Domestic Architecture, Literature and the Sexual Imaginary in Europe, 1850-1930

This book explores the impact of architectural practices and discourses on the sexual imagination in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Europe. It examines how literature imagined the impact of new architectural designs on sexual culture, suggesting the creation of more fluid forms of space and sexual mores.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

This captivating book delves into the profound impact of architectural practices and discourses on the realm of sexual imagination. It unveils the significant contributions of architecture and its literary representations to a series of transformative shifts occurring in sexual culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in France, England, Germany, and Austria. Through meticulous analysis of a significant collection of architectural discourses and literary depictions of domestic architecture, the book vividly illustrates the ongoing tension between a rising embrace of sexual permissiveness and more conservative approaches to domesticity and sexuality. It showcases the ways in which literature envisioned the profound implications of new architectural designs on sexual culture, suggesting the emergence of more fluid and liberated forms of spatial organization and sexual mores.

The architectural discourse of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries played a pivotal role in shaping the sexual imagination. Architects and designers sought to create spaces that were both functional and aesthetically pleasing, but they also had to consider the social and cultural norms of the time. In France, for example, the Haussmannian boulevards and apartment buildings were designed to promote a sense of modernity and efficiency, but they also created a new type of urban environment that was conducive to sexual exploration and experimentation.

Literary representations of domestic architecture also played a significant role in shaping the sexual imagination. Novels and short stories often depicted the interior spaces of homes as sites of sexual tension and desire. For example, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the character Elizabeth Bennet is drawn to Mr. Darcy's stately home, which is described as "a place of great elegance and comfort, but also of strict propriety and restraint." Austen uses the description of the house to suggest that there are hidden depths to Mr. Darcy's character and that he is capable of passion and desire, even though he appears to be a conservative and proper gentleman.

Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the character Jay Gatsby is obsessed with the idea of creating a grand and opulent home that will impress his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald uses the description of Gatsby's mansion to suggest that Gatsby is a man who is driven by his desire for wealth and status, but who is also deeply flawed and vulnerable. The mansion is a symbol of Gatsby's unrealized dreams and his inability to connect with other people on a meaningful level.

Architectural practices and discourses also played a role in promoting the idea of gender equality in the home. In the early twentieth century, there was a growing movement for women's rights and gender equality, and architects began to design homes that were more inclusive and accessible to women. For example, in the United States, the architect Louis Henri Sullivan designed the Wainwright level, which was a pioneering example of a single-family home that was designed to accommodate the needs of both men and women. The Wain level featured a flexible layout that allowed for multiple uses of space, including a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room, and it also included a private space for women, such as a sewing room or a reading nook.

In conclusion, this book sheds light on the profound impact of architectural practices and discourses on the sexual imagination. It demonstrates the ways in which architecture and its literary representations shaped the way in which people thought about sex, gender, and sexuality in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By analyzing an important set of architectural discourses and literary representations of domestic architecture, the book illustrates the constant tension between an increasing sexual permissiveness and more conservative approaches to domesticity and sexuality. It shows the ways in which literature imagined the impact of new architectural designs on sexual culture, suggesting the creation of more fluid forms of organization of space and sexual mores.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474463072