Thesis Book - MyWeb at WIT

TRANSFORMATION UNDERGROUND:
SURREALISM IN ARCHITECTURE
ANNIE STEELE | MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE | SPRING 2012

Many thanks to the following:
dan hisel
sue pereira
fellow studio survivors
friends & family

“The man who cannot visualize a horse galloping on
a tomato is an idiot.”
“The imaginary is what tends to
become real”
- Andre Breton (father of surrealism)

1 INVESTIGATION OF THESIS TOPIC
thesis abstract................11
visual abstract................13
objectives................15
definitions................15
idea map................17
research essay........19-35
annotated bibliography........37-41
blog+ visual studies........43-47
conclusion + hypothesis...............49
2 FRAMING THE THESIS PROJECT
site................53
site data........55-57
site analysis........59-63
program...............65
program functions...............65
program diagrams...............67
program + site fit analysis...............69
3 THESIS SEMESTER: PROCESS
methodology....................73
surrealist techniques............75-85
three dimensional collage....................87
three dimensional assemblage....................89
formal studies.............91-99
experiential moments......101-107
programmatic narrative......111-131
conceptual section.................133
4 THESIS SEMESTER: RESULT
floor plans...........................137-143
sections......145-147,151,155
perspectives.................149,153,157
conclusion...........................159-161
reflection......................................163
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INVESTIGATION OF THE THESIS TOPIC

THESIS ABSTRACT
This thesis is exploring the philosophy of surrealism and how to translate these fundamental ideas into an inhabitable surrealist
space; a place where the imagination is liberated, where the mind can reach a new awareness of consciousness, and where reality
and fantasy are perceived as one ‘surreality’. This thesis is challenging the idea that architecture might be perhaps the most useful
medium of all to achieve the surrealist’s goals; that is, to forget associations, structures, and customs you already know in order
to experience a new world that your imagination creates and inhabits. In this way, surrealists have been known for their irrational
juxtapositions, and compositions based on automatism, which is allowing your impulses to take over conscious decisions.
Surrealism is a philosophy created by Andre Breton in the 1920s, which embraces many realms of the creative world, including
painting, literature, film, music and photography. Surrealists, such as artist Salvador Dali and director Luis Bunuel, used these
mediums to convey this idea that the world could be perceived in a new way. Surrealism has rarely appeared in built form, but
surrealism as an inspiration has affected many architects, including Frederick Kiesler, Luis Barragan, and, briefly, Le Corbusier.
Frederick Kiesler came the closest to creating surrealist spaces, but most were never realized. This leads to the question: Is it
possible to design an inhabitable space so that the user experiences this notion of “surreality”, to intertwine the exterior reality of the
physical world with the interior reality of fantasy?
11

VISUAL ABSTRACT
13

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
To gain experience in academic research, and to filter through relevant sources
To attain knowledge about the origins and theory of the surrealist movement
To express ideas in scholarly written text, as well as engaging visual collage
FUTURE OBJECTIVES:
To explore different mediums in order to convey spatial ideas
To translate theory based research into an architectural experience
To clearly represent my ideas verbally and graphically
OBJECTIVES
DEFINITIONS
Surrealism – A revolutionary movement led by philosopher Andre Breton, in the 1920s, as a reaction to the post-war life. Surrealism
took its form in many mediums, including painting, poetry, photography, and film. The main objective of surrealism is to introduce a
new reality through the convergence of the real life and the dream world.
Surreality – the convergence of our interior reality (as in, our dreams, desire and unconscious) with the exterior reality (physical
existence) to create one absolute reality.
Uncanny – unsettling, beyond what is expected, mysterious, unhomely, uncomfortable apprehension, beyond what is known
Automatism – one of the many techniques surrealists used to create their work; involved little to no self-conscious critique, similar
to improvisation
15

