Saturday, November 29, 2008

Today For Today And Not For Tomorrow

Update: Broken link fixed. Sorry!

the flimsiness of everyday life
It is clear that nothing new is ever built well. Contemporary architectural design seems to take its cue from a combination of the Big Brother house and the office of a focus group, all lime green and oranges, loud circles and fun fun fun. Sitting in the Building Centre with Owen the other day, we discussed what it meant, or must mean. Nothing must remind anyone of the past, everything must be perky, like toys for grown-ups. Relational aesthetics as anti-modernism. Architects must make their mark all the way down, designing bespoke fixtures that break almost immediately and are too expensive to replace. Construction is poorly done, and radically unsuitable for the fiddly baroque toy furnishings that characterise the architecture of the past decade. And yet - wildly over-budget, we have a set piece! Think of the added value to the area! How many mini-Bilbao-effects can we set in motion...

This is an excellent essay. Go read it.

I'm too tired to dredge my mind for all of its implications, but there are many.

And it's yet another Exhibit to add to the daily-enlarging file titled England Is Doomed.

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