Archiprix utopias 1

In A Crime of Passion, Harding speculates on the impact that social shifts might have on our institutions and the built environment. Her work is based on current statistical trends, combining critical narrative with architecture to create a piece of reality-fiction. Harding: 'Too often we try to design perfect things for perfect people, when in fact we need designs that reflect the complexities of our daily life.'

What is A Crime of Passion: Synthetic Murder in Our Midst about?

'Ted Bundy, America's most notorious serial killer, received 200 love letters every day. The project is set in the near future, in the year 2030, where a booming prison population coupled with an increasing public lust for violence has had some interesting consequences. The Institute for Crimes of Passion is a prison and top honeymoon location. Here, people can enjoy romantic rendezvous with their criminal other-halves. Couples enjoy a highly controlled courtship and progress through a series of conjugal bases, beginning with a romantic meal from behind the safety of bullet proof glass, eventually progressing to a romp in the love pit and perhaps even a joyous matrimony in a wedding ceremony held at gun point. All the while criminals are kept locked in concrete structures whilst citizens enjoy their fairytale romance in a castle-like structure of golden mirror-glass.'

What is the relevance of your project?

'Primarily the need for designs that reflect the complexities of your daily life. Even though my project is fantastical; a terrifying Disney-esque structure built somewhere in a dream future, it is also strangely realistic. The architecture may be make-believe, but the fears and desires driving it are very real in today's society.'