Julius-Christian Schreiner’s Silent Agents series, shot in London, Paris, Innsbruck and Hamburg, depicts examples of ‘hostile architecture’: subtle interventions in urban spaces designed to hinder people’s use of them
Source: Hostile architecture: an uncomfortable urban art – in pictures
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| Hamburg A concrete barrier with a cage to stop people sitting on it |
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| Paris A “protected corner” close to the Gare du Nord, an area with a lot of drug addicts. It was added in two phases; first, the classic stone covering, then the metal grid |
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| Innsbruck Stones placed underneath balconies in the Sill-Siedlung housing estate to stop people sleeping and sitting |
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| Innsbruck A fence that was erected under a bridge after homeless people had been finding shelter under it |
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| Innsbruck A metal construction to prevent people sitting in the entrance area of a housing estate |
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| Hamburg Metal bench with armrests to prevent long-term stays and to stop people lying down |
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| Paris A decorative stone patch, in the covered entrance area of a building, that prevents people from finding rest there. The stones are also very difficult to clean, leaving these structures constantly dirty |
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| Innsbruck Metal edges on a fence to prevent people from sitting down at a bus station in front of a shopping mall Photo: Julius-Christian Schreiner |
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| London Floor surface on the top three steps below the Millennium Bridge. The lower ones are designed for sitting, but have armrests, whereas the top steps have a pyramid-like covering to discourage loitering |
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| Hamburg Local authorities have installed stones and an artificial stream that fills up when it rains under a bridge where homeless people have sought shelter since the 1980s |
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| Paris Bollards in a covered corner next to the entrance of a Carrefour supermarket at the Boulevard de Clichy. They are designed to prevent loitering |
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| Paris Near the Porte de la Chapelle Métro station is a refugee counselling camp without shelter. Hundreds of people are forced to sleep on the bare ground. Authorities installed these stones under a nearby bridge to prevent people from sleeping underneath it. Artists visited and engraved them with phrases such as “in memory of those who did not arrive” and “ egalite” |
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| Innsbruck Around “museum street”’ in the city centre, street poles have metal structures that were first installed after authorities complained about too many bicycles in the area. These installations are probably there to prevent people locking bikes to the poles |
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| London Design of a sheltered, partly glass-covered seating area. Armrests prevent anything other than a short stay |
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| London A ventilation shaft from which warm air flows. The design prevents homeless people from sleeping on it |
Source: Hostile architecture: an uncomfortable urban art – in pictures
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