Starchitects Suck
I know without a shadow of a doubt that Sam Mockbee is one of my top three favorite architects of all time. His persistence to help the struggling people of Hale County is something that when you really think about it, you can’t help but be a fan. The whole idea behind his studio is something that I have been interested in for the past couple of years and what I think I am going to write my essay for this class on. That idea being, why are we continuously focused on designing these grand and shiny and perfect buildings like museums, concert halls and art galleries for the elitist while there are people in desperate need of a better home. This is something I feel pretty passionate about, why does "good" architecture seem to only come with multi-million dollar price tags and seemingly larger than life singular architects like Frank Gehry and Norman Foster? I find it really compelling that someone sees the need to provide one of the basic needs for human survival to people who are in desperate need of it instead of designing homes for CEOs. On a larger scale and probably more recognizable is the well know firm MASS Design Group. This firm is focused on providing cheap and well rooted designs for people in places like Rwanda who really need better hospitals and care centers. I’m getting on a bit of an ethical soapbox here but I truly believe that good architecture is not only how it looks but also, why it was even built in the first place. To end with a quote a really like by Mockbee, “Architecture has got to be greater than architecture, it’s got to address social values as well as technical and aesthetic values.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Wikipedia defines Starchitect as: "Starchitect is a portmanteau used to describe architects whose celebrity and critical acclaim have transformed them into idols of the architecture world and may even have given them some degree of fame among the general public".
ReplyDeleteSo by definition I think Sam Mockbee could be defined as a Starchitect, which I don't think is a bad thing. I think we should be idolizing someone like him, his values, and his work.
Well I agree that often there is this emphasis on the larger, flashier architects today versus those such as Mockbee who were truly designing for a need and the client. It kind of comes down to isn't this why you became an architect in the first place to solve these problems in communities like Hale county? I can't act like I wouldn't like designing these big, fancy, expensive buildings... but it is much more rewarding doing a project like those of Mockbee's rural studio.
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