THE LIVING MUSEUM

by Leah Roberts

Through the exploration of Franz Kafka's Odradek creature, an architectural language formed by household objects and personal belongings was developed. The scheme includes a museum exhibiting the personal histories of residents, as well as new dwellings for hoarders to live in. Hoarder mentality of collecting items through association rather than through categories was one of the key factors in designing the building as they are the curaters and caretakers of the living museum. The museum will continuously grow and evolve through their management. However, the building itself is a protagonist, with its own sense of agency and “thing power”, contributing to the growth of the project.