Alcatraz Prison: Interior and Architectural

While prison architecture ought to be informed by how the structural design can impact the lives of their resident, Alcatraz architecture was primarily informed by the security aspect. That is demonstrated by the high concrete walls and reinforced steel. Moreover, the control element is epitomized by the hallways flanked by massive concrete walls. It also projected the inherent cruelty of prison structures as spaces where state agents used to enforce discipline and exert state power. The article examines the architectural and interior design of Alcatraz prison. The article interrogates different issues, such as the architecture and geographical designs, and how they impacted prisoners’ behavior. Also, the paper highlights the function of different spaces, lighting, and privacy.

Architectural and interior design analysis of Alcatraz Prison

The prison utilized both radial and rectangular plans. The radial plan offered the physical arrangement that underpins the prison. Furthermore, this arrangement organizes cells into easy-to-classify and physically isolated entities. With this plan, spaces move from the centralized position, making it easy to organize dispersed units to separate different inmates. The prison also incorporated rectangular plans, erecting structural buildings over a broad area. This approach enabled the correctional officers to control the movement and allowed sufficient light while acting as a link between various blocks.

Alcatraz had a host of buildings with the guardhouse at the core. Apart from the basement, the guardhouse comprises a washroom and bathroom, ten single cells, and four dungeons on the first floor. Atop the guardhouse rests a strong 3-tier frame structural building with 45 single cells built in bricks. The other adjacent buildings include 48 single and four double cells in 2-tiers. Cells were ventilated by air tubes in the walls and uncluttered spaces at the top and bottom of the door.

On the contrary, the cells had wooden doors with poor aeration. The heating and laundry facilities were inadequate. Alcatraz was concrete reinforced with Ransome bars. What becomes apparent, however, is that structural buildings of that era adopted twisted styles and patented squares. There was a difference between one side of the prison and the other. For instance, inside the cells of Alcatraz prison, there was back to back room with adequate natural lighting in areas outside the cellblocks that allowed inmates to view the bay. The back-to-back cell arrangement also allowed inmates in the middle cell house to see other prisoners’ cells, but others were interested in the privacy of blocks B and C since no inmate was living across.

Rooms at Alcatraz had specialized functions. The federal prison consisted of blocks A, B, C, and D; the warden’s office, library, kitchen, dining hall, visiting room, and barbershop. Every cell had a sink, running water, a toilet, and a sleeping coat. Prisoners were held briefly in block A before hearing or transfer. In addition, block A acted as a law library where prisoners typed legal documents. This block also had a barbershop where inmates went for a monthly haircut. Block B housed new prisoners who were quarantined for three months. Block D accommodated the worst prisoners, and the five cells at the end were called the “Hole” that housed misbehaving inmates. Currently, Alcatraz prison is a public museum and one of the main tourist attraction sites in San Francisco.

Cells were, for instance, constructed to house individual prisoners; the plan enabled inmates spaces and the fresh air without necessarily having to come in contact with other inmates. The regime and design at Alcatraz were informed by the aloofness that would then help inmates’ moral transformation. In addition, the design was also characterized by the harshness of the thrilling measures taken to quarantine inmates from human contact. The architectural blueprint, as organized in tiers encased in giant blocks, stressed the 20^th-century industrialized rejoinder to lawbreaking and offending.

The prison had a passageway naming structure, with Michigan Boulevard as the passage to the side of A-Block, and the central hallway, where inmates could assemble on their way to the dining room for meals. While Broadway detached Block B from C, it also offered no privacy. Cells in D-Block were devoid of light and often cold. Tiny windows prevented sufficient light from entering the cells. Tiny windows also impacted ventilation and temperature control. Moreover, inmates were utterly isolated and bored at worst because tiny windows halted the simulation and sensory variation needed for remediation, an aspect that heightened mental distress.

Prison cells were designed away from the perimeter wall. The dimensions for the cells were 9x5x7 feet—cells comprised of a bed, desk, and a sink, with a rear toilet wall. Metallic grill air ventilators measured 6×9 inches, while the toilet arrangement offered no privacy to prisoners. Impeccable sources indicate that privacy is vital in reconstruction and self-regulation. The privacy architecture is evident at Alcatraz prison with the isolation provided to allow inmates to reflect and self-regulate. However, extreme separation would easily create isolation, hence distress for lack of interaction. This had a psychological impact on prisoners. About Alcatraz prison, every inmate had a cell compared to other federal prisons. Individual cells reduced the likelihood of sexual harassment while increasing privacy.

Nevertheless, the sight of the metropolis for prisoners that earned themselves work at the New Industries was a tormenting reminder of the elusive freedom. Even so, constant surveillance was apparent, from the watch towers to armed warders to continuous patrols. Ultimately, Alcatraz was practically inescapable owing to its geographical setting, situated within the frozen waters and sturdy currents. Different color themes were employed to transform the behavior aspect in prisons and jails. For instance, blue and green colors were utilized to create a soothing atmosphere within the prison setting. At Alcatraz, for instance, the cellblock and introverted incarceration area were painted green to calm inmates. Moreover, holding cells were painted pink to contain the aggressive behavior through short-term exposure to this particular shadow of pink. Essentially, color themes used at Alcatraz prison were proficient in changing the prisoners’ temper and behavior.

The Bottom Line

The architectural arrangement of Alcatraz prison was influential and went beyond the mere structure to incorporate mental associations and expressive reactions. The reinforced concrete walls were more than just a security measure; they equally could exclude the prison from society. The interior design offered the replication and conspiracy, allowing the human emphasis on prisoners’ personality and character.

By Lucas Ngoya in Blog on January 17, 2022