Reading:
Radical Interiority: Playboy Architecture 1953-1979
by Beatriz Colomina

How does Colomina say Playboy Magazine affected reader’s tastes or desires for interior space?

“Playboy made it acceptable for men to be interested in modern architecture and design.”

Who were some prominent Modernist designers? What do their designs have in common?

Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and Buckminster Fuller were all celebrated for their masculine sophistication and designed architecture that leant towards a possible future of design.

What is the social context of the beginnings of Playboy Magazine in 1953? What else was happening
(or had happened) in the world at the time?

It was after the great depression and the economy was starting to take off again due to the middle class becoming more prominent.

Why do you think Playboy Magazine is described by Colomina as making “it acceptable for men to
be interested in modern architecture and design”? Why do you think that it might have been seen
prior to this as “unacceptable” in the public consciousness?

At the time of the first few publications of playboy, architecture, and all things to do with the home, were the womens domain. Playboy provided a masculine alternative to looking at design and architecture.

How does the desireable contemporary interior differ from the “Playboy Interior”, or from the
Modernist interior?

The playboy interior is solely based around securing a conquest whereas contemporary and modernist interiors are more focused on the items and composition of the space.

What does Colomina say makes the Playboy Interior feel ‘futuristic’, or ‘seductive’?

“Everything is seen through the lens of design.” “Playboy relentlessly dissects each dimension of the interior.Far from simply providing an array of seductive images, Playboy analyzes the architecture of seduction. It offers a kind of user’s manual to the reader.”

What magazine/publication/platform would you describe as having a big influence on interior design
and taste now?

I would say magazines like Architectural Digest and influencers like Kim Kardashian hold a-lot of influence over interior design and taste now as everyone is watching them all the time.

How do you think social/cultural/political shifts have altered how we want to live in or design our
interior spaces now?

I think these shifts have allowed more freedom in design and more options for design. We are no longer so strongly tied to the functionality of a space and are therefore able to have our spaces be more of a self expression of ourselves or is an area where we can experiment with new ideas.