Many of Archigram’s projects, such as Inflatable Architecture and the Suitaloon, were inspired by the invention of
the spacesuit. Soft-suit technology inspired radical
architecture in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Soft architecture was designed
for adaptability malleability, mobility and impermanence. For pop-culture influenced groups, like Archigram, it was a symbol of liberation and
independence from cultural and social norms in Britain. Other
experimental architects, soft architecture represented transnational and leisurely
living in the post-political era implying the dissolution of boarders between nations and
the unity of humanity in the face of the potential for mutual nuclear
annihilation. The Suitaloon, like the space suit, offers people the much
needed nomadic lifestyle in a world where living and working occur in a
distributed network. It enables an explorer the ability to pursue opportunities
while having a high standard comfort with minimal effort. The Cushicle carries
food, and water, and has a radio, television and heating apparatus. Archigram
was inspired by the spacesuits ability support the life of a human while making
their mobility limitless.
