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Impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Analysis of institutional authors

Amann Alcocer, AtxuAuthorGabernet, JcCorresponding Author

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February 13, 2024
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The hidden biopolitical power of architecture. The de-blinding of the tunnel between two brutalist buildings on a Berlin campus

Publicated to:[I2] : Investigación E Innovación En Arquitectura Y Territorio. 11 (2): 85-100 - 2023-07-01 11(2), DOI: 10.14198/i2.23577

Authors: Gabernet, JC; Alcocer, AA

Affiliations

Univ Politecn Madrid, Madrid, Spain - Author

Abstract

The Research Institute for Experimental Medicine and the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine are two buildings on the Charite University Campus in Berlin. The controversy that arose in the year 2020 because of the possible demolition of the architecturally high-quality building complex and the debate about its preservation as a built heritage of Brutalist Architecture has brought to light the connecting tunnel between the two, originally used for transporting biological waste and animal carcasses. The object of this article is how architecture is constituted as political matter. The tunnel, as a subway infrastructure of death, materializes the invisible, sub-political functional relationship of the connection between the operating rooms for animal experimentation in the Mausebunker building and the research laboratories for human medicine in the Institute of Hygiene. Unraveling this constructed scenography of the domination and use of animals by humans and their appropriation under the pretext of being the object of study by science, allows us to explore from a more-than-human approach the relationships that are established between nature, culture, and architecture. Within a biotechnological relationship between these three spheres, a critical approach to architecture can be developed, not from the formal, linguistic, or urbanistic variables, but from its consideration as a device of biopolitical control over entities of non-human nature. Thus, by shifting the attention from the buildings to the debate that the hidden connection tunnel promotes, architecture becomes a political instrument that urges conversation about the inscribed processes, now made public.

Keywords

ArchitectureBiopoliticalDe-blackeningDeviceInvisibleSustainable cities and communities

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.45. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-11, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 1
  • Open Alex: 1

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-11:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 16 (PlumX).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Additionally, the work has been submitted to a journal classified as Diamond in relation to this type of editorial policy.
Continuing with the social impact of the work, it is important to emphasize that, due to its content, it can be assigned to the area of interest of ODS 11 - sustainable cities and communities, with a probability of 82% according to the mBERT algorithm developed by Aurora University.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (CAMINERO GABERNET, JORGE) and Last Author (Alcocer, AA).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been CAMINERO GABERNET, JORGE.