garethace
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Is this relevant?
PDF file, right click and select ‘Save target as’.
http://laedc.info/pdf/Wal-Mart_study.pdf
The consulting practice of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) was commissioned by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. to conduct an even-handed assessment of the potential impact of its Supercenters on Southern California.
I didn’t really want to express too strong an opinion of those modern buildings myself. But the main point, I was making, is that usually a bunch or architectural student know-it-alls pass out the Shell garage one, and just throw their eyes up to heaven and go ‘ugly thrash’.
But in fairness to the architecture, if you just take the actual time and effort to recognise its context and significance within the environment – then, you can at least begin to build up some real picture of how good/weak a response a building is, in a specific context.
But my fear is that, most people will just reach for the Irish Architect, look at the photography, either go ‘ooh’ or ‘aah’ and just arrive at an opinion based on looking at a magazine, sitting on one’s ass, while drinking coffee, than actually giving things a chance.
Goes back to my point, about this nation here, being ‘afraid’ of space, of walking, of movement or anything like that. We always reach for the Frank McDonald page, the big photo and the few ‘words of wisdom’ which Frank may have cobbled together to sell a paper.
The fact, these ideals are often enshrined in schools of architecture too, is shameful IMHO.
This facility with spatial design, movement and open public space becomes very useful in this sense here:
But like I said, I have rarely or ever seen ideas like this presented in an attractive package in our architectural colleges. I think we could have a real difficulty in this country of being afraid of space even. Unless it is something to do with fighting and arguments over land etc. Bombshell!
Right, and I passed out NGI today and saw a sign for Turner. That is the point I have been trying to make elsewhere – that in large public buildlings nowadays, you need to consider crowds of people, behaviours of people in galleries, a heck of a lot of walking to get there, and when you get there to walk around and actually see anything. I have cited the example of Steven Holl’s Berlin LIbrary competition entry – a much bigger city/institution – and a very daring attempt to deal in some architectural fashion with the huge amount of movement, disorientation, and scale problem associated with large public buildings.
Notice how ‘disused’ the older part of the National Gallery of Ireland now has become. Look at our attempt at doing a Central Dubin Library in the Illac centre – look at our attempt at doing Libraries in general. An AAI lecture recently made the point though, that things like the Kunstal aren’t designed to be around for very long. I mean, I think we could do a lot more as architects designing projects which are better to experience, but perhaps aren’t built to last. Especially now, given that land values and sites are probably more valuable that the developments on them.
It is terrible when we take a very strategic site in Dubin somewhere and just build another huge concrete immoveable object, which will ‘exist’ on that site for hundreds of years to come, and long past its original functionality. I think one good way ‘into’ the architecture of Rem Koolhaas, would be to study the whole argument of public buildings in this way. His Library in Seattle for instance – isn’t the grey, big great public institutional bunker that people would have felt entirely comfortable with – that their ‘money’ had gone to good civic use. But it does probably offer a nice ‘new’ Library, which might bring in new generations of ‘readers’ to do the function of what a Library is meant to do in the first place – i.e. to make the idea of reading happen in a cool, well lighted exciting space, that young people from all backgrounds might just bite at – not just become “a big, huge, grey, monolithic, but ultimately impersonal proper use of public funds”.
Ditto, applies to smaller regional institutions – the Dooradoyle Library in Limerick by Burke, Kennedy, Doyle designed by Alan Begley I think, being a good example of what I mean. I would argue, how many more people is the new wing of NGI going to bring in, of people appreciating art, education etc. Just by the exciting nature of the spaces it created. Mind you the security guys walking around in uniforms are still as nasty.
So roll on the 50:1 size models it would be very interesting looking at the Atrium in Block four being filled. [/B]
Is that in the Heuston development?
Well around early to mid 2002, I decided one thing – that I needed to develop some kind of independent ground of my own, upon which to base my ideas and attempts at designing. Only this week I have done a couple of job interviews, and the results have been predictable – ‘oh, if we had a technician, we could do this, we could do that’. Young inexperienced or experienced Technicians seem to always be seen as ‘enablers’ by the profession of architecture. Therefore, it is very hard for a young technician to paint him/herself in a very bad light – since, right off the bat, they seem to have this very positive glowing light or aura surrounding their being.
On the other hand, you put a young architect next to this, and they always appear more like ‘more bad, and very unnecessary dead weight in a ‘system’ which should be well oiled and highly progressive’. That is, built around enabling professionals rather than people who don’t enable – but rather, cause resistance. Now, when you get to experienced architects, that changes more – the experienced architect on a project is rather like a bill gates is in MicroSoft. Or saying, Apple Computer Corp. without Steve Jobs is not actually Apple Computers anymore. You often hear about the ‘direction and focus’ that a famous experienced architect brought to a specific project. Almost like they were the Film directors that get interviewed for movie shows.
