Social Distance

The term ‘social distance’ was once only a vague metaphor to describe the relationship between different social groups. Yet it has acquired a precise meaning as the mandatory minimum distance for face-to-face interactions: 1, 1.5, or 2 metres (or 6 feet), depending on the jurisdiction. But what is the appropriate distance from which to interpret a pandemic? Rather than asserting a diagnosis of the contemporary emergency, the issue Social Distance offers perspectives from architectural history and theory. From the great plague of Venice to cholera in the industrializing city, from the human placenta to the 1960s or the bubble office of today, the fifth gta papers provides a broad range of reflections on contagion, disease, and health.