Some thoughts about utilitarian and Junkspace

In his lecture, Koolhaas criticize utilitarian. He takes the attitude that the architecture driven by utilitarian, such as airport and shopping center, which ender the air-conditioner, elevator and other devices that run out of space perception of people. The Juckspace in modern architecture use a lot of prefabricated materials and utilize the simplest and cheapest way to set up. Just like a “Bubble”. What he praises highly is the pyramid, because they use technology which they can use at their time to pursue the great and lasting.

What I do not understand is that why utilitarian is negative? Especially Koolhaas compare it with the "People's Architecture". To be honest, the Junkspace reduce the seriousness of the architecture. Even to some extent, it also reduces the architect's power of decision. But on the other hand, they also represent the sink of power. The pyramid does not represent the slaves. Maybe the sign in the shopping mall looks horrible. But it is pleasing most of the people.

What Koolhaas is concerning is that “It was a mistake to invent modern architecture for the 20th; architecture disappeared in the 20th......”. It seems reasonable because all of the city is not in a modernism process. But it seems not that right. The shopping mall doesn’t have its own will, it just represents the needs of the age. If the shopping mall blocks a more powerful wave, just like the change of consumption behavior brought by the network economy, the shopping mall will be soon abandoned or changed without the criticize of the architects.