Congested, but not COVID
Many comparisons can be made between Bladerunner and Rem Koolhaas's retroactive manifesto "'Life in the Metropolis' or 'The Culture of Congestion.'" Both discuss the impacts of the metropolis and congestion on architecture, people, and the world.
As Koolhaas mentions, "[Manhattan's] architecture promotes a state of congestion on all possible levels, and exploits this congestion to inspire and support particular forms of social intercourse that together form a unique culture of congestion." Congestion makes people feel fancy. This may be in part because of the boundless skyscrapers with high-end finishes that only the rich can afford, but also because of the culture these buildings have created. In Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, the rich dwell in skyscrapers and the poor wander under bridges and through damp alleys that are right next door. Tyrell Corporation, for example, is a fancy building full of fancy people that are trying to "benefit" the world. In the beginning of the movie, they even advertise Offworld Colonies: a chance at a new life and opportunity (that sounded like a Bjarke Ingels pitch to me). This is presented in strong contrast to the reality of the metropolis. JF Sebastion excitedly mentions that there's no housing shortage and plenty of room in his large abandoned warehouse he calls home.
People are fickle. Some desire to be fully immersed in the hustle and bustle of a busy city, and some want nothing more to escape, whether it be to a different planet or just to an abandoned, quiet building within. Some would even go so far to live in the "100 Story Building" from 'The Culture of Congestion,' where they can live within the city in a skyscraper, but have the ability to adjust their apartment's controls to make them feel as though they live elsewhere.
Lydia, nice look into human nature and its impact on built environment
ReplyDeleteLydia, I agree that congestion can be exploited to inspire and support different forms of social intercourse. Architecture is very influential in determining what type of individual will be interacting with the site. Denise Scott Brown describes how the forms of the pop landscape speak about the social necessity to 'rehouse the poor without destroying them' which might be overpowered by the architectural necessity to produce buildings and environments that others will like. I believe that these two conflict with each other and affect the degree of the impact of the metropolis and congestion on architecture, people, and the world.
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