Now Comes the Reckoning

                                                                        

    Inspired by recent conversations on the politics of the world around us within a capitalistic society, I revisited earlier conversations on what Koolhaas implied with his theories on his views of the past and present within architecture regarding junk-space. I came to the realization that poorly planned spaces that do not serve the purpose do add up to the redundant masses. Needs and styles differ from the past it it is very hard to judge based upon what the later one is lacking. For example, the pyramids where built to establish authority during those times of a non-democratic society. That scale however, is no longer needed today. Looking back on Koolhaas desertions, I can understand why he may feel as if architecture today is designed with the intention of trapping the inhabitants in the space within said design.  But I can t help but disagree on the merit that architecture today is impacted by a lot of factors ranging from the availability of land and economy to politics and the environment.

     Sure shopping malls tend to blend in with cultural centers and branding is sometimes  the only sign of difference, this part can be true, but what also can be said it that maybe the shopping malls of the world are the way that they are due in part to them being more feasible to fit the needs for today’s time. We are starting to see a decline in brick and mortar which could then add up to more junk space, but it's just important to note that we as thinkers and designers cannot keep drawing lines from the past to present times for every situation. I challenge that thinking because to a degree it is unfair. The analogy that I liken this notion to is music. Something that is universal to us all much like architecture. Older generations ushered in sounds that have pioneered the idea of music and inspired so many. Many newer generations draw from it, but it would be unfair to say that there should just be a reckoning and everything should just be reconstructed into what life before sounded like. Architecture in the past was once viewed as a tool of the establishment. But one may also argue that it may not be a feasible approach to compare the architecture of two different eras. Maybe some architectural feats can’t solve all of the issues of urbanity.