IDEA MAP
17

RESEARCH ESSAY
This thesis idea is to translate the fundamentals of surrealism into a way of thinking about spatial experiences and architectural
design. The main philosophy of surrealism is to create a new reality, which the Surrealists were seeking in the 1920s after World
War 1, in order to transform the way we experience the world. The sources collected here all discuss the major theoretical ideas
of surrealism in relation to either architecture or film. Since this thesis is trying to create surrealist architectural spaces, the most
relevant sources are ones which discuss past attempts and trials at exploring surrealist ideas in architecture, such as the 1978
Feb./March Volume of Architecture Design, Anthony Vidler’s essay on Fantasy, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture,
as well as Vidler’s introduction to The Architectural Uncanny. Vidler’s essays discuss the idea of the uncanny, which Vidler says can
be found in the “state between dreaming and awakening”, and could be described as “a representation of a mental state of projection
that precisely elides the boundaries of the real and the unreal in order to provoke a disturbing ambiguity, a slippage between waking
and dreaming.” 1 On the other hand, the Architectural Design magazine articles focus on the beginnings and philosophy of surrealism,
including quotes from Andre Breton, the founder of Surrealism, and examples of surrealist exhibitions and spaces. In addition, a
more contemporary collection of essays in Surrealism and Architecture, edited by Thomas Mical, discuss how surrealist thought has
made its way into architectural theory and method.
The lack of built surrealist architecture can be attributed to its extremely theoretical nature. Because of this, my sources
relating to surrealist cinema will be just as relevant in analyzing how the directors of those films translated the idea of the real
world versus the dream world into one reality. The two major influences in surrealist cinema that appear in my sources are film
director Luis Bunuel and surrealist painter Salvador Dali. Luis Bunuel directed the first surrealist films in the 1930s, which are Un
Chien Andalou, and L’Age D’Or. Salvador Dali worked alongside Bunuel to instill surrealist ideas into the films. David Lynch, a more
contemporary director of the films Eraserhead and Blue Velvet, becomes a focus of study as well due to his films depicting reality
1 Anthony Vidler. The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1992, 11
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and imaginary as one existence. The sources regarding Bunuel and Dali, since they were a collaboration, are Dali, Surrealism, and
Cinema by Elliott King, Robert Short’s The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema as well as Surrealism and Cinema
by Michael Richardson. Chris Rodley collaborated with David Lynch to create Lynch on Lynch, which is all about the director and his
filmmaking. Along with reading books about these directors, the actual films themselves are being considered and viewed. Most of
these authors discuss the idea of transforming the way we view the world by combining the physical reality with the mental dreamlike
reality to make one reality, which is one of the main objectives of the Surrealist movement.
Definition of Surrealism
The intentions of the surrealist movement are at the forefront of many sources, which starts off the authors’ dialogue in a clear
way. Dalibor Veseley contributed an important article in the 1978 volume of Architectural Design, in which he explains the vision of
surrealism as a way of thinking and viewing the world, using quotes from primary sources written by Andre Breton. Veseley points
out that Breton believed “in the future resolution of those two seemingly contradictory states, dream and reality, of surreality, so to
speak.” 2 Using this idea, Veseley deduces that surrealists believed in a “new myth”, which is the surreality that involved the “whole
of human existence.” 3 This surreality is the “imaginary-real world of certain primitives, stripped of all supernatural implication and
meanings.” 4 Stuart Knight’s “Observations on Dada and Surrealism”, also in Architectural Design, adds that surrealism is a “state
of mind, a form of knowledge”, as opposed to just an art movement, that was able to revolutionize the “dream world into a palpable
reality.” 5 Author of Surrealism and Cinema, Michael Richardson notes that surrealism is a convergence of the “different realms of
existence” and “a meeting point between the opposites of light and dark, presence and absence, [and] actuality and imagination.” 6
Richardson claims surrealism is also a collaborative effort that is still a “living thing.” 7 Similarly, Elliot H. King, author of Dali, Surrealism
2 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 87.
3 Ibid, 88.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid, 102.
6 Michael Richardson. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006, 1.
7 Michael Richardson. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006, 5.
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and Cinema, states that surrealism aims to activate the subconscious mind, and that cinema is the perfect medium for this. 8 Lastly,
J. H. Matthews restates Breton’s ideas of surrealism in his Introduction to Surrealism as “enabling the mind to leap the barrier set
up for it by the antinomies of reason and dreaming, reason and madness, feeling and representation.” 9 The sources seemingly all
agree on the definition of surrealism; that surrealism is when the mind can converge both fantasy and reality into one existence. This
thesis understands and agrees with that definition, and will work towards designing an architecture that embodies that very idea.
Surrealism in Architecture
These authors all generally concur about the definition of surrealism; however, not all sources agree on the definition and
presence of surrealism in Architecture. Veseley states that architecture was not of interest to the surrealists, due to the surrealists’
aspirations mainly focusing in art, sculpture, and objects. 10 Knight writes about the obvious contempt Breton had for Le Corbusier’s
rational “modern style”, as Breton says modernism is “the most unhappy dream of the collective unconscious.” 11 Knight analyzes
the superficial nature of Le Corbusier’s attempts at using surrealist devices, such as the dreamlike quality Villa Savoye has sitting
in the landscape, or the drifting quality of the ramps throughout the house. 12 Knight also mentions Le Corbusier’s “four walls, the
lawn and the sky” with a “useless fireplace” at the Beistegui Apartment in Paris as a rudimentary attempt at surrealism. 13 However,
Vidler argues that surrealism was, in fact, “the most modernist of the modernisms” due to the fact that surrealists tried to unveil
the repressed aspects of modernism; surrealism was a negation of modernism. 14 Vidler also argues, against King, that architecture
is actually the best medium in which to portray surrealism. This is due to the physical aspects of architecture that feel like a home,
the symbolism that occurs in the home, such as stairs or a cellar, and the spatial freedom with which the user can move – creating
8 Elliott H. King. Dali, Surrealism and Cinema. Harpenden, UK: Kamera Books, 2007, 15.
9 J. H. Matthews. An Introduction to Surrealism. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1965, 49.
10 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 91.
11 Ibid, 101.
12 Ibid, 109.
13 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 109.
14 Anthony Vidler. Fantasy, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture. Papers of Surrealism Winter, no. 1: 2 (2003), 5.
23

a site for the “uncanny” to manifest. 15 Vidler states that the uncanny “is not a property of space itself nor can it be provoked by
any particular spatial conformation”, but that it is an “aesthetic dimension” that erases the boundaries between “the real and the
unreal.” 16 Finally, all the sources can agree on the aspirations of the only architect to attempt surrealist architecture: Frederick
Kiesler.
According to Bernard Tschumi, author of the article “Architecture and Its Double”, which appeared in the 1978 volume of
Architectural Design, Kiesler’s first surrealist space was the “space-stage” in 1923 for the production of RUR in Berlin. 17 Kiesler
designed a funnel shaped auditorium space where the walls and ceilings could open up during the show. Tschumi describes Kiesler’s
second surrealist project, ‘The Endless Theater’ in Vienna, which had an unfolding double shell of cast-glass, as well as ramps,
elevators, and platforms to create a continuous space that did not separate functions. 18 Tschumi comments that Kiesler turned
to unbuilt architectural research, dealing with how spaces were inherently connected to a person’s deep unconscious. 19 Tschumi
argues that Kiesler’s attempt at surrealist architecture have been ignored by architectural historians in favor of the 1920s movement
towards Modernism. 20 Dalibor Veseley acknowledges that Kiesler worked on his ‘Endless House’ for 40 years, arguably the most well
known surrealist architectural design, creating “a continuous space very much like a cave in the shape of an egg, with great freedom
of movement inside, great flexibility for dividing the space.” 21 However, Veseley points out the fact that the Endless House was never
actually built, challenging the limits of “genuine surrealist architecture.” 22 Anthony Vidler questions whether Kiesler’s egg-shaped
design is surrealist; as Kiesler himself has said that it is more “Correalist”, meaning it had a “continual interaction between man
and his natural and technological environments.” 23 Stephen Philips, author of “Introjection and Projection: Frederick Kiesler and his
15 Anthony Vidler. Fantasy, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture. Papers of Surrealism Winter, no. 1: 2 (2003), 3.
16 Ibid.
17 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978),116.
18 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 116.
19 Ibid, 116.
20 Ibid.
21 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 93.
22 Ibid, 94.
23 Anthony Vidler. Fantasty, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture. Papers of Surrealism Winter, no. 1:2 (2003), 2.
25

