Peter Bobby

'Reception' looks in detail at the highly designed, formulaic and controlled environment of the corporate reception area. Marc Augé, the French Philosopher, makes an interesting distinction between place and what he defines as ‘non-place’. On entering ‘non-place’ an individual is, ‘Relieved of his usual determinants. He becomes no more than what he does or experiences in the role of passenger, customer or driver. Perhaps he is still weighed down by the previous day’s worries, the next day’s concerns; but he is distanced from them temporarily by the environment of the moment’. It is clear from this that to Augé, ‘non-place’ exists purely in the present and we occupy it, move through it using an understanding of text, imagery and most importantly rules. Augé continues, ‘Alone, but one of many, the user of ‘non-place’ is in contractual relations with it (or with the powers that govern it)’. In other words, the occupant’s role becomes one of conformity and role-play as we are constantly confronted by complex filter systems and demonstrations of power.

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