Against Design

[Eldritch]

Le Corbusier was a totalitarian brutalist. While that should not be understood as necessarily a totally negative characterisation from yours truly, he was not a functionalist in the sense that I understand the word. That is, functionalism not as a period in the history of art, design and architecture, or as a "style", but rather as an approach or mentality -- that if something is ugly or impractical, no amount of adornment can make it otherwise. I believe the Japanese term for a similar concept is wabi.

At best Le Corbusier was not a very good functionalist, or a perverted one. (He loved concrete to the point of obsession, and using any material where any other material might be more practical, more aesthetically pleasing, more anything, is already a big, ehh, functional no-no).

[Eldritch]

A previous Le Corbusier thread on TA.

[Fortis in Arduis]

When Le Corbusier's designs were implemented they were already about eighty years out of date when they were finally built, and they were built with finance rather than design in mind.

Such developments are not greatly coveted in the UK.

I am only happy that other countries such as Norway were spared the worst of this tawdry aesthetic.

[Piparskeggr]

I like the design of the older sections in my hometown; main streets lined with small shops, theaters, service stations, public buildings, banks and such...side streets with houses, parks, schools, churches...everything you needed within walking distance, with town common areas as the quite wide medians along the main streets.

There is a small movement here in the US to try and recreate this...

[Megrez]

Projects and panelaks are ugly, they displace any sense of community, and they replace real neighborhoods.

I get depressed just by looking at these panelaks =/

[Eldritch]

I get depressed just by looking at these panelaks =/

They are not very pleasing to the eye, that's for sure. I've lived for two years in something similar, although thankfully on a more human scale.

However, importantly, it might be instructive to have a look at what kind of dwellings the people who currently live in Czech panelaks had before?

[Aemma]

Projects and panelaks are ugly, they displace any sense of community, and they replace real neighborhoods.

Panelaks.... Ahhh aka high-density housing! Useful for all politicians who want to address housing issues and related homelessness issues without really addressing the real issues. Question is whose backyard do they go into?

Ugly, yes. You'll get no argument from me there. But if you'll indulge me for a tad, I'd like to play Devil's Advocate for a bit with respect to projects:

Do they really displace *any* sense of community? Is it not people that make a community regardless of the type of housing?

And how do you define a "real neighbourhood," one that is based solely or mainly on pedestrian traffic? One which offers a fair ratio of green space to constructed space?

Again, just playing Devil's Advocate. This is bringing me back to studies I've done yonks ago. It's good to revisit these things every now and again.

[Germanicus]

'Design' as you refer to it, began with mass-production and with it ended the local artisan tradition.

The reaction against this was the Arts & Crafts Movement; before that, design was more localised and innovative.

Yet, who could discount the Empire Style of the White House, or the style of John Nash or Brunswick Square, Brighton?



Buildings of that period were built at the peak of empire, at the point where finance still only just remained in the service of aesthetic and cultural sensibilities.

The picture shown here on this side of the square is where the world moustache championship was held 2 years ago, whilst having my breakfast in a hotel on the other side of the square we saw the contestants come and go.
The Square is a underground pay and display carpark, funnily enough..