Does “Repellent” Architecture.. repel?
What’s the deal with ugly, sometimes garish pieces of pop architecture? I’m talking about the strip malls we pass on our way home everyday or the gas stations with great strings of ragged little flags.” Denise Scott Brown argues that these examples start to make up a catalog of “built sources of information.” (pg. 63 Learning from Pop). Brown’s argument is that the forms, and changing of forms, that belong to such pieces of pop architecture are just as important (maybe even more important) to study than the forms that are the product of “antique Rome.. to the early Moderns.” (64).
So let’s talk about Buc-ee’s. It’s just a gas station right? Why is there such a cult following around it? I stopped at one because I was genuinely curious about it. And I was completely amazed. It wasn’t the architecture, but it was the people. Buc-ee’s is the epitome of Venturi’s ‘shed.’ The sign is the architecture.
Maybe it isn't exactly what Koolhaas was talking about when he wrote on metropolis architecture (I mean it’s a gas station off of the interstate) but I think it realizes the culture of congestion. Koolhaas states that, “[t]he true ambition of the Metropolis is to create a world totally fabricated by man, i.e., to live inside fantasy.” (pg. 330). And just like Coney Island created a place for people to escape their reality for a day, Buc-ee’s has created a space that allows people to escape their long drive, in my case escape a 5 hour drive to the beach. Maybe it’s a silly comparison, but try not to let a narrow “architectural focus” keep you from learning from what the mass majority of people are drawn to.
Jesse, I think this is an incredible present day example of congestion, escapism, and deferred judgement. I like how you pointed out the congestion is really created by the people, and even vehicles, which makes me think that density is another element that the humans who visit create.
ReplyDeleteJesse, I think the point you are making is very accurate. It is interesting to look at things we see daily and how an everyday piece of society (a gas station) can become a deeper piece of it. Bucc-ee's is a great example of Venturi's argument.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cool comparison because buc-ees have become a major fascination in today's world. As I've talked to people about buc-ees or even as I think about it myself I have never once thought about the architectural focus of the store/gas station. This is odd because I'm usually one to always judge or admire a building but buc-ees has so many things going on that I am distracted by what it consists of rather than the building surrounding everything. I think this is definitely considered an escape for long drives and it's one that I give into as well because who am I kidding, you can't pass that brisket sandwich and a large fountain drink!
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