Why You Hate Contemporary Architecture (2017)
currentaffairs.org
currentaffairs.org
The former (I believe was his dissertation) goes into the sociological forces within domains of expertise that produce the absolute fucking inhumane insanity of modern architecture (and design more broadly). It’s a fascinating thesis: as a discipline becomes professionalized, your objective is to impress other people within your profession. For architects, that comes at the expense of designing livable spaces. For the most part, these need to have their drawers in the right places more than to leave their viewers gasping for breath at the brilliance of the designer.
The second book attempts to lay out a quasi-scientific model of why people find the more ornamental and intricate designs shown in this article more compelling (he calls them “more full of life,” which I think is actually a good descriptor).
That's just selection bias. We only decided to preserve and remember the pretty buildings. There have been plenty of undecorated stone forts built throughout history.
lol wikipedia says:
> It is said that the tower's observation deck enjoys the most beautiful view in all of Paris because it is the only place from which the tower cannot be seen.
After viewing the other photos, I am surprised there is no concrete IBM building with a slanted top corner and window pattern matching a punch card.
I'm really not sure how I feel about it, and I'd love to hear others' ideas.
On one hand, Paris' commitment to preserving its character is charming, and comes off as a good thing to most people. On the other hand, Le Corbusier proposed Plan Voisin as a solution to the wealthy/poor split in the city. I think the anti-NIMBY crowd around here could get behind that?
(The article focuses more on ornamentation and brutalism, which muddies the waters a bit).
Try to look from certain low angles, frame tightly with long lens, and there you go: abstract composition :D