dream machine”, which appears in Thomas Mical’s Surrealism and Architecture, agrees with Vidler, stating that Kiesler’s aim was to
create an organic architecture that “stimulate[s] an idealized paradisiacal life inside an ergonomically designed illusionary cinematic
spatial experience that can expand and contract to engage one’s every motion and desire.” 24 Thus, Philips concludes that Kiesler’s
Endless House “finds its home between illusion and reality, continuity and individuality, vision and fact.” 25 It seems that Kiesler is the
pioneer of surrealist architecture, but that his investigation, which started out as built work, turned into paper architecture. This
thesis will attempt to create more than just theoretical architectural ideas, but actual spatial experiences that convey this idea of
a new way to perceive reality.
Artaud: Surrealist Spaces
In addition to Frederick Kiesler, Antonin Artaud is referenced in a few sources as also having thought about space in a surrealist
way. Tschumi explains that when Artaud joined the surrealists in 1924, he “attacked the purely verbal and insisted on experience
and sensation.” 26 Artaud believed that to limit consciousness to what could be expressed in words was a mistake, and for this, he
resented language and the automatism technique used in writing. 27 This worried Breton--probably because most of the surrealists
were poets and writers--and Artaud was pushed out of the surrealist group. 28 Artaud’s concern was in spatial expression; he wanted
to create “a physical and mental havoc” so that the audience would experience the unconscious. 29 Tschumi explains that Artaud
created a violent and psychological experience of the theater; first, by having the show in an unexpected location, like a barn; second,
by locating the audience at the center of the show; and third, through gruesome images and uncomfortable lighting techniques. 30
Similarly, Robert Short, author of The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema, agrees that space is an important element
24 Thomas Mical. Surrealism and Architecture. London; New York: Routledge, 2005, 152.
25 Ibid.
26 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 113.
27 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 114.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 114.
27

in Artaud’s film. Artaud is intrigued by the “expanding and manipulation [of the] spatial dimension”, as well as the “jarring interaction
of elements of control and chance.” 31 Short argues that this is where the surrealist motivations are expressed; when the “opposites
meet and collide – divisions between reality and fiction, and between the individual and an engulfing society.” 32 Artaud is able to use
theater as a catalyst for surrealist experiences, in that there is an audience as well as performers. This dialogue cannot literally
appear in architecture; but perhaps the architecture can act as the performer and the visitor can be the audience.
Surrealist Film
Artaud’s exploration into the medium of cinema as a surrealist led the way for directors Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali to
collaborate and create the most famous surrealist films, Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or. Michael Richardson questions Bunuel’s
authorship to L’age d’Or because it was actually a collaborative script written by the surrealist group, including Max Ernst, Gaston
Modot, Jacques Prevert, and Jean Aurenche. 33 Richardson even goes so far as to comment on Bunuel’s true intentions with
surrealism, referring back to his resignation from the surrealist group in 1932 in order to join the communists. 34 Richardson does
acknowledge Dali’s influence in Bunuel’s films, but does not delve into that topic. An interesting point made by Richardson was that
Bunuel does not ever talk about what he thinks about L’Age d’Or35 , similarly to how Chris Rodley, author of Lynch on Lynch, reveals
that David Lynch despises and refuses to discuss an analysis of what his movies are about. 36 Robert Short, on the other hand,
focuses on how the films came about, and the relationship between Dali and Bunuel. Short describes how Un Chien Andalou was
surrealist even in its creation due to the chance encounter that Dali and Bunuel were both available and ready to create a surrealist
film, and the process of writing the script together. 37 Short goes through the film scene by scene, pointing out potential symbolic
31 Robert Short. The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema. New expanded ed. Los Angeles, Calif: Solar, 2008, 43-47
32 Ibid, 48.
33 Michael Richardson. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006, 29.
34 Ibid, 33.
35 Michael Richardson. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006, 33.
36 David Lynch, Chris Rodley. Lynch On Lynch. Rev. Ed. Ed. London: Faber, 2005, xi.
37 Robert Short. The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema. New expanded ed. Los Angeles, Calif: Solar, 2008, 64.
29

