Sunday, July 11, 2004

Phallic* Architecture

"Phallic Architecture" usually views tall skyscrapers as phallic symbols, even spawning an anti-phallic architectural movement in this example.



In Kuwait, the phallic concept has been taken a few steps further by this unheralded phallic structure attached to The Kuwait Port Authority headquarters' multi-story car park, which actually includes a pair of testicles (balls!) to complete the structure and thus robbing it of any "symbolism". Who knows what inspired the architect at the time? I guess it functions as a stairwell, even though I shudder at the thought of climbing up the inside of a huge concrete penis!

Come to think of it.. those Kuwait Towers suddenly look pretty phallic too, don't you think?

Many thanks to Mama Fusla for providing me with the photo

*phallic, [fal-ik], adjective: of, relating to, or resembling a penis

26 comments:

  1. This looks like it was intentional by the company who designed it, or even maybe it was requested to be that way.

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  2. Ouff.. I used to pass by that building everyday on my way to college and never noticed that inyourface "cactus-shaped" part of it.
    Zaydoun, you're a true eye opener.

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  3. Many thanks to Mama Fusla for providing me with this photo, in fact I'll edit the post to mention her right now.. I never noticed it before either

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  4. mama fusla roooools
    it was explaied to me that this building was supposed to resemble ia ship(actualy it is in the plan of the basement parking only)
    so i guess that symbol was inspired by a lonly sailor

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  5. If you go KPA website>intro>virtua tour. Notice the still picture above the tour window, you will see a side image of the building. Not as phallic as the stairwell but is to an extent can pass as phallic Architecture, wouldn't you agree?

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  6. Question is did you go look for it or did you notice it and had this thought or was it brought you your attention?

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  8. and is your friend as odd as the pictures?

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  9. Lighten up, people! And cut Mama some slack!

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  10. I recall that in Egypt some members of an islamic group actually filed a lawsuit requesting a building to be demolished simply because it resembled a penis (was it Burg Al Ta7reer?? not sure), I hope our guys in the NA won't get any ideas!

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  11. Shosho you're right.. The fuss was about the Cario tower which actually resembles a lotus flower but you know how islamists' heads work. I think they hated it the most coz it was a reminder of Nasser's era.

    Mamafusla, i missed your post :(

    (hehehe I'm listening to Beatles's BlackBird and my 7 year old niece says she would've liked the song better if it was about a white bird or a pink one.. My niece the racist lol)

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  12. Yes I've seen that tower, it looks like some mesh or something around it, not at all like a phallus.

    Anyway, for this picture, it's cool and I like the motif of the testicles. I noticed then even before I read the comments. I thought, "wow, that's one big penis". It's cute. :)

    Shurouq, you're welcome - from wherever post we are talking about (I think it was the deleted one).

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  13. After looking at the stairs now it looks more like a cactus from the Arizona desert. The two little sticky-ups are too little so they must have cut some off to make room. No it's not circumcised. :P

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  14. everyone in the office is cracking up here!

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  15. I'm so glad you finally posted it! Being an architect, I am trained to notice certain details... But this one just blew me away... I actually took that picture almost a year ago, and I forwarded it to Mama Fusla. I see this concrete phallus on a daily basis (it's a block away from my office)... I can't decide what's worse--The fact that the architect had the balls (pardon the pun) to put this element on the facade, or the fact that people have never noticed it...

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  16. Then we have you to thank as well, migrant! Just watch out for Purgatory72's "disapproval" ;-)

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  18. Migrant, how about a book or even a site!
    KUCA.com (Kuwait's Ugliest & Crappiest Architecure)

    Communist architecture will work as well no?

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  19. I don't know guys, it looks more like a cactus to me.
    But then again, I actually know the architect who designed that building (father of a Polish friend of mine), and he *was* pretty scrawny looking...heheheh Freudians would say he might have been making up for something :P

    -Gigi

    P.S. Why are a couple of Mama Fusla's posts deleted? And is the author referred to Mama Fusla herself or the author of the blog? I'd be surprised if it was Zaydoun since he was so against censorship in the cinema...
    What were you saying Mama Fusla?! I can't stand not knowing something I shouldn't know...

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  20. For the record.. I never delete any comments. But you can all retract your comments, if you like, by deleting them yourselves. Just click on the trashcan!

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  21. Mama Fusla deletes her own posts Gigi
    its to spark suspense, no not really, I'm new to this and I end up posting a comment twice and then retract one.

    Anyways, look at the pic again, doesn't it look like there is a Giraffe at the base of the penis beneath the left testicle?

    Migrant's pic is truly a work of art.

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  22. i used to pass by that building everyday and never realized it either...... hmmmm

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  23. It DOES look a like a giraffe!!!
    Hahahahahah Mama Fusla, you're priceless.

    -gigi

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  24. It DOES look a like a giraffe!!!
    Hahahahahah Mama Fusla, you're priceless.

    -gigi

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  25. This post sure generated lots of comments, 28 so far.

    PSS, my questions are normal, I am always interested in finding out why people do things, just like you, although you do not admit it.

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  26. Prime example that Kuwait is more testosterone-driven than the rest of the world: The Kuwait Towers, AKA "The Balls of Kuwait". Kuwait has THREE balls and not two!

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Keep it clean, people!