2008 Olympics

[solidred]

From a historical point of view, perhaps one might compare the excesses of recent architecture as defined by developments in Beijing and Dubai as relating to Modernism like the Mannerists or Roccoco architects related to the High Renaissance. Either regarded as having lost its orriginal integrity and flailing around for surface tricks or, alternatively: homo ludens - man the player - at his finest.
I'm not yet so familiar with the cube but I like Koolhaas' approach generally and seeing the 'bird's nest' on a TV show the other day I have to say I was impressed... but I think that, for all the folks who may bemoan the passing of Modernism's social agenda and essential modesty of expression (even if it amounted simultaneously to the height of social arrogance), there will be big new things coming over the next twenty years or so, unless I'm mistaken about the vibes of these times.

Firstly, now that China's proved it can 'do' 'Western' (even if they had to largely import it) they've got that out of their system and could now concentrate instead on developing that thousands-of-years-old agenda again.

Secondly, with the Global Warming thing, there's perhaps the first almost global post-capitalist agenda taking root. That's bound to do more, ultimately, in all kinds of strange ways, than put greenhouses on building facades and windmills on their roofs.

Thirdly, if we're currently phasing gradually out of a Late Modernist approach to architecture, remember that its Modernist parent was still a hugely male-attitude-dominated approach... If, architecturally, more girls design as girls rather than as girls=boys style, then things could get really interesting...

[csintexas]

I like the birds nest, the drunken pants and the light show cube don't do anything for me.

The birds nest seems to have relevance to China's culture where the other two seem to be random modernist.

[SDR]

"Don't hurt yourself -- it's not worth it." One of my favorite sayings.


"Outside the blob" -- excellent !

The Water cube has a double skin of plastic -- meant to evoke water bubbles. Not bad, eh ?

There'll be a backlash sooner or later -- crisp rectangular lines will be all the rage. ( Actually, Zaha Hadid gets it both ways, doing some very zippy angular stuff.) I recall when the Porsche 928, and the first Ford Taurus, were pretty radical in their blobbiness. What goes around, comes around. A penny saved is a penny earned. A stitch in time saves nine. Blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah.

SDR

[mx2]

I'm always impressed when Architecture can take center stage...no matter what ideology stands behind it.

mx2.5

[solidred]

dangerous words there, mx2...

[SDR]

New AIA motto: "Architecture -- What's the Harm ?"

Considering that some single-digit number is the percentage of new buildings in which an actual architect was involved, can't we let these artistes have their day ?



SDR

[cousinbirgco]

Hi everyone, I just flew in from the Olympics, and boy are my arms tired No just kidding...... but birgco is now cousinbirgco because somehow birgco got locked out of birgco's account (sounds like that builder from Ohio, mario whatshisname). Something to do with my email address being banned.....sounds like a scenario from China?? Anyway, the Oympics are quite a spectacular, was the 300 million worth it? I dunno, but if it cost that much in China it would have been at least 3 trillion in London .

[csintexas]

It was probably cause your such a radical

[mx2]

That is along the lines I was thinking, in reference to SDR's semi-joke of limelighting...

There seems to be less writings BY Architects and more and more ABOUT architects that ideologies seem so faint...so out of context. The fact remains, there goes our profession...if we do not have any bearings of some idea of what to create, what to think, then we are simply hedonistic creatures of instinct and design nothing miore but whims of fancy, devoid of any meaning really. But in the case that there is indeed life after death, I am always delighted to see, read, hear, speak of....Architecture, in any and all forms. And God willing, if something Architecturel takes cneter stage...I...I..think I need a cold shower!!!...well, maybe just a beer but you get the point. It's good for business...err, I mean profession.

mx2.5

[cousinbirgco]

You know, I think it's bad karma,
I was pokin' a little fun at my cousin Eddie,

now I'm cousin birgco..................

where's that feng shui guy when really I need him...............

[djswan]

The grasshopper must jump from blade to blade.

Where's my gold medal for setting the record for "outside the blob" thinking?

I'm cracking a rib again. It only hurts when I laugh.

So far, as I interpret the scores from the judges.

The birds nest: Me likey long time.

The water cube: Is disco cool again?

The pants. Could Godzilla get into those pants?

[SDR]

Skipping that for the moment, I must address the previous. "There goes the hobby (I mean) profession."

What should architects do when they (temporarily) run out of inspiration ? Tread water and mark time, designing the most reasonable and responsible stuff they can manage. "First get the job" -- [why not] "Second, do no harm." [?] So, visual and physical harm. Do what works with the materials, means and methods at hand.

How you resist impetuous clients with more cash than sense, I don't know. Like yet another breed of professional, the practitioner attempts to uplift and enlighten those who entrust him with their space, time and money, preaching a bit one hopes, with his pencil if not with his cell-phone.

SDR

[SDR]

Sorry -- I should lighten up. It's Friday night, for G____'s sake. [That was Godzilla, in case the kiddies were listening.]



SDR

[djswan]

Archi means master and thus leader to me.

I was really hoping to see some leadership in architecture from China, not more of....


No emoticons needed.