A Programmatic Bubble

Referring back to the concept of junkspace and its relevance in the development of the modern city, for me it's hard to ignore the fact that this infill-like architecture serves its purpose. This purpose may not result in an experience that could be beautiful or even worth spending more than a few minutes in, but the result of junkspace is still space that supports the “actual space.” The two pieces may not run together but I think that they work together. They could very well stand alone without one another and would probably benefit very little if they did, so I find that the extra fragments in this architectural system are equally as important. Without this distraction, and maybe sometimes waste, the real architecture and success of places wouldn't be as profound. This is to assume that everyone everywhere lives in an idealized public space. But because of this social mixing, the perspective is skewed to all morph together. Say, the modern day airport is a significant public space where one can both participate in commercial exchanges and the tasks of daily life …. yet it also creates a space that is unnecessarily busy, overstimulated and noisy. Imagine if you weren’t able to arrive and accomplish your travel routine without having the decision of which of the 12 coffee shops you want to grab a last minute drink from before you board. Or even in the modern day shopping mall, what if you had to experience some form of disjointed program where in between each store you saw a glimpse of reality before moving to the next. The exposure to something other than shopping when you come to shop sounds horrendous! What if you were able to hop from one programmatic bubble to another, giving yourself some breather room and a chance to avoid the intentional surrealistic environment.

This idea of removing all junkspace sounds unsuccessful and unrealistic to me. And I say this because without the rush of the airport pace or excitement and convenience of the indoor shopping mall, would these “actual” spaces hold the same relevancy. I understand that these “junk” spaces have quickly become overwhelming, leftover pieces that coincide with intentional “useful” places. They eliminate the real world for a glimpse, but I don't think that they aren't needed. I am not saying that the simulation of this idealistic modern carcass of a building is worthy and beautiful, I just think that it provides its purpose in a logical enough way that it seems silly to try to stop designing for.