Week 10 - Outcome

Well, its definitely been an interesting module. I have read some text and enjoyed them, I've been shocked, I've felt bored, I've been confused, I've been excited and I've relaxed and watched a film. I think with the texts covered have probably given most emotions and with some have struggled to put down on paper what exactly I was thinking or feeling. It was a new experience and although testing and sometimes a struggle I enjoyed it, I guess. 

The text have given me an insight into the past views in architecture for instance in 'The Fountainhead' and also introduced me to the title of 'Starchitects' the modern architect of today like Hadid. I sometimes struggle to understand the deeper meanings in text but reading these has helped me to understand some of my problems and also helped me to understand how to read not what is on the paper but what is beneath it. 

We are the new bread of architects that will be facing the political and economic world today and in the future will this future need the likes of Roark or Keating? Will there be cold hard cash or the kind of floating around never seen cash of Badiou? Its useful to read these text because it gives us examples of the past to help as modern architects today. 

How much will we be governed and directed by the media? We live in a Big Brother world where everything is watched, directed, staged almost like the film described by Badiou. Who will be the hero of our own reality show when everything starts to come crashing down? Will the new architects be able to work with the new society to built a world supported by pillars which won't come crashing down? 

There was a lot of information to digest and some which I struggled to understand what it had to do with me as an architecture student but on every text I was able to form an opinion so I think if that was the aim then I was successful. My favourite piece if I had to choose would probably be 'The Fountain' because it was in a media I could understand easier. Would I enjoy the book as much? Probably not! The text which got the most reaction was 'The Howl'. Does this mean it was a bad text, that I shouldn't of read it? No! Although I struggled to see the connection with architecture at times it did get the strongest reaction from me so perhaps that makes it one of the most important text? What we want to read and what we should read are not necessarily always the same......

Week 9 - Ayn Rand 'The Fountainhead'

After struggling through all the text watching a film was a refreshing change. It was a lot easier for me to follow and I surprisingly enjoyed the film. Being so used to current film styles it was a reminder of the iconic black and white film era. Where everything was dramatic and exaggerated. Dominique was spirited and entertaining with her expressions and Roark with his stubborn commitment to his vision. 

The idea of being expelled or cast aside for being different or original is almost unheard of today in architecture so it was an interesting idea that this were the case in society of the past. Roark was a strong character, possibly a bit stupid, who would rather work as a labourer than build what he didn't want to build. His lack of interest in what his clients what was quite possibly a bit to far. Yes be original but surely be sensible about it. Whats the point  in building something that nobody wants? An architect should be free to design and build but surely a client and society should be free to ave buildings that they want?

The smear campaign was all rather petty and childish but I can imagine this being a common event of the past. Don't we now have 'Starchitects' such as Hadid. Maybe not to such an extreme as what was shown in 'The Fountainhead' but if a newspaper or magazine started feeding negative comments to society about Hadid would she loose some of her star quality? Is she only a star because the media tells us she is a star? Even Roarks good friend, Wynand and love, Dominique got involved in his smear campaign but he still sticks to his vision. Toohey is an annoying, know it all who skates around the outside of everything wanting to take centre stage but never quite getting there.

Dominique says like Roark she doesn't care for other peoples opinions and she is quick to throw herself into relationships and marriage. She is almost sold from one person to another and she still remains detached. Everything is kind of done behind somebody else back. Dominique and Roark meet in secret, the housing project is altered whilst Roark is away, Roark rather than discuss opening the change in plans simply blows the building up! Would you prefer to see a piece of your work altered pleasing society but not be pleasing to you or would you simply blow it up? It was quite a strong statement and Roarks sums it u “I don’t care what they think of architecture – or anything else!”. 

Would an architect who thought like that today be praised for their individuality and commitment to themselves or would they, like Roark, end up in ruin? Isn't Roarks ideal that a building should be built to its environment, that the material, purpose, sculpture should fit within in the environment how architects think today?

It all ends in a happily ever after ending but after the drama of the film and Roark's and Dominiques characters where Dominique was a bit too childish really in her behaviour and Roark like a stubborn child I felt the ending could of held a bit more punch than a happily ever after. I could relate to Roark though and although I think we need a lot of Keatings int he world we also need the Roarks to keep things interesting....

Week 8 - Evelyn Waugh 'Decline and Fall'

Decline and Fall was so wonderfully absurd and at the same time accurate in it's description of British society and education around 1930. It explores the societal conventions of the time surrounding education, marriage, values and even murder. 

The tale follows the good natured Paul Pennyfeather through his hilarious adventures where he moves through life unable to control his own path but is in the hands of his superiors. This lack of control gets him caught up in the shenanigans of the Bollinger club and then he finds himself in prison as a result. This is where he begins his decline and eventual fall into the depths. This is the start of his journey where he will meet a series of incredible characters and the most unbelievable situations along the way but somehow through it all he manages to retain his innocence. 

Margot Beste-Chetwynde is the society beauty who lights up Decline and Fall, but don’t be fooled she's not all that she seems to be. The money from her shady businesses gives her the money to buy King's Thursday and begin its transformation and rebuilding from its untouched, out of date state. Unfortunately Professor Otto Friedrich Silenus the German Architect transforms the beautiful county home into an art deco glass and concrete block, much to the anxiety and dismay of the Society for the protection of Ancient buildings. The local people wanted to leave the building in the past, in the age of servants and labour hard work. Socially the world was developing but the servants and inhabitants no longer wanted to live and work in dirty, hard conditions. They wanted lifts and running water, gas and electric. It might have been a historic building to the surrounding community but to its workers and people who lived in it this historic ideal wasn't appreciated.

This definitely felt to me like an example of society and the social space wanting to hold back the physical and economic development of a building even though nobody wanted to use or love it for what it was. Yet once it became a modern loved building it was rejected by society for being improved. So do you listen to society and keep it as a social space to be admired from a far or improve it for i to be loved by some....