99% Invisible The Panopticon Effect
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Mar 29, 2023 
Tatiana Kim, a producer and journalist, shares her fascinating insights into the unique transformation of the Breda Panopticon from a prison into a haven for Ukrainian refugees. She explores the haunting legacy of surveillance and control in architectural design, highlighting how the historical context of panopticons informs contemporary views on imprisonment. The conversation also features intriguing anecdotes, like the daring escape of Helga Kiel, revealing a blend of tragedy and hope in the stories emerging from these complex spaces.
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The Dome of Breda
- Producer Tatiana Kim moved to Breda, Netherlands and was intrigued by a dome-like structure.
- It was a former panopticon prison called Koepel van Breda.
Panopticon's Influence
- The panopticon became a metaphor for surveillance, influencing works like "Big Brother" and "The Handmaid's Tale".
- Few prisons were built based on the original design, but Breda's dome is one of the oldest.
Houses of Correction
- Early Dutch prisons, called Tuchthausen, aimed to correct inmates through hard labor.
- These became known as "Universities of Crime" due to their crowded conditions and lack of rehabilitation.