Excerpt: ‘The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body’ is an architecture thesis by Vladut Iacob from the Bartlett School of Architecture – UCL, that seeks to create a mixed-use sports facility that promotes mental fortitude and physical health in order to achieve a state of physical and mental harmony. The project proposes a new philosophy based on Taoism to live in harmony with the universe and its energy flow, aiming to revive the communal spirit of the derelict park in Exarcheia, Athens.
Introduction: In 2008, the locals of Exarcheia came together to reclaim an open-air parking lot that was owned by the municipal council of Athens. The community benefited from their anarchist initiative, which gave rise to a self-organised park, but its degradation is witness to the tension of their occupancy. To live in harmony with the universe and its constant flow of energy, the project proposes a new philosophy for the location: Taoism. The project aims to create a mixed-use sports facility that promotes mental fortitude and physical health in order to achieve a state of physical and mental harmony that shapes youth into self-assured adults. The centrepiece of this concept is martial arts, which recognises the sporting body as an alternative medium for design and expression.
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