Moriyama Drama
The intersection of the question “architecture for whom” with the projects explored in class has left me with more questions than answers. Indeed – who is this architecture for? I think some of the takeaways from our discussion center on experience driven architecture that challenges the limits we experience in our current built environment. The Moriyama House is an example of a home that challenges our paradigms of what domestic life looks like. While a compelling experiment, I think it has failed in several regards. The permeability of the exterior space reclaimed as outdoor living rooms gives rise to trespassing and voyeurism in what is a tremendously dense environment. Researching more about the house, the owners have installed signs to ward off trespassers who want to experience the architecture and photograph the intimate outdoor spaces situated within the cluster of structures. Tourists are destroying the quality space that was created – architecture for whom? Its notoriety has made it for tourists.
Colin, would this problem be solved as easily as installing a fence? Would this destroy the original intent of the architecture, or reinstate it? Based on the response of the users, the 'intimate outdoor spaces' are no longer intimate. The utopian intent that the in-between spaces would solely be enjoyed by those that inhabit them has been disrupted by true human behavior. So does building a fence which is typically used to isolate, actually reunite the community within.
ReplyDeleteColin - your moriyama drama study is very cool! Glad you got to read more into the project. Something I read on the same project was that architecture nerds would seek out the house to poke n pry and take ~*artsy*~ photos with their 25 film cameras, where the owner was far from stoked about the unwanted attention. Not sure of the right answer on how to deal with fame.
ReplyDeleteBUT my hope is that for every one moriyama, or FLW, Philip Johnson starchitect home - there are twenty other exquisitely designed residential projects by smaller architects that accomplish similar levels of feel-good-ness for the owners. I wonder how those homeowners stay out of the unwanted limelight.