Critical Regionalism - A Misleading Label
As designers that are keen to visual images, we are getting used to understand by images. The images of critical regionalism are handcrafted, built of local materials in rural or suburban settings.
Critical Regionalism is about finding a balance in this condition of duality: how to practice locally in this global world. It's about glocal. It is ironic to be dancing on the other pole of "being extremely local" to be differentiated from globalization. Don't forget about being "critical".
People who think they are very local designers/architects needs to think twice about themselves. In this century, no one can escape from globalization. No matter how much you fight with it, you are surrounded by it already. For designers, what they have been taught in school are deeply influenced by globalization. Their professors usually have a diverse background, and half or even more architecture they have saw came from Internet and architectural magazines, not the buildings in their neighborhood. It is only their education and experience that shape their philosophy in designing. Thus, it is impossible to be 100% local in anyone's designs.
Designs are universal, but situation is individual.
Situation is case by case, and can never be labeled, or generalized. For example, building a tower in Manhattan is definitely different from building a tower in Tokyo. Different site, culture, codes and laws, politics, even construction methods. Then, why could not we consider building an airport in China could be also very much related to Critical Regionalism?
Critical Regionalism is not talking about we should all practice locally, near to where you were born or raised. It is about how to pay respect to different regions or situations when architects practice. It is up to the architects' freedom to practice regionally or globally. Again, we can not fight with globalization. When you can't fight something, you work with it, wisely and critically.
Critical Regionalism is about finding a balance in this condition of duality: how to practice locally in this global world. It's about glocal. It is ironic to be dancing on the other pole of "being extremely local" to be differentiated from globalization. Don't forget about being "critical".
People who think they are very local designers/architects needs to think twice about themselves. In this century, no one can escape from globalization. No matter how much you fight with it, you are surrounded by it already. For designers, what they have been taught in school are deeply influenced by globalization. Their professors usually have a diverse background, and half or even more architecture they have saw came from Internet and architectural magazines, not the buildings in their neighborhood. It is only their education and experience that shape their philosophy in designing. Thus, it is impossible to be 100% local in anyone's designs.
Designs are universal, but situation is individual.
Situation is case by case, and can never be labeled, or generalized. For example, building a tower in Manhattan is definitely different from building a tower in Tokyo. Different site, culture, codes and laws, politics, even construction methods. Then, why could not we consider building an airport in China could be also very much related to Critical Regionalism?
Critical Regionalism is not talking about we should all practice locally, near to where you were born or raised. It is about how to pay respect to different regions or situations when architects practice. It is up to the architects' freedom to practice regionally or globally. Again, we can not fight with globalization. When you can't fight something, you work with it, wisely and critically.
Comments
Post a Comment