fun palace​

Canvey Island,UK

(Dissertation)

The Fun Palace is a Master’s thesis that revisits the envisioned Eco-disastertainment with aims to explore the idea of hybridising entertainment and production more in depth by looking at the structure as a large fun hub. The Fun Palace is a result of re-living the spirit of Canvey Island which was once a thriving weekend island getaways that was entirely encroached by sea-level rise. The palace takes 10 participants every month to compete amongst themselves by games of gambling. The entrance is paved with ascending pathways that are constructed out of ruins that all led into the once famous local pub called ‘Lobster Smack’, reminding the participants of the once lively Canvey Island. The whole structure is made of the island ruins, a commemoration of the sunken island. Players are allocated into hierarchical accommodations based on their winning stakes in which every individual is tasked with duties to maintain the entire accommodation’s well being. The lower the room the filthier maintainance task gets. Tokens are earned by participating in productive activities with the local Canvey people. Players get the chance to level up(or even level down) at weekly games by gambling with their hard earned tokens. The whole structure is run by biogas fuelled by the crops, livestocks and humans inhabiting the structure, energy levels are indicated by balloons planted around the structure and if its low the game day is postponed subsequently demanding participants to put more hours into the productive activities. Earned chips are exchangeable as currencies after a month if they wish to leave. The currencies are shares of income earned by exporting the palace’s produce in which the participants have partly contributed to.