“Leisure” spaces within work environments in the “Performance society”

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection on the increasing trend of integrating leisure spaces into work environments. It begins with the hypothesis that such spaces constitute a form of appropriation, by employers, of their employees' non-working time. The conceptual references primarily stem from the notions of Disciplinary Society (Foucault), involving the idea of docile bodies shaped by surveillance, and Performance Society (Han), demonstrating how the experience within these spaces that exploit employees' free time can easily be mistaken for a sense of freedom. The article concludes by highlighting the worker’s active participation in their own exploitation and pointing out the need to discuss the psychosocial implications arising from this rapidly expanding practice within contemporary capitalism.

architecture and urbanism; leisure; work; surveillance; performance