Before There was ‘Ruin Porn’ There was ‘Ruin Value’

[M II A II R II K]

Before There was ‘Ruin Porn’ There was ‘Ruin Value’


SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

BY DIANE PHAM

Read More: http://www.6sqft.com/before-there-wa...as-ruin-value/

In the internet hierarchy of “things the internets like”, we’d argue that ruin porn sits wedged somewhere between Buzzfeed quizzes and cats. Images of decaying architecture conjure up unsettling feelings of tragedy and loss, but somehow manage to grip us with its intangible beauty. Whatever the cause for this may be, the thrill and enjoyment we get from looking ruin porn is palpable.

- The idea of ruin value was pioneered by German architect Albert Speer as he was planning for the 1936 Summer Olympics. He published an essay titled “The Theory of Ruin Value” that detailed the value of expertly planned and designed buildings that in their decay would behind attractive ruins that would last, through the ages, without any maintenance at all. Though Speer claimed the concept as his own, like ruin porn, a similar idea was popularized previously. --- The idea actually dates back to the 18th century when the same aesthetic was romanticized to the point that individuals constructed faux ruins. There was even an instance where a German landgraf commissioned a “new ruined castle”.

- It’s interesting to consider the New York cityscape which is often lauded as the “greatest city on earth” with some of the world’s most recognizable architecture. What’s our city’s ruin value? With such a rapidly changing urbanscape, do we have any? According to Speer, steel girders and reinforced concrete are not favorable since they fail to decay in an aesthetically pleasing way like natural materials such as stone. --- Some have called Phillip Johnson’s 1964 Tent of Tomorrow in Queens a modern ruin, but efforts to restore it to its former World’s Fair grandeur are underway. Today, the increasing popularity of adaptive reuse and urban renewal have caused the idea to fall even further from our minds.

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Tent of Tomorrow in Queens

[LSyd]

interesting since the Nuremberg party rally grounds are in a state of partial ruin.

i wonder what Hitler and Speer would think knowing that one of the buildings, in good shape, still has the outline of a reichs eagle and is now a Burger King next to a gas station.

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[M II A II R II K]

I guess the ruinicity of ancient landmarks adds to the appeal of such structures with its ties to the past. Detroit's ruins are more to do with failure and neglect.

[LSyd]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

I guess the ruinicity of ancient landmarks adds to the appeal of such structures with its ties to the past. Detroit's ruins are more to do with failure and neglect.

i don't think all of them are; extremely large factories that were cutting edge 100 years ago but can't match the output of smaller, less "interesting" modern factories add ties to the past.

Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces is a great example of how to do industrial ruins right. it's a museum, artist/metal worker space, concert venue and next to downtown.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The Jim Walter company closed the furnaces two years later, and then donated the property to the Alabama State Fair Authority for possible development as a museum of industry. The authority determined that redevelopment was not feasible and made plans to demolish the furnaces. Local preservationists formed the Sloss Furnace Association to lobby for preservation of this site, which is of central importance to the history of Birmingham. In 1976 the site was documented for the Historic American Engineering Record and its historic significance was detailed in a study commissioned by the city. Birmingham voters approved a $3.3 million bond issue in 1977 to preserve the site. This money went toward stabilization of the main structures and the construction of a visitor's center and the establishment of a metal arts program.

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[ThatOneGuy]

The Tent of Tomorrow might (and should) be restored.