eferences or meanings. According to Short, Dali did not participate in the shooting of L’Age d’Or, but agrees with Richardson, in
that it was a collective effort to create the script by the surrealist group. 38 Short expands upon this in describing the film as more
functional, with the style of a documentary, having limited camera movement and almost no automatism. 39 These films mark the
end of Dali and Bunuel’s partnership in filmmaking; Short describes the falling out between the two as a disagreement over who got
credit for certain parts of the films.
As for more contemporary surrealist cinema, director David Lynch seems to be up for debate as whether he should be considered
surrealist. In Vidler’s introduction in The Architectural Uncanny, Vidler briefly mentions Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks as a place
where “domestic and suburban uncanny” appear. 40 Vidler defines the uncanny as “a slippage between waking and dreaming”, so the
author seemingly agrees that Lynch works with surrealist ideas. 41 Robert Short states that David Lynch accepted that his collection
of avant-garde films featured in a BBC documentary in the 1980s were labeled as “surrealist.” 42 In addition, in Chris Rodley’s Lynch on
Lynch, David Lynch explains how when he was in need of inspiration during the filming of Mullholland Drive, he reverted to “surrealist
tricks”, where they got a bunch of words and jumbled them up to get ideas based on random associations. Lynch describes it as “your
mind focuses on a certain thing and it pulls in ideas that will marry to that thing in a surprising way, because this is a surprising set
of circumstances.” 43 So not only are Lynch’s films uncanny, but he utilizes surrealist techniques for his filmmaking. Rodley expands
upon Vidler’s notion of the uncanny by claiming that Lynch is interested in the defamiliarization process, as well as the state between
dream and awakening. 44 Rodley states, “Insecurity, estrangement and lack of orientation and balance are sometimes so acute in
Lynchland that the question becomes one of whether it is possible to ever feel ‘at home.’” 45 Where there is disagreement, however, is
38 Robert Short. The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema. New expanded ed. Los Angeles, Calif: Solar, 2008,106.
39 Ibid, 108.
40 Anthony Vidler. The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1992, 10.
41 Ibid.
42 Robert Short. The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema. New expanded ed. Los Angeles, Calif: Solar, 2008, 20.
43 David Lynch, Chris Rodley. Lynch On Lynch. Rev. Ed. Ed. London: Faber, 2005, 284.
44 Ibid, xi.
45 Ibid.
31

in Michael Richardson’s Surrealism and Cinema, where he argues while Lynch does use a surrealist visual style, he lacks the essence
of surrealism, which is to make a direct connection with the viewer and instill the will to “change life and transform the world.” 46 Lynch
instead, as Richardson claims, does not fully understand surrealism and seems to merely play mind games with the viewer. 47 Since
the films discussed here are known to be surrealist, this thesis will study what techniques the directors used to achieve that level of
‘surreality’; techniques including the composition of light and shadow, the juxtaposition of objects, the volume of the accompanying
soundtrack, and the configuration of space and time.
Conclusion
These sources, although sometimes contradicting, are very informative on this thesis topic of trying to create a surrealist space.
Through discussing the very definition of surrealism itself, to the debate about surrealism in architecture, specifically referring to
architect Frederick Kiesler, the goal of surrealism—that is, creating a new reality--is evident. Then, exploring the spaces created
by Antonin Artaud led into the discussion of surrealism and cinema, where the surrealist nature of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali’s
famous films was discussed. Finally, the debate whether David Lynch should even be included in the surrealist film category was
opened up. The similarly between all these themes is that the underlying intention of surrealism is there; to get to the point where
contradictions of fantasy and reality meet to create a new “surreality”, as Breton put it. 48 This thesis topic is only part of a much
larger debate about surrealism in architecture, which appears to be surfacing more and more, as seen with the recent publication
of Surrealism and Architecture by Thomas Mical in 2005. The current conversations regarding surrealism are related more with
method, as seen in Neil Spiller’s essay “Communicating Vessels” (2011). Spiller predicts, “as technology progresses, architects will
have to re-evaluate Surrealist notions of space, time, materiality, and memory.” 49 Even though surrealism began in the 1920s, and
46 Michael Richardson. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006, 74,
47 Ibid.
48 Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978), 87.
49 Mark Garcia. The Diagrams of Architecture. United Kingdom, 2011, 178. I have just recently been introduced to this source; so my understanding of Neil Spiller’s ideas is very
incomplete. I will be looking more into his contemporary surrealist ideas.
33

