Humans...
Humans… They tend to take an environment with all its
natural beauty and wonder and attempt to get the most out of it for themselves.
Koolhaas gives an example of this through his analysis of Manhattan and Coney Island:
as time moved on and technology increased, so did the need for people to replicate
the very nature that was being destroyed.
But with every example Koolhaas provides, from lighting to a
steeplechase, he ultimately concludes that the new version of the old experiences
are superior. While technology and fantasy certainly have their benefits, I believe
that it can never replace what once was. Furthermore, the more these inventions
are introduced, the more attention the place will get, ultimately causing dense
crowds of people and taking away from the natural experience. This is, in my
opinion, a negative consequence of the metropolis, or a fabricated fantasy
world as Koolhaas identifies.
I agree. I don't think any kind of technology can replace the natural experience of a place. It is kind of sad to think that as humans begin to take over a place, we destroy most of the natural elements that once made up that place.
ReplyDeleteI think cities growth are inevitable and even it will be more rapidly in the future. I agree intruding the nature and destroying it can be negative side of this urban development.
ReplyDeleteI personally didn't think Koolhaas concluded that Coney Island was superior from the Metropolis but a consequence of it as you mention at the end. A "fabricated fantasy" from a new "fabricated reality", not a better one.
ReplyDeleteYet, I completely agree with you in the sense that the fabricated fantasy will never be superior than the natural estate of what was once there. I feel like as architects we should respect the environment we are building in and not try to completely destroy it.