Postmodern Architects: The Millennials of Architecture
I have a certain distaste for Postmodern architecture for the same exact reasons so many older people look down on millennials. Bear with me. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
At a first glance, it really feels like everyone in the movement was just trying really hard to be different, and when I look at works like what you'll find in Vegas or Gehry's Binocular Building, much of the work from this movement seems forced. Architects were pushing themselves to do things that have never been done before, and that alone feels like the only criterion for participating in the movement. There's no reason for us to waste time on designing spaces for mechanical horses to be ridden! We have horses and green pastures! Also, there's no reason we should be designing a building that looks like a chicken! It's unnecessary and meaningless, but it was part of a larger movement, which made it acceptable. So, in that sense, it was a very empty movement. I compare it to some movements backed by many millennials today. Many aspects of our culture come from people just wanting to be different, fashion being a great example. Kanye West sells t-shirts that are sized 3x larger than usual and have holes all over them for $150. The craziest part is people buy them, and not because they're functional or they look great, it's just part of a movement, backed by big names, that challenges the traditional.
However, good things can come out of any movement that forces people to think differently. Postmodernism brought mixed-use programs that never would have been thought of because there was an assumption that a building's programmatic elements need to directly relate to each other. Many millennials are challenging inequalities that have been social norms for decades. Postmodern architects challenged architectural norms that should have been challenged. They were experimental, opened up people's minds, and brought great ideas to the table. But at the end of the day, I hate strip malls, just like my grandma hates when I wear ripped jeans.
At a first glance, it really feels like everyone in the movement was just trying really hard to be different, and when I look at works like what you'll find in Vegas or Gehry's Binocular Building, much of the work from this movement seems forced. Architects were pushing themselves to do things that have never been done before, and that alone feels like the only criterion for participating in the movement. There's no reason for us to waste time on designing spaces for mechanical horses to be ridden! We have horses and green pastures! Also, there's no reason we should be designing a building that looks like a chicken! It's unnecessary and meaningless, but it was part of a larger movement, which made it acceptable. So, in that sense, it was a very empty movement. I compare it to some movements backed by many millennials today. Many aspects of our culture come from people just wanting to be different, fashion being a great example. Kanye West sells t-shirts that are sized 3x larger than usual and have holes all over them for $150. The craziest part is people buy them, and not because they're functional or they look great, it's just part of a movement, backed by big names, that challenges the traditional.
However, good things can come out of any movement that forces people to think differently. Postmodernism brought mixed-use programs that never would have been thought of because there was an assumption that a building's programmatic elements need to directly relate to each other. Many millennials are challenging inequalities that have been social norms for decades. Postmodern architects challenged architectural norms that should have been challenged. They were experimental, opened up people's minds, and brought great ideas to the table. But at the end of the day, I hate strip malls, just like my grandma hates when I wear ripped jeans.
I personally do not believe Post Modernism was about proving a point, I believe it was about understanding what is happening and suggesting what if as very well put by Emily in her post.
ReplyDelete...And the generation after us will hate/critque whatever we create as well. It is the never-ending cycle of Charles Perrault's "ancients vs. moderns". We're taught to question what has proceeded us in the past, so naturally dissatisfaction will occur between time periods that have varying cultural, environmental, humanitarian, etc. influences.
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DeleteYou have a Venturi and Scott-Brown "Duck" there with your binoculars, which made me laugh - I agree with you that there is no use for such a building. I believe there is a building in Japan that looks like a giant toilet (the headquarters of a ceramic toilet selling company) and there is a giant basket for Longaberger in Ohio.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longaberger_Company
On another note, I did not know that Postmodernism movement brought radical mixed use buildings, that was interesting to me.
When I talk about mixing program, I'm referring to the Downtown Athletic Club and a couple other projects Franco went over in the last lecture.
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