hardly any surrealist architecture has been built, it seems that surrealism is still relevant today, in design methods and theory. It is
important for surrealism to continue to appear so that more people view and experience their world in another way. This thesis’s
surrealist approach to designing architectural spaces attempts to choreographic the user’s perception through circulation, as well
as challenge the notion of what’s real and unreal through materiality, screens, projections, and shadows.
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Surrealism and Architecture. Architectural Design 48, no. 2-3(1978): 87-to 169
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
This February/March 1978 volume of Architectural Design focuses on a compilation of writings about surrealism and architecture.
This is very relevant to my thesis topic because many of the writers discuss surrealism and it’s theoretical place in the architectural
realm. In one of the articles, Dalibor Veseley discusses in detail the philosophy of surrealism as defined by Andre Breton with direct
quotes, such as how surrealism aims to “reach an absolute point of reconciliation of dream and reality”. Veseley also explains the
techniques used by surrealists, such as “pure psychic automatism”, the idea of the “poetic analogy” that could be used in architecture,
and Frederick Kiesler’s example of surrealism in architecture in the Endless House. This collection of writings would be useful for
anyone doing academic research on surrealism, architecture or theory.
King, Elliott H. Dali, Surrealism and Cinema. Harpenden, UK: Kamera Books, 2007.
Dali, Surrealism, and Cinema (2007), written by Elliott H. King, focuses on Salvador Dali’s attempts and failures at creating surrealist
films, as well as television. King devotes the book to discussing 20 of Dali’s films, whether complete or not. Elliott H. King is a
contemporary art historian who is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and specializes
in Salvador Dali’s art and writing. This source will be extremely relevant to my thesis, as it discusses one of the key people in the
creation of Surrealism, Dali, and how he related the ideas in his paintings into film. King includes an interview with Amanda Lear, one
of Dali’s closest confidants.
Lynch, David, Rodley, Chris. Lynch on Lynch. Rev. Ed ed. London: Faber, 2005
Chris Rodley writes Lynch on Lynch in 2005, which is about the film director David Lynch and his films. Rodley has many hours of
interview time with David Lynch, which is rare. This book explores Lynch’s thoughts on his own works, and includes anecdotal stories
from his childhood background. Lynch discusses his process of filmmaking as feeling a “mood” as he films that influences each scene,
which sounds similar to the idea of automatism. Lynch does not address surrealism, but rather it is evident he is expressing the
theory and ideas of surrealism in the meaning of his works, as he tries to merge the dream world with the real world. This book is
very relevant to my thesis topic because David Lynch directs many of the films I am studying. This book would be helpful for anyone
interested in film, David Lynch, and surrealist or dreamlike movies.
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Matthews, J. H. An Introduction to Surrealism. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1965.
J. H. Matthews writes An Introduction to Surrealism in 1965 to emphasize that it is the attitude of the mind that matters in any
movement, and that the Surrealists comments on art are more important than the comments of any art critic. This source is
relevant to my thesis due to its comprehensive knowledge of the theory and ideas behind the Surrealist Movement. J. H. Matthews
has written many books on Surrealism, and is currently teaching at the University of Minnesota.
Mical, Thomas. Surrealism and Architecture. London ; New York: Routledge, 2005.
Thomas Mical, author of the book Surrealism and Architecture (2005), claims that surrealism is the least examined artistic movement
informing modern architecture, and should be looked at, as it is informative of the “desires” of architecture. The purpose of Mical’s
work is to organize these essays about surrealism in order to create a dialogue about how surrealism is indeed a part of architecture’s
history, influencing many architects way of thinking, even though it has been a “dark secret” in architecture. Thomas Mical received
his professional architecture degree from Harvard, and is known for his lectures and writings on surrealism, cinema, and urbanism.
This source is directly related to my thesis in that the book examines a correlation between surrealism and architecture.
Richardson, Michael. Surrealism and Cinema. Oxford; New York: Berg, 2006.
Michael Richardson, author of Surrealism and Cinema (2006) explores the conceptualization and making of surrealist films, focusing
on a broader range of directors than solely Luis Bunuel, from the 1920s to present day, with a focus on surrealist director Jan
Svankmajer. Richardson claims that certain films are directly, indirectly and involuntarily involved with the ideas of surrealism,
dreams, and the unconscious. Richardson also discusses criteria that begin to articulate “intangible relation”, and this idea by
Kyrou that going to the cinema itself is a surrealist experience, creating a collective relationship of the viewer to the screen. Anyone
interested in surrealism and film should read this book. Michael Richardson wrote other books about surrealism, and is currently a
visiting professor at Waseda University in Tokyo.
39

Short, Robert. The Age of Gold: Dali, Bunuel, Artaud: Surrealist Cinema. New expanded ed. Los Angeles, Calif.: Solar, 2008.
Robert Short explores the films Un Chien Andalou and L’Age D’or in his book The Age of Gold, written in 2008. This book documents
the themes and images of the films, as well as the theories of Dadaist and Avant-garde films for comparison. This source is very
relevant for my topic due to the depth of research into the two most important surrealist movies. Robert Short is a lecturer at the
University of East Anglia in England. This book is a useful academic reading for anyone interested in surrealist films and theory.
Svacha, Rostislav. Surrealism and Architecture [ed. by] Thomas Mical. Umeeni = the Art 55, no. 6: 510-513, 2007
Rostislav Svacha wrote a book review on Surrealism and Architecture by Thomas Mical, in 2007, claiming that Mical’s collection of
essays about surrealism and architecture, written by many young authors, is not a very thorough book on the subject. Syacha intends
to inform readers of Thomas Mical’s “Surrealism and Architecture” specifically to this claim, as well as researchers interested in
surrealism and architecture. This review was helpful for my thesis topic, in that the article reminded me to question the author’s
expertise and experience.
Vidler, Anthony. Fantasy, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture. Papers of Surrealism Winter, no. 1: 2 (2003)
Anthony Vidler wrote this paper, “Fantasy, the Uncanny and Surrealist Theories of Architecture” in 2003 in attempts to compare the
theory of surrealism with actual ideas of built architecture, as well as architectural theory. Vidler discusses the ideas of the physical
and the mental, as well as the organic and the inorganic. These ideas are very important to my thesis topic. This article is helpful for
anyone interested in surrealism and architecture. Anthony Vidler is a Professor and Dean of the School of Architecture at Cooper
Union, as well as being a historian and theorist of modern and contemporary architecture.
Vidler, Anthony. The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1992.
Anthony Vidler’s book “The Architectural Uncanny” focuses on the subject of the uncanny. The different aspects of the uncanny are
split up into specific essays, such as exile and homelessness. This book, specifically the introduction, was relevant to this thesis due
to it’s connection to surrealism with the uncanny. Anthony Vidler is a Professor and Dean of the School of Architecture at Cooper
Union, as well as being a historian and theorist of modern and contemporary architecture.
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BLOG
Prior to the start of the semester, I began a collection of images that were inspirational and influential to my interests. These items
included art installations, paintings, artwork by architects and graphic designers, videos and filmography, photography and quotes.
This collection showed my patterns of thinking and interests, which eventually led to my thesis idea: Surrealism in Architecture. In
addition to organizing my thesis ideas, the blog was helpful in displaying my weekly work for Thesis Prep. Each week I built upon the
previous weeks work. When scrolling through my blog, you can see the progression and evolution of ideas. This is an especially useful
tool for an outsider to visit my blog and understand my journey throughout my pre-thesis semester.
steelea.tumblr.com
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VISUAL STUDIES - PASSAGE OF TIME
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VISUAL STUDIES - MOVEMENT
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CONCLUSION
Conducting scholarly research in the field of surrealism allows me to understand the goals of surrealism, the major contributors that
define the movement, and the past attempts at translating surrealism into art. The visual studies help gather precedents, organize
my analysis and creative interpretation, and establish the site and program of my thesis problem. This research, in collaboration with
the visual studies, helps me to set up the framework of my thesis project.
HYPOTHESIS
This thesis aims to create an architectural spatial experience where the exterior reality merges with the interior reality, in which the
user perceives a new surreality. Throughout next semester, I hope this thesis will discover ideas about how to convey fantasy and
desire versus reality and truth as one through utilizing illusions, transparencies, shadows, and adjacencies. In the end, this thesis will
determine if surrealist spaces can be designed and experienced by a user to perceive the world in a new type of reality.
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FRAMING THE THESIS PROJECT

