Cruising Pavilion: Architecture, Dissident Sex and Cruising Cultures

Publisher: Spector books Year: 2026 Format: Softcover Edition: First Condition: New Cruising Pavilion: Architecture, Dissident Sex and Cruising Cultures examines the influence of cruising cultures on architecture and urban life, unfolding a typology of spaces produced by sexual—primarily gay—subcultures. From the appropriation of sites such as parks, public restrooms, and streets to purpose-built spaces like sex clubs, bars, and bathhouses, as well as the new form of virtual dérive generated by geosocial dating apps, cruising has subverted the libidinal cartography and use of the modern metropolis. The book considers these spatial practices through the lens of artistic avant-gardes that have emerged at the intersection of sex, art, and architecture. It follows the eponymous curatorial project initiated by Pierre-Alexandre Mateos, Rasmus Myrup, Octave Perrault, and Charles Teyssou, which traveled from Paris to Venice and on to New York, Fire Island, and Stockholm.