The Holocaust Memorial Project to the Murdered Jews of Europe at the site of the gardens of the former Reich Chancellery in Berlin by Architect Peter Eisenman, opened in 2005. “The ‘real architecture’ only exists in the drawings and the ‘real building’ exists outside the drawing. The difference is that ‘architecture’ and the ‘building’ are […]
This week’s two texts are the chapter ‘At Home in the Neon’ from Dave Hickey’s Air Guitar, and ‘Sand Fear and Money in Dubai’ by Mike Davis. Las Vegas VS Dubai, the desert playground. What is neoliberalism? Even though the word isn’t even recognized in spellcheck yet, the conclusion is as always, the rich will […]
THE NINGBO MUSEUM Philosopher Hegel in his “Lectures on Aesthetics” (1818 and 1820-1829), regarded by many as one of the greatest aesthetic theories to have been produced since Aristotle argued that aesthetics of all great architecture presents a truth about the culture in which it appears, which otherwise might remain hidden. Architecture as a medium […]
THIS WEEK’S TEXT IS “THE BEAUBOURG-EFFECT: IMPLOSION AND DETERRENCE” BY JEAN BAUDRILLARD (SPRING, 1983) JEAN BAUDRILLARD ON THE POMPIDOU CENTER Jean Baudrillard (1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist, political commentator, and photographer. Frequently associated postmodernism, more specifically post-structuralism and he is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary […]
FROM SALT WORKS TO IDEAL CITY. LEDOUX’S FIRST DESIGN FOR CHAUX VERSUS HIS SECOND DESIGN. CLAUDE NICOLAS LEDOUX (1736 – 1806) Ledoux was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He was architect to Madame Du Barry (Louis XV’s mistress and former prostitute), numerous Parisian clients, to royal tax collectors, Ferme Générale. Accused […]
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, (1886 – 1969) worked as an architect, like many of the famous designers of the 20th century and is well known for his designs of exhibition pavilions and his chairs received the most attention and acclaim. A modernist Classic: the Barcelona Pavilion The Barcelona Pavilion was the German Pavilion for […]
Aldo Rossi’s Monument of the Resistance in Cuneo, 1962 (unbuilt). Italian architect and designer who achieved international recognition in four distinct areas: theory, drawing, architecture and product design. Aldo Rossi (1931-1997), was the first Italian to receive the Pritzker Prize for architecture in 1990. His inspirations were derived from the world around him, since he […]
THE ROMANTIC LEGACY OF LE CORBUSIER AND FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. Robie House vs Villa Savoye Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier are two very protuberant names in the field of architecture. Both architects had different ideas concerning the relationship between humans and the environment. Their architectural styles were a reflection of how each could facilitate […]
NOVEL: THEFOUNTAINHEAD (1949) BY AYN RAND FILM: DIRECTED BYKING VIDOR, SCREEN PLAY BY AYN RAND, STARS GARY COOPER, PATRICIA NEAL, RAYMONDMASSEY AND SO ON An interesting – humorous film. The story unfolds amidst humorous dialogue between the actors. Typical plot story of an American Film: Troubled protagonist struggles through life, love comes along the way, […]
JOHN DOS PASSOS, U.S.A TRILOGY: THE 42ND PARALLEL (1930), 1919 (1932) AND THE BIG MONEY (1936). In 1998, the Modern Library ranked the U.S.A. Trilogy 23rd on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. The focus this week is in the last book of the trilogy, ‘The Big Money’. Focus […]
Speculative Cities 