Halloween is a holiday that centers on space and ritual. Most likely originating from Celtic harvest festivals, Halloween is tied to processions like trick-or-treating, as well as history and spatial stories. The holiday celebrates imagined settings, characters, and events. In similar celebrations like Mexico's Día de Muertos, people gather in unlikely places; cemeteries and graveyards become the backdrops to picnics and celebrations. There, families offer flowers and food to deceased relatives as they celebrate history and the lives of loved ones.
This year, the coronavirus has changed the ways we gather and celebrate together, and holidays are their own thread of this story. As the CDC outlines, there are certain activities that are commonplace on Halloween, and they have grouped them into lower, moderate, and higher-risk activities. They suggest a range of ideas, from decorating your house, apartment, or living space to participating in virtual scavenger hunts and costume contests. Taking inspiration from a holiday with ties to architecture and urbanism, the following Halloween-themed articles and projects look back on our coverage at a time when holidays are taking on new forms.
Scary People in Architectural Photography
Halloween. A day plagued by ghost, ghouls, and goblins. Historically, on All Hallows' Evening, many believed that spirits could return to the earthly world. On this frightful occasion, a series of photographers highlight phantoms from the beyond that have entered the architectural realm. The result is a series of projects with some supernatural counterparts.
Belly of the Beast / Burn Ritani
This temporary exhibition revolves around the central tower. Declan Burn and Matt Ritani of Burn + Ritani designed Belly of the Beast as an installation in Matakana, New Zealand. The 12 meter tower is covered in shingles made of tires, and this "monster" project was made to operate as as double of architecture.
An Architectural Halloween: Boo-tiful Pumpkin "Interventions"
What do ghosts say when they see a great design? “Ghoul!” (Sorry, not sorry). 10 exceptional ArchDailyers showed their salt by designing these Halloween-themed gourds. Since all of you are our kin, we wanted to give you something that would pump you up for Halloween
Sea Dragon / JOH Architects
Situated in the harbor of Geelong, this sea dragon is designed to harness energy and embody optimism for the future. Its “mood” changes with the wind, as the changing conditions of the environment activate the monster. The design hopes to attract visitors to this unique location along the waterfront.
Monsterscape by Hannat Architects
An exhibition display surface as a metaphor for disaster, the design advocates consciousness of the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011. The “monsterscape” holds a variety of display areas and platforms. The ideas was educate and remind individuals of the event even years after its passing.
Architecture at Night
With Halloween just around the corner, this special edition of photography features nighttime images. Undoubtedly, this effect is among the most spectacular and difficult to achieve in architectural photography. Working in the absence of light is not a simple task for photographers, but by playing with the artificial lights in buildings it is possible to achieve incredible results.
