Major highways that crosses through small towns and districts all over America are being dominated by fast-food chain restaurants, mini-malls, billboards and parking lots that gives an area no sense of identity and cultural landmarks which to distinguish from one to another, even in Los Angeles, has pose a threat to the livelihoods of most American consuming mass quantities of garbage in our hearts and minds. The conglomeration of commercial and cooperate landscape is best describe by Kevin Fry, President of a non-profit organization called Scenic America presented on a slide presentation from the N.Y. Times. This is fascinating article on what we have become and there is a need to shift in re-imagining our communities before we lose a sense of hope. Check it out.
Also Scenic America Presentation below:
Song of the Blog: Beauty of Uncertainty by KT Tunstall from the CD Drastic Fantastic
The newest approach in using storage containers in construction is the one in Venice, located on Main Street between Westminster and Horizon Ave. Unknown on who is the Architect and is still under construction.
Using 14 – 20 foot Storage containers (2 rows of 7 containers on top of each other), occupying the second and third stories of the building with a concrete structure underneath. Stack on unison with both sides of the individual containers taken out in order to transverse the containers into a bigger and utilizing space.
It’s interesting approach on how simplistic and economical which seems feasible towards the construction cost but we’ll have to see the total estimates when it is done. It looks like there is going to be a 2 or 3 unit building. The surface of those containers has retained the quality and ingenuity with also kept the doors on the south side of the building.
The only question is how the interior space will work to make the experience enjoyable to compliment the exterior.
View from Main Street in Venice.
View of the north-side of the storage container building.
The backside view on Innes Place. (Note: southeast side exposes the existing crate doors, which give it a decorative tone to the facade)
Song of the Blog: Metamorfosis by Cafe Tacuba on the album Avalancha de Exitos.
A few months ago, an article focuses on the LA Times on bad architecture in Los Angeles. The means of unsightly, culture crazed, unrepentant and lack of recourse buildings has brought a new term of extremely bad architecture: FUGLY.
In disregard of context, the miss-use of design elements as decorative to mark it as a signature building and its dogmatic approach in order to show the sign of the times reveals a schizophrenic approach towards design and architecture. No longer it can it be lauded for its inventiveness but its carelessness and embryonic surface that in time has shown its megalomaniac character which will loses its charm.
One of worst-case scenarios is the Nate Holden Performing Arts (formerly known as the Ebony Showcase Theatre and Cultural Arts), Design by fsy Architects. Located on 4718 W. Washington Blvd. near the Crenshaw District.
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center on 4718 W. Washington Blvd
view from S. Hardcourt Ave
It seems to be going in all directions and is disjointed from various forms of styles; metal cladding reminiscent of Gehry’s work with cascading concrete block forms stacking like pancakes on the west end and two white tensile roofs to serve as a entry point for the complex. The transition from one element to the other leaves an impression of discontinuity and struggles to make a unify force. Standing out like a train wreck, it doesn’t compliment well for the surrounding neighborhood in scale and scope of historical context and its people in the area; does not have a hint of the nuances of African American attributes and characteristics on the building, figuratively and allegorically.
One can assure the possibility of bringing attention to the area not as a venue for entertainment but the vitality of the area’s significance, which reign for the African American community for Los Angeles. Let not forget there are other ways to represent them not as an individual treatment of a certain style and bravado but an essence of distinctive culture, aesthetic quality and design clarity, not the bad drug of architecture.
Song of the Blog: 22 going on 23 by the Butthole Surfers on the album Locust Abortion Technician
Check out the video from this song.
Image is overrated when it has no soul and the meaning is lost on the surface of the displayed mantra.
Good and insightful architecture doesn’t come in expense of notable or celebratory Architects, sometimes it presents itself worst then it actual proposed or realized. There have been some questions from public on architecture in public display, which would come up in certain situation: “What does it mean?” “Is there something I don’t get about this?” “Why does this look a certain way which seems to be out of place and reinvent itself away from its historical past?
The general public is trying to cope, understand and reason with today’s academia / avant-garde / aesthetic-minded architecture that is filling our consciousness all over the world, especially in Beijing, China, the location of the 2008 Summer Olympics, which seem to be complex, inept, far from reality and spiritually disingenuous of Chinese culture. It seems to be more of an agglomeration of different styles and theories’ competing with each other than to consume and destroy the existence of Chinese history and culture. Today’s China has reap the awards of their dominance in the global economy with their mass produced products, wealth and waste, but in turn polluted their resources and increase global warming that has decimated the livelihoods of their people. Western Architects doing work in China are not setting a clear example of responsible practice and design when they are called upon for their work. It is more about the opportunity of doing a large-scale project and to be recognized.
There is no substance in the design and execution of the today’s public buildings, except for a few, that are playing the part of the media who parade them as the person of unique vision. A magazine, Newspapers and Cyberspace has identified today’s architecture by celebrity architects as fashion-makers for the bourgeois and vanity. They are sending wrong messages towards the field of architecture and design, which the media can publicize and categorize the works of celebrity architect’s to a waffle bath of deceit. The cost in order to receive attention is the general public / audience are smart enough to read and understand what’s good architecture and decide whether it is conducive for society. Certain media conglomerations does become part of the problem which selectively coax readers and novices to make the architect’s proclamation relevant. It is the way in which it can be confusing and disconcerting.
Architects portfolios can have varying degrees of impact as being theoretical, seductive, overwhelm and fashionable, but part of the problem is whether there is connectedness with its social, psychological and physical surroundings directly and indirectly. Knowing there is a deep association with the community.
Architecture should not be present itself as a dystrophic outlook for the future or a cabal of disorder. But in the words of John Lautner: “It should be free, alive and exhilarating- yet solid and enduring.” The meaning is we in a free society can experience space, public or private, that will uplift your souls and inspire us without a certain understanding and concreteness to the work with one another. There are always going to be ambiguities in the final product, but all in all, its message should be compelling.
It should move you in ways to evoke solitude in one’s experiences but it shares with the others, which makes us feel the same, no one is higher or lower from us. It should soothe your mind from the chaos of the outside world. Personal inquiry through its space can explore a new dimension of discovery.
It is disparaging in today’s architecture that is so diluted by contradictory work of the belief of infinite power of abstraction, of human thinking and technology, and of political power and the space, which that power generates and decrees. Not all theory-based, academic research breeds good architecture. It represents instability, chaos and fragmentation when the architecture takes an obligatory stance, which in turn is lost and less discovered. It falls short of their expectations.
It seems to be a displayed of the absurd. It has the wow factor but beneath the surface, it tends to lose its luster once fully experience in detail, the allure has no meat in its bones and the emptiness of its promises. Who can you believe when there is no truth to the masses?
Zaha Hadid’s Mobile Art for Chanel
OMA’s CTTV TV Station and Headquarters in Beijing, China
The question is Architecture going to be a dog and pony show that becomes deprecating force towards society? Is it true people can decipher what is good architecture or not if the Architect shows their arrogance in his work and personality? Is the public a less concern for the Architect to listen to and learn what are their social and psychological boundaries, that only his client matters the most? Does its form utilize its function where gestures and imagery are left into space and architecture is a piece of art and fashion, which shows no disciplines, unsubstantiated purpose and creates wild antidotes? Give us liberty, truth and happiness!
Song of the Blog: Natural’s Not In It by Gang of Four on the CD Marie Attoinette (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)