and maintenance, and these places are left vulnerable to crime and vandalism. Newman advocates recreating a sense of ownership in these spaces by dividing and “assigning them to individuals and small groups to use and control as their own private areas.” Once residents reestablish control of their environment, “the criminal is isolated because his turf is removed,” writes Newman.
Architecture of Fear
Nan Ellin examines the ways in which the contemporary landscape is shaped by our society’s preoccupation with fear, as apparent in home design, security systems, gated communities, semi-public spaces (shopping malls, theme parks, casinos, office atriums), zoning regulations, and cyberspace. This fixation also manifests itself in efforts to provide public parks but control the problem of homelessness. The essayists in Architecture of Fear explain that such disjointed efforts exacerbate rather than eradicate the sources and perception of fear and insecurity. Thus, in contrast to alarmist, apocalyptic treatments, the contributors offer concrete, level-headed suggestions for proaction, not reaction, to counter both real (actual crime) and perceived (media-magnified) problems in contemporary society.