Reimagining the Chelsea: Uninstitutionalised Living for Mad* Artists

This thesis began by exploring the history of mental health care facilities, particularly focusing on the legacy of Franco Basaglia, who initiated a movement for the deinstitutionalisation of psychiatric health care from within the system in Italy, after discovering the prison-like nature of these institutions, and the “loss of identity” ¹ for patients.

These changing models of care, all arguably still forms of institutionalisation, are compared with the environments created by artists and other creatives who suffer from mental illness. Although severe in cases, these ‘mad’ individuals thrive and are celebrated as they strive to express and shape the world around them, exploring their ‘other’ view of the world. These artists can be described as the opposite of institutionalised, yet often congregate in types of self-formed institutions, physical and theoretical, such as those who influenced and formed the late 20th Century New York creative scene. Their obsession and mental illness can be seen as beneficial or even vital to the groundbreaking work they create.

Rather than trying to apply different models of mental health care that have been tested throughout history and attempting to deliver a homogeneous solution, this thesis focuses on the living and working environments of these ‘mad’ artists. It does not attempt to prove a theory nor a correct approach, but instead is an exploration of the theoretical, spatial and personal information collected. This process is an artistic interpretation and translation of the information, informing a unique and personalised spatial response to designing an entirely urban living situation for these artists.

The now "whitewashed" ² Chelsea Hotel in New York is employed as a vehicle for this exploration with its rich history as a type of institution for suffering artists, reimagining it as a refuge for the precedent artists inspiring this thesis.