Disgust as a Powerful Emotion

Sophia Pfleger

Before the advent of indoor plumbing, humans disposed of their waste in cesspools, which were essentially large holes in the ground filled with soil. Once full, these cesspools were cleaned by soilmen.

During the 1850s, the first public urinals were installed in response to the spread of disease in Glasgow‘s overcrowded conditions, but indoor plumbing was not yet commonplace, leading to the use of chamber pots. This era coincided with significant cultural changes, as Great Britain transitioned into an industrialized nation during the Victorian era.

In 1894, the first underground facilities known as public lavatories were introduced, equipped with their own telephone facilities, presumably for the use of attendants. These facilities soon became common across the city, serving various neighborhoods including Gorbals, Bridgeton, Anderston, Parkhead, and Partick. The toilets were built underground to hide them from the eyes of the respectable citizens.

The Royal Society for Public Health published a study revealing the closure of 700 council-run public toilets since 2010, impacting homeless individuals, the disabled, outdoor workers, those with frequent toilet needs due to illness, and women disproportionately. Reasons for this are mostly a lack of funds. This not only leads to reduced access to public toilets but also to maintenance issues. Often, public toilets, which are already a place of vulnerability for many people, are in poor condition and are described as ‘disgusting.’

Site investigation of former Victorian Public Convenience in Minerva Street G3 8LD Finnieston, Glasgow

Since there are no photographs or floor plans of the toilet in the city archives or online, I can only speculate about the interior of the toilet.

Tiled walls and floors are a typical feature for Victorian Public Toilets. The image also allows for a rough guess of the symmetrical layout inside the toilet.

The architectural plans depict the Victorian public toilet on Charing X. On the street recognizable by its ornate cast iron railing. The plans reveal an almost symmetrical layout of a toilet that was evidently constructed exclusively for men, as there are no partitioned areas. In the center of the toilet, there are two small rooms equipped with windows. One of these windows faces the staircase entrance, while the second window provides a view into the interior of the room. These rooms were most likely intended for the toilet attendants. Using the floor plan of the Charing X public conveniences as a reference point, I assume that the layout of the premises on Minerva Street is very symmetrical.

Observing the site, I immediately notice that pedestrians in the vicinity of the former toilet pay it little attention. This is likely due to the site‘s position: situated amidst the street, the Minerva St. Toilet forms a Y-junction. There is no reason for pedestrians to venture onto the ‘toilet island,’ hence there is minimal interaction between the community and the site (Emotions: Neglect, Isolation, Indifference, Loneliness, Insignificance).

What is a Host?

INITIAL THOUGHT: A HOST CELL

A host cell is a living organism that provides shelter and nourishment to a foreign organism. When two organisms coexist and maintain a close and enduring biological association, they are considered to be in a symbiotic relationship. For example a Parasitic relationship, where the parasite or the guest cell derive benefits at the expense of the host cell. Parasites need a host to survive.

For the framework of my concept, I am examining Julia Kristeva‘s text ‘Powers of Horror’ (1982).
Kristeva introduces the distinction between subject and object, framing her overall theory of disgust and introducing the technical term ‘abjection. This theory explores reactions to bodily fluids and corpses, delving into the fascination and revulsion inherent in such experiences. The discussion extends into how this feeling of disgust interacts with the growth of self. Through emotionally exploring the topic, Kristeva fades in and out of personal experiences. For example, she describes the reaction of her body (gag reflex) upon seeing and smelling spoiled milk. The concept of abjection lies somewhere between subject and object, highlighting a transitional phase where one is neither fully a subject nor an object. Abjection involves rejecting something from within oneself.

Turning the horrible host into a multi sensorial dining experience, where guests encounter an aestheticized interpretation of digust.

As I have already noted with my sensory data collection, public restrooms are a place of disgust for many (myself included). Individuals often feel uneasy when encountering their own bodily fluids or those of others. Theorists such as Julia Kristeva, Mary Douglas, and Elizabeth Grosz posit that abject substances such as blood, feces, and urine, emitted from human orifices, challenge the comforting notion that human skin forms a reliable barrier, separating and regulating our inter- action with the external environment. “Abject substances are painful reminders that we are mortal beings, made of flesh and blood, prone to deterioration, decline and death.”

Since these moments of disgust (like going to a public restroom) are so unbearable for me, I believe that few people have the opportunity “Abjection is the darkness that reigns at the heart of the human condition.” to mindfully experience this powerful feeling of disgust and perhaps even derive something positive from it. With my aesthetic interpretation of disgust, I aim to make this confrontation bearable and invite my guests to a multisensory, positive experience of disgust. To engage as many senses as possible, I want my intervention to be a restau- rant. The menu will specialize in fermented dishes, aligning with the concept as fermentation requires bacterial cultures.Since Kristeva writes about the reactions of her body to the emotion of disgust, the restaurant is intended to serve as a performance space as well. Before the first course, a dance performance by a professional dancer expressing the emotion of disgust should take place.

Entrance Area
Tiled walls and custom cutlery design made of Oak wood and inspired by the spikey glasswax and bacterial watercolours.

Entrance & Greeting Area
The window allows a view into the kitchen, which is parted by a curtain made out of bio degradable materials by Danish Design Studio Natural Materials. The amorph shapes are made out of pink plaster and are inspired by the watercolours done at an earlier stage in the process.

Door Handle Design
Instead of actual doorhandles guests have to use the under side of their arm to open these doors, in order to avoid bacterial spreading. The “handle/arm”s made out of ceramic and bolted to the door.

Dining Area
The dining area is placed on the other side of the facility, within a big amorph bubble structure, that is inspired
by the works of Erneto Nesto and Dora Dudor. A metal beam structure holds single elements of a soft
plaster material together, with multiple bolts along the beams. The long table can be divided for more intimate evenings, but generally people are supposed to get together at this table, and start their evening at the restaurant at the same time. In the back of the room is a small partition area. Behind it is enough space for a dancer to sit and wait, until people are all sat and the dance performance can begin.

At the beginning of the semester, I committed myself to the biological definition of a host cell in relation to the theme of ‘host.’ Given the assignment of the public toilet as my site, this seemed very plausible to me. I had a very negative interpretation of the term, shaped by this biological association.

As I developed my concept, my opinion changed. I now believe a host is someone or something that cares and invests their time to provide shelter for their guests. In the case of public toilets, this exchange is even transactional. Without visitors, the toilets would have no reason to exist. Through my concept development, I have also become a host in a way. I have designed a space that may not be physically visited, but a lot of thought and consideration went into the feelings and experiences that visitors should encounter.

In the restaurant, guests are encouraged to contemplate the emotion of disgust, perhaps even find positive associations within it, and experience the feeling mindfully.