SITE
ABANDONED UNDERGROUND SUBWAY TUNNEL
ON TREMONT STREET IN BOSTON, MA.
The criteria this thesis had for choosing a site is that the site is a place with a past, an element of time. The site is also to be
underground or partially dug into the site, with elements of light and dark. Additionally, the site should have distant noises in the
background, like a train. Located in an urban place, this site could even take over an existing structure. The idea of a path and
sequence in this space is important. With all these in mind, this thesis site is located in Boston’s first underground subway at
Tremont Street. It was built in 1897, and was active until 1961. Now the tunnel, which is ¼ mile long, is abandoned and unused. This
site, being next to the Boston Commons, as well as in the Theater District, works well due to its location being in the urban center of
Boston. This is where the site and the program overlap to work together.
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SITE DATA - MAPS
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SITE DATA - PHOTOGRAPHS
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While studying potential sites, I decided to
make my own film. Pictured here are some of
the stills from the finished product. In the film,
I merged two sites: the underground subway
tunnel, and an abandoned Steinert’s Music
Hall in Boston. The film conveyed some of the
ideas about site criteria; this idea of passage of
time, the underground and abandoned existing
structures, and the distant noise of the train.
SITE ANALYSIS
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SITE ANALYSIS
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SITE ANALYSIS
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PROGRAM
The programmatic function for this thesis is very important in that the program should not solve this thesis for me. For example,
if the program was a circus, that would be unexpected and surreal in itself. This thesis needs a program that is concrete so that
the experience itself can be surreal. The program would need the element of visitors arriving only a few times a year, so that their
experience is new. Additionally, the program would have opportunities for more circulation between spaces. The programmatic
needs would not require light or windows, due to the site being underground. In considering these criteria, the programmatic function
of this thesis is a Hostel. A hostel follows all of these criteria; the visitors would be new to this designed space, they would circulate
between their rooms to the common areas, and the hostel would actually work better without light since the main purpose
would be sleeping. The visitors of the hostel would be open to new experiences and would be the perfect users of this space.
HOSTEL [SERVES ABOUT 60 VISITORS]
FUNCTION SIZE IN SF QTY. TOTAL SF
Reception Area 20 x 12 = 240 SF 1 240 SF
Management Office 12 x 16 = 192 SF 1 152 SF
Kitchen 20 x 20 = 400 SF 2 800 SF
Common Area 20 x 20 = 400 SF 2 800 SF
Storage + Supplies 20 x 20 = 400 SF 1 400 SF
1 Bedroom 18 x 10 = 180 SF 6 1,080 SF
2 Bedroom 18 x 12 = 216 SF 6 1,296 SF
3 Bedroom 18 x 15 = 270 SF 6 1,620 SF
4 Bedroom 20 x 20 = 400 SF 6 2,400 SF
Communal Bathrooms 20 x 20 = 400 SF 4 1,600 SF
NET SQ. FT. = 10, 548
GROSS SQ FT. = 13, 712
SITE TO FIT SQ. FT = 15, 768
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PROGRAM DIAGRAMS
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PROGRAM + SITE FIT ANALYSIS
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THESIS SEMESTER: PROCESS

