A parasite media uses the existing mediat structures to distribute and propagate its ideas. A Maison des Journalistes due to the changing nature of its inmates doesn't have the staff or the capabilities ot run a year long newspaper or radio station. However, it can produce pieces of information or advertisement that can be diffused in existing newspaper, radios, television stations, billboard networks etc.
The Maison des Journalistes is a diffusion fortress with its office space build within its walls.
From the sidewalks, one can look into the workshop by the mean of very small windows it the building's base.
 
Creating an Image: the diffusion machine
back to intro
 
<< >>
 
..lena buchinger
 
 
 
 
Production zone Parasite media
  
 

Pressroom, open working space On the ground floor the wall becomes very, very thick. People constantly enter and exit a gap in this wall. You hear the computer roaring, and voices talking loud. Political statements are laid out in this bare luminous chaos. It is solid and bright in order to support work. This is the mysterious entrance to the labyrinth.

 Ground floor plan of the Dover Castle, Great-Britain. From Castles anf Fortified Cities in Medieval Europe.

Offices Build into the walls of the building they are its intrinsic structure. They have a scale similar to the individual rooms, but they aren’t white, clean and neutral. To be here is to be biased. Nothing is straight, nothing is normal. They are spaces for interpretation.

Common room + Conference room They are build into the façade more than they are build into the wall. A screen veils them, and projects to the exterior world chosen images – you can control them from the room if you want to. They are the only parts of the production zone that offers a clear view to the outside.

 Workshop and printing facilities + Television production + Radio/recording rooms All the spaces that imply heavy machinery, technical equipment, or just the final concretization of ideas are set in the base of the building. This is a rough pedestal, half above ground, half underground. This is dim, solid, huge but not overwhelming.
Numbers and measurements
 

It is located in the building’s basement – the base – and inside its walls. This is what makes them thick, heavy, important, meaningful. This is what enables the whole building to withstand the pressure and protect its inhabitants. Therefore it needs to house the labyrinth of the parasite media under its skin. All walls above ground level are really thick and somewhat translucent.

Offices.

Pressroom, open working space, computers

Common room

Conference room

Television production

Radio/recording rooms

Workshop and printing facilities .

Various

Total: 		 

75 sq.m

150 sq.m.

50 sq.m.

50 sq.m.

150 sq.m.

150 sq.m.

300 sq.m

200 sq.m.

1025sq.m.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DRM - Winter 2005