project15:Interactions
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Prostitution in Rotterdam
Recent developments within the city of Rotterdam have caused the last place ('Keileweg') where affordable public prostitution was available to close. This is a typical example of populist form politics as it does not remove the need for prostitution, but only causes the sex worker to practice their profession outside of the law becoming easy victims of pimps and other organised crime, thus greatly worsening their situation.
The lusthof aims to rectify this governmental oversight, and at the same time improve the social situation of the sex worker. It connects to the city by being the only location with affordable prostitution, drawing people from all around the city and its surroundings.
Furthermore its prime location along a mayor shipping artery could potentially draw clientele from surrounding countries where prostitution is currently illegal. Essentially functioning as a tourist attraction, much like the red light district in Amsterdam. To enhance this effect the Lusthof is equipped with shops, cafe's and other non-sexrelated functions in order to provide a broader palet of entertainment for the curious tourist, while placing prostitution at the center of healthy city activity instead of hiding it.
Lusthof in RDM
On the ground floor people will find other activities than prostitution. These activities like workshops and stores are run by prostitutes. Medical care for STDs could also be found in the Lusthof. The square in the middle of the building can be used for exhibitions, like the Kama sutra.
Connection Local Scale
- (The Food Centrdm) can provide the prostitutes and the clients with food.
- (The confrontation) will inspire the clients and the prostitutes to improve their lives.
- (The Improvements System) can sell gifts to the clients.
Connection activity scale
Inside the building there will be connections between different activities and actors such as clients, prostitutes, and related people and organizations.
- SOA Poli is an organizations that helps people with STDs.
- SOAIDS also prostitutie.nl is the dutch national helpdesk for prostitutes.
- (PMW) 'Prostitutie Maatschappelijk Werk' is an organization that supports working and retired prostitutes.
For interviews with SOAIDS and PMW click here
These interactions will translate themselves into the organisation and clustering of the working spaces. These can arrange themselves according to the needs of the prostitutes and their clients, forming clusters where bordellos are needed, or individual spaces in which solitary prostitutes can work, or which can be used as safe/neutral meeting places for sexual encounters such as escort services.
Routing
Routing within the project is a crucial element in the interactions between different user groups, and thus something which has been developed with great care. This is mostly due to the aspects of shame and covertness that are associated with prostitution. While attracting crowds with the use of a public square provides cover for the customers of the sex-workers they need to be able to unobtrusively disappear from the crowds and into the blobs.
A quick analysis reveals that routing is best arranged according to sight principles. Using elements which draw attention of the general crowds to direct the gaze away from the acces points of the prostitution zones.
References
To investigate the typical workings, problems, and successes of different approaches to organizing prostitution we investigated some reference projects.
These projects can be found here
