Gut-inspired ASMR food court wins ARM Prize

The 2023 ARM Architecture Prize has been awarded to Level 4 RMIT Architecture student Rania Sidanta for her project “DigestDine Delight Savor Spectacle” produced in the “Like, Literally” studio led by Paul van Herk.

Rania’s project is an 18-storey food court inspired by the human gastrointestinal system, set in the Melbourne CBD.

“DigestDine Delight Savor Spectacle is a food court, as greasy as it gets, spanning 18-storeys high, and, like, literally, resembles the whole gut system: stomach, intestine, liver, mouth, the asshole…,” writes Rania in her final portfolio.

“On your way up [through the building] you are surrounded by the echoing sounds of people chewing on the floating ASMR platforms… the crunch, the much, the chomp, the gulp…”

The project is a dark, humorous and at times grotesque celebration of fast food. Clearly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, the building incorporates spaces that interpret the mouth, throat, stomach, intestines and rectum.

The ARM Architecture Prize is an annual award for excellence in architecture design studios across all levels at RMIT University, with a cash prize of $3000.

Congratulations to Rania!