METHODOLOGY
My process throughout the semester dealt with “letting go” of rational thought (which was very difficult!). The first few explorations
were about intuitive thought, limiting moral and social concerns from the process, and a lack of editing but a surplus of meaning.
From there, the process informed itself. One exploration led to another. Below is the mind map which documented each step along
the way.
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TWO-DIMENSIONAL SURREALIST TECHNIQUES
“Recipe”:
1. Begin with known image or object
2. Following the set of ‘rules’ so that the author doesn’t make decisions on how they are changing the image or object.
Minimal thinking; just doing (automatic)
3. This abstracts it in a way that has no order / randomized (takes away the “authorship” since there is little conscious
input/no rational thinking)
Each technique presents an opportunity for chance:
Chance on which initial image or object is chosen
Chance on the author’s impulses/intuition with how things go back together (when decisions present themselves, you think
as little as possible to avoid rationalizing why you are doing what you are doing).
Result:
Look at image/object in a different way with discoveries and new possibilities of what it means and can be viewed as.
Inspire thoughts/ideas/connections that wouldn’t have been reached with rational thought.
Criticism:
The techniques require some level of consciousness; these techniques attempt to reveal what the subconscious desires –
but I don’t know if that’s truly possible with these techniques.
The important piece of this technique is after the process – the discoveries and possibilities that arise out of the process.
These techniques still allow for some sort of legibility – it was important for the surrealists that their viewers of the artwork
could comprehend some piece of reality infused with irrationality. After all, their main goal was to bring about social
awareness of this philosophy and how would they do that if the public couldn’t read into their work?
(Abstract Expressionism was more about the artist expressing himself, so the painting could be totally incomprehensible).
What would happen if I combined two techniques? Is there a new technique that would allow minimal rational thought to be involved
during the process?
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AEROGRAPHY
use of a 3D object as a stencil for spray painting
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CUBOMANIA
picture/image is cut into squares then reassembled with no regard for the previous image
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CUT-UP TECHNIQUE
text is cut up and rearranged to create new text
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ENTOPIC GRAPHOMANIA
create dots and connect with line or curved lines
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OUTAGRAPHY
the object of the image/photograph is cut out
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This exploration was taking the ideas of the two dimensional collages and trying to
produce a more spatial collage. I started by going to the local goodwill, picking items
at random, then putting them together without thought. Looking at it afterwards, I
imagined that the fishbowl was this man’s brain with all these memories of his life as
objects. In this way, I was able to create a narrative of someone’s life with cues from
the fishbowl. Another interesting note is that the way I placed the objects initially for
the photograph was completely unthought about, but when looking at it afterwards,
it shows my inner rational personality and how I intuitively categorized the items.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL COLLAGE
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL ASSEMBLAGE
Taking cues from Joseph Cornell, I decided to try my own assemblage, as a way to create new meanings for objects when they are
in juxtaposition with each other. This was another way for me to work without trying to have a reason for every decision.
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FORMAL STUDIES BASED ON SHADOWS
I came up with the idea to then make an open-back assemblage, so that I could shine a light through and abstract the objects into
shapes using the shadows. Once again, I did not give aesthetic regard to how the assemblage looked, I just placed objects together.
The shadows were then cast onto a wall, traced with charcoal, and given tonal qualities, to create spatial relationships. These
charcoals, which are 3’ x 4’ large, were scaled down and modeled with corrugated cardboard into 4” thick forms. In a way, the
process here was model to photograph to drawing and back to model... which then eventually led back to photograph!
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STUDY ONE
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STUDY TWO
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STUDY THREE
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STUDY FOUR
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EXPERIENTIAL MOMENTS
Using the 4” models, I stacked them together and manipulated the lighting to take photographs in a way that felt experiential. These
moments helped create a narrative of formal spaces.
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EXPERIENTIAL MOMENTS
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EXPERIENTIAL MOMENTS
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EXPERIENTIAL MOMENTS
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EXPERIENTIAL SECTION
Using the experiential moments, I created a sectional narrative of spaces. These formal studies show spaces that influenced my
design.
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PROGRAMMATIC NARRATIVE
Using an ab-lib technique, i filled in the blanks for “a ____ for ____ ____” with nouns, adjectives, and verbs. These phrases were
now my programmatic script for the rooms of my building.
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A FROZEN VAULT OF REPORTS
first space visitor encounters | mostly normal
receptionist disappears into a vault, where fog emits into the space | vault keeps records “preserved”, kept safe
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A WARM BALCONY FOR HOLDING BAGS
balcony in the exposed tunnel | fireplace warming the luggage of the visitors
still not extremely surreal, just a double take | personifying bags
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A GARDEN OF BROAD INSTRUMENTS
garden: communication to the exterior | broad: many, varied | instruments: tools of the traveler
return back to the ‘garden’ multiple times | tools that travelers use to connect to the outside world
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A BEDROOM OF MOLTEN MEMORY
texture: pins that can mold to the movement of the user | communication back and forth between rooms
saves memory of the user of the room | always changing
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A POOL OF EMPTY CURTAINS
bedroom that fits multiple people | private beds are formed from the architecture but are all connected to the pool
in this case the curtains are not “concealing”; they are fabric on which to rest
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A LANE OF FAMILIAR TOILETS
idea of shadows; seeing the outline and familiarity of the bathroom | curtains are used for concealing
create the image of a textured wall | “pool” indicates water in the pool, but the water is outside the pool.
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THE FLOOR OF DROWSY WHIRLPOOLS
lay on your bed, and the bed travels slowly in a downwards spiral | lulls you to sleep
multiple people in one vast space
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THE MOUNTAIN OF QUIET FURNISHINGS
old furniture stacked to create terraces | climb terraces to different levels of beds | many steps to the top
as you climb, instead of getting a view out, you look into the mountain and get a view of the auditorium practices
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AN AUDITORIUM OF DESERTED EYES
theater rehearsal space for emerson students (who occupy the building above)
the hostel visitors can peak into this space while they climb up to their beds
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A KITCHEN OF MEMORIZING TAILS
preserving the memory of the end | kitchen: transformation, memorizing: preserve, projection | tail; end
camera records person in elevator at the end of their journey, at the threshold moment before they leave the hostel | their
image will be added to a queue of others, and is played in the dining area, so a memory of them will stay at the hostel
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CONCEPTUAL SECTION
This diagrammatic section was created based on the programmatic script and the corresponding perspectives.
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THESIS SEMESTER: RESULT

