Re: Re: Pastiche – The Final Solution?

I know! *said in an exceptionally irritating Monica-from-Friends like way*

But is what is wrong with that? How can it be acceptable to add a major classical addition to Leinster House for example (again), but not to build in an historic fashion on a street location? Again I’m just wondering. Do we attach greater significance to more everyday locations? Is there a difference because we deem street locations to be representative of how we express ourselves architecturally on a broader level and hence shouldn’t be interfered with, whilst something like Leinster House or countless other similar projects are one-off for-the-good-of-the-national image schemes?

Regarding tradition, this quote (plucked from Paul’s thesis :)) by Gropius does sum up well how buildings should be treated:
“Respect for tradition does not mean the complacent toleration of elements which have been a matter of fortuitous chance or of individual eccentricity nor does it mean the acceptation of domination by bygone aesthetic forms.”

But in my view this does not mean that all previous forms of architecture in every instance must be disregarded. Indeed to be honest I’m genuinely not a fan of pastiche in most cases. The use of the form by people building houses, often quite credible historically, I find frustratingly unambitious. For the most part I cannot stand those whitewashed houses all over the West, even in locations suited to development so insisted upon by planners to be ‘in keeping’ with the area.
They are so predicable as to make you dispair. The lack of contempoary design in standard, everyday locations and situations is a crying shame.
I think if the opposite was the case regarding the current state of affairs, i.e if the majority of what was built in the country was contemporary in nature, pastiche in certain locations would be more acceptable.
We’re undergoing a heritage blitz at the moment which doesn’t help at all.

But from what your’re saying Phil and what? presumably regardless of trends pastiche is just not acceptable to you by definition…