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Mindful Architecture
The article by Ellen Dunham-Jones mentions that Manhattan elicits and responds to desire. Even though the article described this as an ideal between fantasy and pragmatism, I believe that designing for desire is what leads to unsuccessful architecture which eventually becomes junkspace. Koolhaas describes a resentment against architecture in the early seventies due to the fact that it was used as means to divide, exclude, and enclose the manner the Berlin Wall did. A similar situation can be found in today’s world. The urbanization of rural areas is one example. A tremendous amount of buildings are mindlessly being built in such areas without understanding the repercussions that it might have or the communities and people it might disrupt or gentrify. As a result, this urbanization might create resentment from the local people and eventually these buildings will become junkspace once their original creators lose interest in them when newer buildings with newer technology are being built 50 years from now. Will there ever be an end to this cycle?
I agree that designing for desire leads to unsuccessful architecture. If the intent is making a quick buck, then nothing but sad, shitty architecture is going to be built. If we are going to participate in consumer-driven architecture, we need to have resilient, reusable designs.
ReplyDeleteThaly, I completely agree. I was actually fortunate enough to visit a community where there was a fear of this happening as well and they were trying to stop it. Architecture has lost its heart and its passion. The desire to make beautiful buildings is overriding the desire to make beautiful communities. We have to remember the people. Only then, I believe, will the cycle start to diminish. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you’re saying. On one hand, Gentrification frees up space for new people to enter the city but on the other hand it’s so detrimental to the architecture, the people and the culture of the area.
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