Seminar by Chris Kabel
surface into an conveniently positioned trash bin when the noise level in its vicinity exceeds set limits, ensuring tranquility and a clean environment in hostile public spaces.
Equipped with hidden microphones, an electric motor and a microcontroller, the pain-
ted galvanized iron construction is designed for public outdoor use.
This table draws on principles of hostile architecture—a design strategy often used to deter unwanted behavior in public spaces, such as sleeping, loitering, or gathering. By embedding control into everyday objects, hostile architecture exposes the tension between accessibility and regulation, often targeting marginalized communities under the guise of order and cleanliness. Its presence raises critical questions about who public space is truly for, and who gets to decide how it is used. In this context, the table becomes a tool of quiet enforcement, questioning notions of ownership, control, and the increasingly blurred line between surveillance and design.