Once I Hated Skyscrapers
If they appear extravagant, or even unreal, that is only a sign of the narrowness of our architectural focus and of our refusal to admit that a fundamental break has occurred between traditional and modern Urbanisms. - Koolhaas
I hated skyscrapers.
The mysterious modern tall building sets a solid boundary between inside and outside: people are not easy to enter the lobby, let alone the top levels. It is a cold massive symbol on the city grid. If horizontal design could work efficiently (should admit that most times, it does not), why human keep going higher and compacting the city?
When did my idea changed? Maybe one tired evening during my internship when I saw the whole city light was ignited from the staff room; Maybe the graduation night before typhoon when my friend said her hopes loudly in the ring road surrounded by four skyscrapers; Maybe just when my parents move the new home to the 16th floor… I even get questioned about my preference for the horizontal design by a friend from a mountain city where houses are usually vertically organized. And then I realized that I was limited to my memories.
In film Blade Runner, I was really touched when Rachael doubted herself because of the input memories and when Roy was proud of the moments that human has never experienced. My idea also reversed as the story ends. Who is the hero now?
Cold or Hot? It may change.
Another interesting thing inspired by the city in film Blade Runner and the delirious New York, is the Kowloon Walled City, a place grew by itself, which was demolished in 1994. I never see it, but its existence is indeed a magical yet realistic architecture of congestion.
Beautiful ideas Yuting. I really liked your point about personal experience. The metropolis and high rises are very foreign to me in my personal experience, so it is hard to know if I would truly like or dislike it, beyond images or a quick trip.
ReplyDeleteI can easily agree with the negative attributes that you list at the beginning, yet I myself have admittedly always loved skyscrapers. The height it reaches is such an example of human achievement that is inspiring to me. I also love the quiet sense of togetherness that comes from seeing each little window lit up at night, the knowledge of all of those little worlds happening so close. I think the challenge comes with how they meet the ground - how to make the built environment inviting and the streets active. It is a fun challenge to take on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lindsey. Skyscrapers are a fascinating display of human ingenuity, but how can we keep them from killing the street? To keep the wonder, but humanize them as they approach us.
ReplyDeleteThis was great, Yuting! I really enjoyed reading about how your thoughts about skyscrapers have transformed over time, along with the experiences that helped you reach that point. Perhaps I can relate because I grew up in a small town, never seeing a skyscraper in real life until I went to NYC for the first time in 2007. I also agree with Lindsey's comment above. I love the point she made about how the height of a skyscraper is an example of human achievement reached. Great thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the way in which you contemplate personal experience here and how it has impacted your view of skyscrapers. I have often found that there are so many things in my life that I have been conditioned to like or dislike based off personal experiences (mostly childhood) in which I never questioned and then, one day, realized these personal views/opinions to have no real basis. I completely agree with you that skyscrapers often feel like cold, massive structures, designed more for keeping people out than bringing people in. However, I did like Koolhaas’ quote in which he says that “as a vehicle of Urbanism, the indeterminacy of the Skyscraper suggests that…no specific function can be matched with a single place”, arguing the need for skyscrapers is necessary in these dense settings to allow for the “change that is life” to continually take place within them.
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