Spectators of the future: the domestic space as a theatrical stage in exhibitions and popular fairs (1955-1970)

Abstract

Since their emergence in the 19th century, popular exhibitions and fairs have played a primary role as a means of disseminating the ideas of designers and as a space for educating the public on the values of modern life. Especially after World War II, architects and designers used these exhibitions to reach people with speculations about life in houses in that could never realistically be inhabited. A recurring strategy in many of these proposals involved transforming these exhibitions into a theatrical stage. Visitors thus became spectators of the future, contemplating shows in which the actors, and even the designers themselves, performed domestic actions in amazing scenarios. This research eludes the usual architectural reading to focus interest on the scenographic analysis of selected housing prototypes designed in Europe between the second half of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1970s. The study aims to identify the key elements of theatrical representation in the mise en scène of the domestic space of these architectures on display.