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Architecture and Sex

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Do Buildings Have Gender?

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the world's most beautiful buildings, and a finalist in the campaign to select New World Wonders. Is it male or female?

Press photo © 2000-2006 NewOpenWorld Foundation

Are sex and architecture related? Are some buildings "male" and others "female"?

Yes, of course, some architects are male and some are female. But what of the buildings?

Does a Victorian cottage, dolled up in gingerbread, seem "female"? Is a rough-hewn stone castle "male"? How would you describe the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey?

The questions might strike you as a bit absurd, but many serious architecture scholars are looking closely at the relationship between architecture and human anatomy and human sexuality.

This photo tour explores several ways we can think about architecture, sex, and gender.

Explore Architecture

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