I don’t think that the education system for young architects – with its very wide subject approach – helps one much either. I would really like one day, to go for an interview, and have that same ‘appeal’ to a prospective employer as a young architectural technician seems to have today. That is why since 2002, I have worked very consistently towards developing the basic foundation, from which to build a strong independent ‘enabling, designer function’ as a young architect – so that, some prospective employer would view me as a positive addition to the ‘team’. I don’t think this point is actually appreciated by educational staff in our present architectural education institutions.
I quote the example of Ching’s book very frequently, because literally between those covers, is the opportunity for the young prospective architectural designer, to take his/her first steps towards a positive and concrete future as a professional. You mentioned the technique of getting down really low to view drawings or models – I have practiced over the recent past, the notion of seeing, the little tiny people walking around the page! As daft as this may sound, it is still a vast improvement on any other method I have been lumped with down through the years.
On the subject of walking around – It might be a nice idea to start from SCR/Clanbrassil Street junction some day and walk towards Harcourt Street. Interestingly, you pass out two important religious buildings, which have a very strong impact on the spaces they dominate over. I.e. the public street called SCR or Harrington St, or whatever. Then you approach the junction with Camden St. You will notice looming up in the skyline a couple of new large, commerical glass landmarks. It is an interesting experience to partake in, during a nice sunny morning, comparing two old religious buildings of excellent quality and detailing with new commercial landmarks. It just is a good example of landmarks and streets I think. At this scale, you have the sense of the community or a large collective group of people – not just the individual – learning to associate with their environment, by having significant public landmarks to measure progress on foot through space/time.
This is why I tend to argue that space is four dimensional really. As you cannot explain the above phenomena using only 3 dimensions. I mean, if an architect designing a large master plan or public housing competition etc, doesn’t look at space from these points of view – what are these lines and graphics they persist on drawing on the sheet? Are young architects really only dead weight? Excluding of course, the management potential in the job of being an architect later on in the career – I mean, just in the purely design functionality aspect of the young/older architect. Is the design contribution they make completely airy-fairy? Or something rather much more concrete like I have tried to establish for my own utility?
A building in Dublin, just built – the National Gallery of Ireland extension. Well, it is just a great pity that Dublin/Ireland didn’t have buildings like that – like other European cities have had. I mean, so that young prospective architects growing up could establish a relationship with good architecture from the get-go. That ones appreciation and love of something that good could grow with his/her maturity as a spatial designer. I would blame that same, lack of access to really good architecture, as one of the real limiting factors for young Irish architects. No amount of libraries full of magazines change substitute for something real.
To be perfectly honest with you, even if we did have several really good pieces of architecture here – would our approach to architecture education change sufficiently to achieve any benefit? I mean, would we develop awareness in our spatial environment from a young age? I have my doubts, given that we have for so long, done something else.
Originally posted by notjim
that’s great news, it includes a sean scully room too! isn’t the hugh lane collection great, such a mess.Care to elaborate? I am sort of interested in public buildings, like galleries, libraries etc as building types – Kahn, of whom I am a fan, spent some time working on projects like those ones.
I prefer his later stuff ; the geometric paintings with the circles and spirals in gold and silver etc…evoking our Celtic past
On the other hand, they could evoke Arabic influences, where the surface of the wall becomes something more, they could be like CHinesse architecture where circles as openings were used to powerful effect, or Japanesse spaces, where ‘learning to see without using the senses’ is part of the philosophy.
I don’t know about Celtic – what is Celtic? It was a mixture of things I am sure – but perhaps Celtic started in Arabia, parts of the world where Budism type believes were common.
1) The openings as an event, light as an element of architecture – even in a small building designed by an architect – you rarely see a good architect who makes a name designing houses and other small buildings, reaching for a standard collection of windows to plaster on an elevation, and position/use them in a conventional manner.
This needs to be studied by all young architects – elevations, don’t just have funny fenestration and shapes of openings for the fun of it – when you walk into those buildings, which are well designed, you see when you are inside the building, very quickly why openings are where they are, why they are that size or shape and how light is manipulated by them in the interior space.
Just an imagine to back up that notion.
http://www.cgarchitect.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=next_topic;f=4;t=000101;go=newer
Not an very daring design I know, but still. It is still all to do with the notion of wearing our environment as an extension of ourselves – it is just the scale changes, from 1:50 scale where natural light is important and size, shape, position of openings. To 1:500 where things like movement and time are very important.
Another funny one, from CGA.
