‘Unfolding Julian Assange's Home of Diplomatic Containment’ by Theo Jones
Master of Architecture (2018-20)
The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (Unit 11 - Smout Allen)
Key supervisors: Professor Laura Allen, Professor Mark Smout
This diplomat's jacket reflects the story and experience of Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) in his home of diplomatic containment. Julian Assange via political asylum, lived inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for over 6 years. He initially occupied one room then gradually took over others inside the Knightsbridge building, as his stay was extended. From leaked documents, it has been established that Ecuador considered transporting Assange in a diplomatic bag. For a time the Met Police scanned objects exiting the embassy for heat signatures.
The jacket acts as a diplomatic bag holding a collection of rooms that can be folded up, hidden, and transported with diplomatic immunity. This includes the street facing balcony, the only external space he could access, and a series of domestic rooms, some of which are shared with the Ecuadorian embassy staff.
The single floor flat that is the Ecuadorian embassy, is Ecuadorian territory. While Assange was inside with asylum, the flat offered him an island of protection. Inside the jacket, this flat is folded down - secretly moving Assange and the territory of Ecuador that protected him. No longer trapped at a fixed location, Assange now has a protected escape route to Ecuador or another refuge.
Theo Jones / MArch / The Bartlett, London, 2018-20
Theo Jones is an architectural designer, maker, researcher, and teacher based in London. He works in architecture with Architecture for London, teaches as a founder of Green Mat Workshop, and formed the design collective Taxonomy. He studied architecture at Oxford Brookes University and The Bartlett School of Architecture.
model, drawing, wearables, political, borders, states
