Towards the Anthropocene : colossal naturality in disordered territories

Abstract

"A controversial new development has recently been put up for debate within the discipline of Geology: Do current levels of human interaction in Earth's geology and atmosphere justify the proclamation of a new geological age or era: The Anthropocene? Entering a realm of scientific uncertainty and discourse, this thesis argues that the conceptualization of the Anthropocene (as a product of human ubiquity) yields the premise to summarize and critique a whole number of recent influential paradigm shifts and theoretical frameworks in architecture, which, in essence, address the relationship between the "man-made"and the "natural" The main hypothesis of this thesis is based on the assumption that principles of dirt and contamination (states of disorder) will replace principles of natural preservation and mythical naturality (seemingly ordered states) as the new primary vessel of meaning for the production of Anthropocene environment, architecture, ecology, society and culture. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone will serve as a case study for investigating the Anthropocene condition."