Barcelona Pavilion in Quake III game.
http://www.cgarchitect.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=next_topic;f=4;t=000099;go=newer
Just came across this image of ‘dense living’ and thought I would post it.
I have listened to the arguments about sustainability, density and mass transit systems expressed here. Generally speaking though, when Architects tend to design a building, I think that movement factors are at their best, when integrated as part of the solution.
Here I have just tried to express some more of my thoughts
I am referring to the design of public buildings and/or spaces mostly. What architects try to do well.
2) There are some experiences of buildings here in Ireland, which are well designed and incorporate the idea of time. I like to walk from the old part of the National Gallery of Ireland and exit out onto Nassau Street side. I like to walk from Nassau Street through Trinity out to College Green. I like to walk through the Powerscourt centre, the IFC, curved Street and Meeting house square. It is even nice to walk from the back entrance of wood quay out through the front entrance.
So when you are ‘trying to conceive’ of something in three dimensions in a computer model – the time dimension, is something which you are aware of consciously. Even a small structure – is normally much larger than a single human form, so that it implies as we move around/through/above/under a structure – that contributes to the experience, as well as the point 1) above in relation to enclosure.
Just something else,
On the large scale, at 1:500 scale people relate to their environment every bit as much as they do as at the 1:50 scale. Take a large urban OS sheet at 1:1000 scale – a young, fit, healthy person can easily walk around that map in reality. This ability to move around, also applies to the vertical dimension, or for that matter, the combination of vertical and horizontal movement.
See the Steven Holl scheme for Berlin Library, or any of Holl’s work. Which do incorporate a vast amount of different movement vectors in all dimensions. What upsets me, is often people speak about the ‘designs of Steven Holl’ without considering obvious facets of those designs. You cannot begin to understand Holl’s Berlin Library building project, without accepting the notion that people move a lot in all dimensions.
Otherwise, if you don’t view the design in this way – it becomes just another crazy architectural graphic. The Cranbrook extension scheme by Holl is another example of a design where movement vectors of people are central. The quite similar Iowa Art Gallery by Meier, or his Getty centre are similar. We often under estimate or even neglect that movement coefficient as spatial designers. Ed Bacon in his book deals almost exclusively with that notion.
The second visual on this page here, sort of says this idea well, for a computer visual.
http://www.cgarchitect.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000085
If we build rubbish, then we can argue about it, blame one another and use the issue as a political football for generations afterwards. To do something right needs mental strengths and great individual reserve – a strong national psyche, is something the Germans etc lean very heavily upon as a nation – they have had to all down through history. It is something we don’t do at all.
I think an artist you should look at is Joseph Bueys, who was very interested in countries on the edges – places like Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal etc. The appear to share some very common characteristics, despite being geographically in totally different places. As opposed to the more inland parts of Europe, which developed in a different way.
Re Overseas development aid and Bruce Willis types I agree entirely having experience of Latin America and West Africa. They are like the mandarin classes of the Irish civil service 30 years ago.
Going around in their USAID or EU badged jeeps either gringos or natives ‘a station above their peers’.The thing is, I never have been abroad in these situations, but I kind of know what to expect from Irish people in general, in the types of solutions they seem to use to every known kind of problem. I think the Italians and the Irish could get along well – like small Fiat cars – making a tremendous fuss and achieving very little. But then again – that country has given so much too, in terms of art, fashion, cooking, music – the Irish have given the world writers and poets/playwrights.
There is a good film about a prison camp in Scotland during WWII, where the germans were escaping to man subs, and they brought in some Irish man to sort them out – worth a watch – McKenzie’s way – or something – circa 1970s movie.
Damn, I was waiting for a story about angry elves bearing knives and riding huge war-ferrets. Hmmm, maybe I should sleep now.
The Germans on the BBC program last night were building construction super heros – I think they could cope with lots and lots of big problems.
I believe a lot of the techniques they use for building these houses, owe much to the tools and techniques used by stage designers to set up and move large props.
As to the factory end of it, as the reporter said – where are the page 3 pin ups from the Sun newspaper – if BMW were to build houses, that is how they would build them.
Gotham Gazette (love that name) mentions some of these ideas too:
City dwellers “listening to President George W. Bush’s 2004 State of the Union Address on primetime last week may have felt overlooked. The president never once uttered the words ‘urban’ or ‘city’ or ‘New York,’ though he did say ‘Bulgaria’ and ‘Bali.’.. Today, there is no real urban policy agenda in Washington… [rather] there is a history of deep anti-urban sentiment in America… Cities continue to be seen as places of poverty, corruption, crime, and immorality. And immigrants, who traditionally first settle in urban areas, have often been viewed with suspicion.”
