ARCH 251 Architectural History 2 taught by Prof. Adams explored architectural ideas that emerged since 1950 in urban North America. Each week focused on a specific architectural issue, typology, or case study through primary sources. How do historians assess evidence? What were the intentions of the architects who designed buildings since 1950? How does architecture relate to major 20th-century themes such as war, science, technology, civil rights, gender, social justice, heritage, memorialization, globalization, environmentalism, the rise of media and anti-racism? In Winter 2021, as part of a teaching collaboration with ARCH 355 taught by Prof. Türeli, students wrote papers on race and space. The most compelling papers were selected for presentation on this website.

 

Demolishing Barriers: Canada’s Native Community Actively Un-Making Racist Architecture, by

14 Sep 2021

Figure 1: Polson, Erica. Paul Dixon and his Newly Acquired Sledgehammer, in Steve Bonspiel, “La Tuque Residential School Razed- Demolition Is Closure for Hundreds of Abducted Cree Children Held at...

Indifference, Injustice, and Identity: Multiculturalism and the Model Minority Myth in Koreatown

20 Aug 2021

Figure 1: Torched Buildings on S. Vermont Avenue in Koreatown, Los Angeles. (Leonard, Gary. Torched buildings, Los Angeles Riots. 1992. Photography. Los Angeles Photographers Collection, Los...

Speculations on Race and Space: Targeting a Race through their Architecture, by Gloria Wang

12 Aug 2021

In the very first lecture of Architectural History 2, I distinctly remember Professor Annmarie Adams showing our class a photo of the capitol riots, which occurred only a few days prior. Rioters...

Now… using racism to advertise exotic products

30 Jul 2021

Advertisements often use subliminal messages for sales. The 1956 advertisement for Mengel Doors posted in the shelter magazine House and Home goes further by blatantly capitalizing on racism for...

Disney’s “It’s a Small World” ride: An Incursion into the Racial Implications of the African Display

23 Jul 2021

The famously idealized Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is an attraction park large enough to be considered a city. Founded on tourism, the park promises a world of magic and endless...

City Planning or Dismantling of Black Communities: Gentrification in Southwest, Washington D.C.

18 Jun 2021

Architecture, especially regarding race and gender, is not limited to the creation of physical space but includes the destruction of these spaces as well. When discussing race and architecture, it...

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