Motherboard Russia
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Set within the contemporary context of fake news, hack attacks, phishing scams and cyber-warfare, ‘Motherboard Russia’ is an exploration of the elusive ‘Russian Hackers’ and their impact on the brittle political landscape of Europe. The project explores two themes in parallel; hacking as a political strategy, and hacking as a spatial strategy; arriving inconspicuously in the attic of Vienna’s most revered cultural landmark, the Stephansdom Cathedral, as the site for a morally (and legally) dubious cyberoperations centre - tasked with disrupting political democracy and union across Europe for the benefit of Mother Russia.
From the excavation of large gothic stone columns to form goods lifts, to the motorised lifting of individual roof tiles, every detail of the cathedral is ‘hacked’ to create a series of fully functioning architectural spaces within - including vast trading floors of public information, high density dormitory blocks, digital sabotage laboratories, and a heat-exchanging data tower - all the while remaining completely invisible to public and authorities alike. Portable nuclear reactors are installed in the underground crypts while building materials are delivered to site via the RedEx delivery company. A series of ‘public’ parks and plazas improve quality of life for employees living on site, even including a microcosmic golf course for VIP visitors.
The absurdity of the spatial programme is matched in equal measure by a rigorously considered, straight-faced technical solutions; intricate tension cable systems suspend veneer-panelled office walls, modular truss work supports fake vistas of Russian forests, and a modular hat truss system prevents any unwanted structural damage to the cathedral. The act of infesting the structure, itself a significant UNESCO-listed landmark, allows the project to take on a playful tone through simply tackling the huge number of constraints that emerge throughout the life of the project. Through this language of contradiction, hierarchy and sheer cheekiness, the project is able to juxtapose themes of heritage, preservation and religion with contemporary ideas regarding privacy, truth and the value of information in a thoroughly digital society.
