Pet Architecture
Location Salzburg Summer Academy
Course 1:1 Building Workshop
Dates 2007
Duration 3 Weeks
Professor Momoyo Kaijima
Tutors Medine Altiok, Adrian Berger, Lukas Huggenberger
Atelier Bow-Wow introduced the concept of „Pet Architecture“ to describe a unique typology of a building which takes form in leftover urban spaces. This type of architecture is not at the forefront of aesthetic design or advanced technology but produces a unique characteristic of self-appropriation in cities which forces the users to make the most of smaller spaces.
Yoshiharu Tsukamoto elaborates on the meaning of ‘Pet Architecture’ by saying: ‘Our society does not consist only of human beings. Various animals come into our lives as ‘Pets’, and they are given spaces to live… If decent buildings standing in decent spaces are considered ‘human beings’, small buildings standing with all their might in odd spaces would seem to be like pets in urban spaces.’
The term also lends itself to connotations of how we play with these spaces like they are pets. As seen in many of the examples, the buildings can be playful and not take themselves too seriously. Many key building features such as ventilation, entrances, stairs and windows become key elements of the structure, adding to the unusual aesthetic. Examples of this architecture can be seen in one-metre gaps between buildings, awkward street corners, spaces between roads, rail tracks and rivers.
„Pet Architecture“ Projects for Public Spaces was the topic of the Class at the Summer Academy in Salzburg. The students worked in groups of 2-3 to build a 1:1 spatial intervention with paper/cardboard material for a location in the city centre on Salzburg. The workshop resulted in:
A Puppet and Shadow Theater
An Urban Furniture for Chess Players
A Sound Expander for a Street Musician
A Shelter for Lovers on a Pedestrian Bridge