“Non-places” concept to challenge architectural conventions

One of France’s foremost intellectuals will examine concepts such as globalisation and urbanisation at a University of Queensland public lecture this month.

Professor Marc Augé, an innovative and influential anthropologist, will use his concept of the “non-place” to suggest that world architecture alludes to a global society that does not exist. 

UQ’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies will host the free public lecture, Architecture and non-places, on Thursday 12 December.

UQ Reader in French Associate Professor Greg Hainge said Augé’s concept of the “non-place” referred to places such as airports.  

“Airports are built to a uniform model, resulting in a lack of any local anthropological codes enabling us to understand these spaces as we would a local environment,” he said.

“Consequently they are over populated with signs telling us what to do.

“For Augé, the real challenge is to understand what happens to us in these spaces,” Associate Professor Hainge said.

Event Details- Architecture and non-places

Time: 5pm-6pm (refreshments 6pm-7pm)
Date: Thursday 12 December
Venue: Abel Smith lecture theatre, St Lucia Campus
RSVP: Monday 9 December (for catering) to events@slccs.uq.edu.au

Media: Associate Professor Greg Hainge, g.hainge@uq.edu.au, (+61 7) 3365 2282, or Ms Lynda Flower, l.flower@uq.edu.au, (+61 7) 3365 6247.