Posted by JWmHarmon on May 12, 2002 at 21:27:18:In Reply to: Re: ArchWeek - Designing Houses posted by JWmHarmon on May 10, 2002 at 10:14:21:
Would you put a Guggenheim Bibao type structure in the center of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA?
Williamsburg, Virginia is a restored community dating from the 1700's and includes many historical structures. Some architects would thumb there noses at those who would try to maintain its stylistic integrity and would see nothing wrong with a Frank Gehry building there. Others would be appalled. The general public would very likely be outraged!
My hometown's downtown is a conglomeration of 19th century structures. Would it be any more acceptable to place a "Blob" in the center of my old hometown than it would to place it in Williamsburg? Other sections of the old hometown have newer structures in a variety of architectural styles. Would it not be better to put the "Blob" there in the new section?
If one were to rebuild in the downtown section, would it really be asking too much to maintain the existing style? One would hope that a responsible architect would insist on materials that were compatible with the neighboring structures. That should not prohibit one from using current technological or structural components. Cheap imitations are no better today than were cheap buildings of the 19th century. Those old cheap buildings have disappeared. The quality structures remain.
Shall we build only for the next twenty years or shall we build for the next century? Which is the wiser use of our resources?
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