The circus consists of a spectacle experience, stimulating admiration and curiosity. The possibilities of the human body like dexterity, grace or even imperfections are exposed to the public, while the acrobats, dancers or even human monsters are becoming subjects of observation.

For the first circuses, appearing in public with their present form, one of the common spectacles was the “freak show”. Distorted human figures, outcasts of the wider society found refugee in the circuses where they were this exhibited as curiosities for observation. In this way these protagonists of the freak shows were given an opportunity for everyday survival making a living through a bizarre spectacle. They were surviving among a strange group of people were they were never had a feeling of belonging. In a conservative and inhospitable context for anything “different” inside the circus band they could establish relationships and feel accepted. A known example of a human monster was Joseph Merrick known as the “elephant man”

Today, in a more progressive context and mentality, virtues and values that were once rejected are being accepted. Distortion, inconvenience is still the subject of observation but not of mockery.  Everything diverting from normal standards is now attractive. In a population saturated by homogeneity and wealth, every form of a deteriorated condition constitutes a field for new experiences. An example of this new condition that confirms the emerging need for exploring such fields is the recent tendency of rich people for a part time stay in artificial shanty towns. So there are hotels that can provide this desired artificial environment and visitors can take a role quite the opposite of their ordinary everyday life. This idea was realized in Bloomfontein in South Africa in the Hotel Shanty town/ Emoya Hotel.

The idea of “shanty tops” stems from the coexistence of these two contradictory conditions. The public and the circus band are exchanging their positions and the participants are experiencing through this way the life in the circus. By reproducing the living experience of the exhibition, the process is developing the need for respect and acceptance while satisfying the desire for overthrowing a well tuned social lifestyle. More precisely, the participants are settling down for a while in the circus where they are trained by the circus band. Living conditions are reproducing the particularities of a nomad’s lifestyle where no comforts, nor conditions for permanently settling down. Meanwhile everyday training is obligatory while there are performances.

The space is divided in compartments through three main axis: the living quarters of the trainees, the living area of the trainers and the circus space. The space provided for the trainees is comprising units with wall fitted personal capsules for sleeping, dining units training space and commonly shared sanitary spaces. These areas are found on the ground floor level together with storage areas and secondary spaces for the circus and the stage. On the upper floors, the trainers are housed in prefabricated units of one, two or three persons each. On the ground level all structural elements are made of reinforced concrete. From the first floor to the top of the structure there is a metal load bearing grid of structural elements delimitating the different spaces.

At the top level, a system of metal beams is supporting the exterior metal skin of the structure, its form being shaped by layers of successive metal surfaces. The two peaks of the structure as well as its overall shape imitates the “Big Tops” of the circuses.