GROUND PLAN
The site is located on Tremont Street in Boston, MA. Entering the hostel through a Dunkin’ Donuts supply closet, you walk down a
fire stair and into the reception area. The idea is to enter the hostel through a very mundane place, and progressively the visitor’s
journey becomes surreal. Its the juxtaposition of the ordinary to the surreal that makes the experience. The user can exit the
hostel through the lobby of the Majestic Theater, which is extremely ornate with decoration.
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FLOOR NEGATIVE ONE
Once the user travels down the fire stair, they enter into the abandoned tunnel. Here there is a balcony with some programmatic
functions, such as check in, lobby and an office. The visitor has a chance to walk along the old train tracks, and then steps onto a
platform where there are elevator doorways and lounges. Each elevator brings the user to a different part of the hostel, using a
system of sloped wires that the elevator is suspended from. The visitor would have many bags with them and this would create a
sense of unknown, because the user can’t tell which way the elevator is moving.
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FLOOR NEGATIVE TWO
The different hostel bedrooms are: the bedroom of molten memory, the pool of empty curtains, the floor of drowsy whirlpools, and the
mountain of quiet furnishings. There is a kitchen of memorizing tails on this floor as well. These bedrooms have overlapping corridors
that allow access through each space and one can travel from one side of the hostel to the other using this back circulation.
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FLOOR NEGATIVE THREE
This floor has more of the public hostel elements on it, including the garden of broad instruments, the lane of familiar toilets, an
auditorium of deserted eyes, as well as another kitchen of memorizing tails. The floor of drowsy whirlpools and the mountain of
quiet furnishings require multiple levels so they appear on this floor as well. This level shows the introduction of another circulation
path: that of the Emerson students who can take an elevator down from their main building into a private rehearsal space.
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SECTIONAL VIEW OF THE HOSTEL
This sectional elevation shows the nighttime view of the hostel, when it’s occupied most. The street above shows the entry and exit
points. The experience of the tunnel is one where you can experience the abandoned tunnel from multiple heights, being on the
actual tracks, or up above the tracks on a balcony or lounge. The rooms of the hostel are connected through circulation but also
through sectional bridges, views into other rooms, and movable and translucent materials.
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CROSS SECTION 1
In this section view, you can see the relationship between the bedrooms of molten memory. One visitor can move and manipulate
the pins on a wall in a room where another visitor is sleeping in. In this way, the room is constantly changing and gives a sense that
there is more to the hostel than they can see, encouraging curiosity and discovery.
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BEDROOM OF MOLTEN MEMORY
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CROSS SECTION 2
This section displays the relationship between the pool of empty curtains and the lane of familiar toilets. The fabric in the pool of
empty curtains will move and change according to the users. The showers are separated from the fabric with translucent glass.
This section also cuts through the elevator system that takes you from the tunnel to the different levels.
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POOL OF EMPTY CURTAINS
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CROSS SECTION 3
This section depicts the cut through the floor of drowsy whirlpools, as well as the back elevator and hallway for the Emerson
students. As one can see, the sloped floor of the whirlpool room overlooks the mountain of quiet furnishings.
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FLOOR OF DROWSY WHIRLPOOLS & MOUNTAIN OF QUIET FURNISHINGS
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CONCLUSION OF THESIS TOPIC
My project topic, surrealism in architecture, has proven to be a great topic
for me to explore and learn about. I have ended this semester with more
questions than answers about my topic, but feel I have learned a lot along the
way. I’ve learned that space can be influenced and designed by techniques
of surrealism and can lead to experiential moments of uncertainty, as
well as that surrealism has opened up possibilities not seen before in the
design process itself. A designer needs the elements of something real and
recognizable in order to captivate the user and pull them into the surreal
world, where the rest is left up to their imagination. There needs to be a
balance of vagueness and clarity. Specifically in my project, the clarity should
be in the details of how this building could possibly be constructed, and the
vagueness is kept in the way the spaces are experienced.
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CONCLUSION OF THESIS SEMESTER
The process of my thesis project has been very fluid, but that’s not to say it was easy. The work completed in my thesis prep
I & II courses gave me a strong foundation of research, as well as a conceptually solid base for my project. The chosen site of the
underground abandoned Tremont Street subway tunnel in Boston stayed into the next semester, giving me inspirational cues and
atmospheric qualities that helped with my project. The programmatic qualities of a hostel allowed me extreme flexibility with the
programmatic requirements and the “scripted” narration that guided the project. The beginning of this semester was learning to be
more lose with thought; to not edit or think about what I was doing. That is in itself what surrealism was about in the process of their
making. I had a few design trials that helped me ease into this mind set. My hyper-rational mind was having a hard time not having a
reason for everything I was doing, but I had to trust the process. It led me to making things that invited the imagination to complete
what it was supposed to be. These initial studies gave me inspiration for spaces that I would have not come up with had I just tried
thinking it through. There were formal studies that gave way to some of the spatial qualities in the hostel, as well as a text-inspired
script of the programmatic uses. This process taught me to let go when designing in order to gain inspiration for things not yet
discovered.
I believe that it’s the combination of the yearlong studies as well as the final review that truly help understand what I did here.
The review went really well, due to the nature of the critics understanding my project right away and jumping in with comments
that were exactly what my thesis was addressing. Almost everything that was discussed was valid and well informed. The exciting
comments for me were that I was courageous to tackle this topic and to let go of rational thought, as well as that the process was
linked, although some of the formal studies could have been more incorporated into the design. Some of the more constructive
criticism was about the absence of representation of the cinematic experiential qualities that I was intrigued with, and the plan being
overly worked and bigger than my experiential drawings. Overall, I am pleased with how my thesis developed over the past year and
what I have learned about my own process of making and designing that I will continue to integrate into my work.
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REFLECTION OF THE PROCESS
“build: To develop or give form according to a plan or process; to create”
build the “unbuildable”
annie steele and rebecca leclerc
architecture now is technical, conventional…ABSTRACT IT.
comfortable with this level of uncertainty.
what you think you know could change.
stability of reality you know can now have a different meaning.
Imagination.
Unconscious - making something completely intuitively, without rational thought, without limitations. without editing. essence of the idea without defining
things. make models and see what they could mean. balance of the identifiable and the abstract. abstract phrases describing the space not in measurable
ways, but in Immeasurable.
put irrational ideas into a rational thing.
how: explore techniques
Subjective, Intuitive
how to get out of the conventions
new meanings to things that exist
silly models
taking what we already know and mixing it around to give it new identity
transition into the experience
created a script. Narrative.
converting those experiments into experiences rather than a form
BUILD THE UNREAL.
importance is the space within the walls not the walls themselves
“i’ve never thought of this before”- personal. attach your own meaning to it.
still walls and floors and ceilings (all the conventional pieces) but they are situated together in a way that puts an Uninhibited meaning to the experience.
“is this real”
not about generic.
the subjective into an object, open to new thought.
Irrational formed into rational Realities to foster valid irrational reflections. never the same.
design something that is always changing.
build an experience; can’t control what this is.
build the unbuildable
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