Monday, August 30, 2010
architecture is...
an expression of pop culture. Every few years or so, a new fad in architecture manifests. Currently, sustainable or green architecture is the new in-thing. Before that, it was blog-itecture, and previous to that, modernism. The list can go on. While architecture is evolving, normal, everyday architecture such as houses, apartment buildings, offices, etc. is stagnant and boring. Cookie-cutter houses are continuing to be built. Block buildings that house tenants or businessmen rarely challenge their architectural potential. It seems more economical to continue building what we are familiar with. Unless a building is high-profile, a museum, or other public institute, it rarely attracts the amount of investigation and research needed for its design and construction. Therefore, while architecture is meant to be for the masses, it ends up serving the elite, those who partake in augmenting their culture and education. Instead of being a fad or a billboard for the city, architecture should engage the everyday lives of each citizen on a conscious level and not in a passage way of merely providing shelter.
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Is there a difference between style and movement? Are there other forms of culture beside pop culture? Is architecture part of that dialogue?
ReplyDeleteI do agree that there is a difference between style and movement, but I find it hard to distinguish when a movement becomes a icon of culture. Maybe modernism wasn't the best example in this post, but blog-itechture on the other hand, has opened up many design proposals that to me stand out like Andy Warhol's pop art. Take for example Kunsthaus Graz in Austria. There's nothing like it in the city. I don't consider it bad architecture though. I find it fasinating! And even agree that it fits within its context. It does prove my point that as a public institute and art gallery, it's design was treated with more sophistication. Therefore, the architecture that is being created today isn't affecting people on a day to day interaction level. That museum is a popular icon of the city now. Much like pop culture represents the cool, in-thing in society at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI understand your definition of what architecture is as a fad today, but is this what you think we will be apart of once we begin to help define architecture in the profession? Do you think that all architect's in the profession today believe they are designing a fad? Or are you saying architecture is what it shouldn't be?
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