A large part of our view of cities in all parts of the world, both rich and poor, has been coloured by the Bush administration I think. We need to get back to a solid urban ajenda and less of a ‘political one’. The NYC competition etc, maybe has been used to keep urban design politicised for longer than it should.
Today, there is no real urban policy agenda in Washington.
“There is no leader in the executive branch [for urban issues] and there are no committees in Congress that make it a priority,” said David Rapp, editor of Congressional Quarterly, a publication with 100 reporters covering Congress. “We don’t even have a reporter assigned to cover urban affairs.”
See my point about Irish people and reporting?
San Francisco’s first High Density Neighbourhood
with nice picies.
It is not that, it the fact that no one seems to care what they cost, what they are achieving – that is, other than providing RTE and the Irish Times with something to report about. On the other hand, did anyone see the programme made by the BBC about house design last night? The one where all the house was built in a factory in Germany and shipped by road as far as England?
A ‘Huf’ house?
I think, if you put some EU funding towards the Germans to help solve some difficulties in poorer countries prone to disasters, you might get more results than a bunch of middle class ‘concerned’ Irish people pissing around in jeeps, looking for war stories to bring back to their old cronies. 🙂 Now, allow me to qualify something here, before I am completely misunderstood. I have heard it said, the Irish and the Mexicans make the best journalists/reporters in the world. That is a very useful function, in the context of disaster prone relief/prevention too.
I mean, the Asians, in the tech world are notorious for being tight-lipped about tech glitches etc – seen as weak to admit a problem you see. The Texans like Mikey Dell are over-achievers, the Germans are too proud to own up to difficulties etc and would prefer to go down with a sinking ship. But I think the Irish, tell it how it really is, regardless of who/what it might offend. So we are great in some areas – just not in others. The tribunals are probably done to the highest standards of fact-finding and reporting – for all I know.
But, you cannot solve every problem by using the gift of the gab. But I think there is a real role there alone, for the Irish in trying to sort ot the problems in poorer countries. If we are ever going to benefit from more stability and safety globally, we here in the relatively well to do, parts of western Europe and North America are going to have to learn to change some very deeply routed and fundamental attitudes, which have been lingering around far too long – since the days of missionaries etc, etc, etc.
It is the same with the refugee problem – all we want to do, is talk and talk and talk about the rascism, and accomodating more refugees etc. But no mention about what is happening in these countries to begin with – or putting our money and effort where our mouth is, and solving that.
Well the present day evolution of the computer technical forum, provides some of the same functionality of the small town hardware store in days gone by, to a new generation of young men.
That is very important in a country like America, where cars are generally so reliable nowadays, the men ‘need something else to fix’. I haven’t made up my mind as yet, what Archiseek stands in for – but give me time.
All I am saying, is that these tribunals are very like a good old fashioned pub fight, but using degrees and legality instead of fists. But at the end of the day, all we achieve is to beat the suger out of one another, and tell the stories about it later.
The only thing it has delivered was a quick buck to a few minor developers.
Yeah, great statement.
I am really looking forward to the Gilmartin phase of Mahon Tribunal
I dunno, I am actually surprised to hear that kind of sentiment expressed here on the board. I mean, if recent global events with earthquakes and relief work are anything to go by, I would say that Ireland is a country which leads the world in terms of providing personnel, money, supplies and logistics for all kinds of relief work globally.
But, the cost of relief work, after the damage has been done is huge. Now, what about spending a small amount of money making sure that suitable designs are implemented in areas of the world, where developers construct unsuitable urban building, in the path of tornados, earthquakes, flooding, tidal waves, erosion etc.
I mean, when it comes to spending anything before the disaster happens we as a nation are incredibly complacent. We all seem to love rushing out driving our aid jeeps, with our bachelors degree in medicine or economics solving all the world’s problems/disasters. It is like some massive disaster adventure holiday. A relief from the deary, hum-drum existence of living in Terenure or Clontarf. It is nice to know, we will return to that.
But telling stories about disaster relief, and our generousity to nations facing turmoil – that all sounds good. No one in Ireland, could be credited with providing engineering services for earthquake prone housing developments in some poor country, and supervising their execution with relevant authorities.
No, it is much more ‘Bruce Willis’ to run in with vans, and lorries with big crosses painted on them – yelling and making a fuss like an actor for ‘ER’, but ultimately doing very little real to stop the problems. A fitting platform for our ravishing movie star good looks, and huge opinion of ourselves.
The tribunals in this country are just another lavish and expensive ‘post mortem’ and excursion into ‘La-la’ land for a bunch of ‘concerned middle class anal-retentives’ IMHO.
