Boozy brunch, spongy injera dinners, empanada midnight snacks—modern residents of the nation’s capital enjoy a dynamic food center, noted for its variety of culinary experiences and foods authentic to the region, including half smokes, mumbo sauce, and crabcakes. Less explored is how this culinary geography intersects with the built environment, and how those intersections have changed over time. From farms and agricultural homesteads that supplied historic markets to ethnic food enclaves fostered by DC’s role as the capital, the city is an experiment in democracy, architecture and flavor. How has the Washington metropolitan area facilitated the production and dissemination of foodstuffs across the region? How have patterns of work shaped patterns of eating? How does a focus on food generate new types of research methodologies?
The Latrobe Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians welcomes paper proposals for a symposium that examines the broad subject matter of the architecture of food. We invite proposals from anyone with an interest in the built environment and its connection to food landscapes, including students, scholars, practitioners, and culinary enthusiasts.
Potential themes may focus on:
food-shaped novelty buildings and roadside architecture
markets, halls, and suburban food courts
ethnic neighborhoods as food destinations
food and transportation planning
dining in institutional settings (i.e., government, schools, prisons)
concessions at sports venues and theaters
food banks, food pantries and faith-based organizations
urban farmsteads, community gardens and apiaries
food festivals, tours and media-based culinary experiences
food trucks, pop-ups, streeteries and food apps
Breweries, wineries and distilleries
interiors or behind-the-scenes spaces (i.e., dining rooms, kitchens, storage)
The purpose of the symposium is to feature recent research in a format that encourages comment and discussion. Papers must be analytical rather than descriptive in nature and should place the subject in a comparative context of political, social, economic, technological, or cultural forces, as appropriate.
All paper sessions will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Please send a one-page, 350-word abstract of a 20-minute paper and an abbreviated curriculum vitae by November 15, 2023, to the Latrobe Chapter at info@latrobechaptersah.org.
All applicants will be notified of the selection by December 15, 2023. The deadline for final text is March 15, 2024.
For further information, contact the Latrobe Chapter at info@latrobechaptersah.org.
