on koolhaas
Regarding the Koolhaas readings: I honestly don’t think that
he provided a compelling argument in either essay. Primarily because his
writing is contrived, demonstrative of the all-too-common architect speak –
which is self-defeating as the superfluous language only serves to obscure his
argument. Deciphering Koolhaas’ language required too much mental energy,
ultimately leaving me with less desire to care as to why he thinks the culture
of congestion or ‘Bigness’ is an ideal worth striving for. By comparison, The Mars Volta lyrics read like Dr. Suess.
Multiple readings of the essays haven’t been all that productive
but here’s what I have:
As far as the core ideology behind the culture of congestion
is concerned (as I ‘understand’ it): I’m not at all convinced that cramming
everything a person ‘needs’ for social well-being into one location would be
considered beneficial. My personal bias against city life can’t be ignored, but
notwithstanding that fact, to me, it would seem, that the act of encouraging a segment
of the populace to visit one location, the Downtown Athletic Club in this instance,
for their leisure hours would be a detriment to fostering of social equity
within the city. I would find it hard to believe that prominent figures in
urban studies, such as Jane Jacobs or Richard Sennett, would agree with a) the
exclusionary nature of the private club, and the resultant: b) the willfully
self-imposed segregation of the wealthy caste, effectively removing the common
folk from their daily interactions.
I would require further reading of his writings, beyond
these two brief excerpts, in order to really judge his theorem. But as it
stands, my main takeaway from this reading is that it came across as a
projection of self-aggrandization – an avoidant reaction to the, to use
Koolhaas’ language, ‘perpetual threat of ennui’ - that he uses to justify his design
philosophy.
I liked the other two readings though.
Does the proposed Tower 7132, in a town of 1,000, exhibit bigness?
Or a culture of congestion - with its bars, restaurants, spas, cafes, elevators!, and views?
It's funny because sometimes after we discuss this reading in class I feel like I read something different. When I read "The Culture of Congestion" I think that Koolhaas is mocking the things he sees in New York. I feel like he thinks the artificial manipulation that mankind has done to Manhattan and Coney Island is awkward and nonsensical, hence the ridiculous drawing of the naked men eating oysters with boxing gloves. He's condemning the bending of a city to our greediest of wills. In class however it sounds like everyone thought he was championing it. I hope that's not the case because I tend to agree with most of your points.
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