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Originally Posted by vid
It went downhill and bottomed out in the late 1970s, at the height of the "If Pei can do it, so can we, and for 87% less!" wave of bland, uninspired, very cheap corporate architecture. It's rising again. The past decade has produced some amazing architecture that we couldn't even imagine in the last century..
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The 60's and 70's I shal lforever think of as an Architecture Holocaust in terms of what was lost during that time and what was built.
I would say you hit the nail on the head using the words "Cheap and uninspired". Much of that time periord was awash in coporate greed and making money at all costs. Style and art was something no CEO cared about (Or not very much) and the corporate office towers of the time very much reflect this.
More modern buildings are getting better as you say. I still may not LIKE them, but I can at least tell that effort is being made in terms of making something that can be respected and a city can be PROUD of in 20 or 30 years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vid
I won't disagree that many brutalist buildings aren't very practical or aesthetically pleasing and I wouldn't miss them if they were gone, but I do appreciate those that have succeeded at being practical and pleasing buildings and on the few occasions I've been in the well-designed brutalist structures, I've enjoyed being there. Similarly, I enjoy the grand classics as well but some historic buildings needed to go. They were impractical from the start, and often were built without considering that things change overtime (although I understand that changes were far more gradual in the past than they are today)..
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I can relate to this as well... I know sometimes I am painted as going a bit overboard in terms of my outspoken "views" on brutalist buildings. And while I do not "like" many of them, I can apprciate the work, skill, and yes, 'art' behind them. Just because I do not LIKE types of art, does not mean that they are any less important in terms of an accomplishment.
A building above all else should be useful and practical. If it looks nice, this is a bonus. Both old and new builders have been guilty of making buildings that favor style over substance.
I would be very curious to hear some of your views on classical buildings you feel fall into this mistake.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vid
I was always interested in architecture, so I read books about it. Without having anyone give me opinions about what was good or bad architecture prior to that, I went into my self-education of architecture with no bias against any kinds of architecture. .
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A very good and clean way to enter into the world. No preconceptions or preformed prejudices. I always find it refreshing to have someone arrive naturally at a certain style to support and admire it.
For me personally I was mostly influanced by being a lover of history at an early age. So much of what I studied early on in terms of architecture was from an earlier era.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vid
Any building can give a sense of awe and wonder. Train stations, banks, churches and seats of government power were meant to imply power, permanence and tradition. Most modern buildings don't effectively imply power or permanence, and they certainly don't imply tradition. But they can imply awe and wonder. Look at Burj Khalifa or Selfridges Birmingham.
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The problem has been that for a large generation of people, we have become "Used to" the look and feel of modern buildings. They can be huge and massive, but often do not "Feel" grand or wonderful. I think this is largely due to the derth of cookie cutter towers from the 60's and 70's where despite large sizes, the towers were similar and souless.
Again times are changing, the Burj Khalifa is a notable example. It was one of the first modern buildings that truely gave me a sense of wonder and being grand. I think ot may be some time before modern buildings get a feel on how to impart this sensation to smaller but important buildings (Libraries, government buildings, etc) But it is happening.
All in all very much interested in your ideas.. It is good sharing viewpoints, and being able to let down my grouchy persona from time to time
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