That looks like something you'd find in a public restroom toilet. It isn't even facing the road. People turn to look at the monstrous billboard on the right, and fail to see that the driver in front of them just hit their brakes... Too late! I predict that in 5 years more money will be spent on insurance deductibles in that general vicinity than on the billboard itself...
I wonder how many students submit projects in this same design vain and just get reamed in the critique? Ha-did (see what I did there) just gets publicity and water cooler scuttlebut.
the billboard is quite good and have some wry humor. as a building it is very illusionary and useful on both sides. it is a corpo-public-new-board typology. it is a potential public space on the sidewalk as it bottlenecks flow on purpose. she is right, that axis connecting to the building with that mitered corner towering glass atrium is begging to be confronted. they should build it. and, because zha designed it, structure is a good "fuck you". prince charles can't stand her either.
it is not the street is that precious all of a sudden but people are ticked off by zaha, for reasons ranging from she is an arrogant arab talent to she couldn't save bangladesh.
my guess would be 'the core modernist tenet of 'making bad decisions' is what caused bad decisions to be made when the decisions for this billboard were being discussed'
with all the shit we have to look at everyday, at least someone's trying to be artful with this piece of advertising...the fact that it's gaudy and super distracting to drivers is beside the point
maybe normal folks will take notice and think, "hmm, maybe we should pause and think about what our environments look like"
"at least someone's trying to be artful with this piece of advertising" - You call this Artful, more like Fartful.
"After revulsion that's a fairly normal response to seeing a large turd. Pretty clear that Schumacher wrote the PR for it. " <<< the large turd is the right word.
Orhan, yeah, dunno where the Arab reference came from.
A Google image search for world's worst billboard puts Zaha at #9. But as the eight above it are focused on advertisements - technically speaking a billboard is a panel for the display of advertisements in public places - I'd have to agree that this is indeed the world's worst billboard, at least to my knowledge.
For every person who sees this stuff and says, hey maybe we should pause and think about what our environments (and rings) look like, there are 999 others that pause and think what do these architects think they doing and why?????
"so..its the worlds worst billboard, but everyone is posting images and discussing about it". Yes, very much like everyone is posting stuff about Ebola.
Well, I am being dramatic. But, frankly, this looks like one of the junior staff had too less to do, and was given this shit to do.
If it was square, or boxy, there'd be little issue.
Archinect is full of people intent on enforcing traditional form-making, even though most don't know shit about what Zaha's trying to get at. The closest to an actual critique was Donna's note on the sidewalk encroachment issue.
Most anger here is beyond misdirected; Zaha is not the problem, the roadside billboards along I-95 are all far worse than this thing.
ok, so this billboard replaces an existing weird little billboard structure in a somewhat crappy car-centric environment. it appears that the existing sidewalk is being widened and will actually allow better pedestrian access - but I agree that the encroachment on the sidewalk is off-putting. I'm guessing there are some property ownership issues with this - and either the city could buy off the advertising company or keep collecting property tax... Billboard is a difficult typology (like most car-centric structures) - something that architects are usually never involved with.
My first reaction was - wtf - a billboard? but now I know a little more about the context this isn't so bad. There are some things that it does quite nicely (better visibility to the street) - but the view of the actual billboard itself - it needs a little more finesse. I dunno - maybe it's the cars... the street itself that I have trouble with... It's just not a very pleasant environment...
Except on the I-95 billboards you can't actually run into them and have the shards come though your windshield and decapitate yourself and kids. There is that.
Alissa Walker, bravely copy and pasting the rage-bait formula that Geoff Manaugh couldn't stomach. Who cares? As a Billboard, it's purpose is to get attention, which it clearly is succeeding in. It's a Billboard, remember? I guess we have to ask if the highest virtue of everything--buildings, gizmodo articles, tweets, articles, is to get us angry and get our attention. So tired of the rage-baiting new media, trying to get us angry about this and that advertisement, just like yesterdays Steampunk flavored condo--it's just praise in disguise.
^ Chicks biggest claim to fame is 'walking' and adoration of gelato - plus, it's Gizmodo. Not sure what anyone is expecting here. :eyeball: and move on - they already got their clicks.
Appleseed and Lightperson, with all due respect, Alisa is getting a lot more people to listen to her every single day through Gizmodo etc, than you probably will your whole lives. If Zaha practices architecture and design as pop-art, why is Gizmodo not a valid source of commentary?
argument is entirely out of context. You can say its boring if you like, but otherwise Check out a more rational article with more and better explanation images before getting all weird because its zaha. Look at what it replaces and the effort is not so negative. i kind of like what is there now myself (urbanism should be fucked up just a bit; take all the grit out and might as well move to the bloody suburbs) but if we are honest, what she is proposing is better urbanisitically if you believe in any of the orthodoxy (EKE should be loving this, not hating, its totally humanistic).
Volunteer, that's what I can't understand: is this thing some other amenity in addition to being a structure to support an ad? If it's a bus stop that's pretty cool. I certainly like its form in opposition to the buildings behind better than the current little structure. But I don't understand why it's there at all, so I'm having a hard time with it.
it's not a bus stop - it's a weird little structure on an odd sliver lot next to a road - probably left over when they widened the road and the city just never bought it back. there's often stuff like this in older cities that built up before cars - likely grandfathered in. Does anyone else work in a city where almost everything is non-conforming to zoning code?
I'm with Will, the existing structure has more character... zaha's structure is better for the street... but not as weird - street view is kind of bland, actually. something you'd see in front of a windswept plaza in front of a 1960s office tower. there's some nice stuff going on with the planter... but it's just not exciting to me - like old hat.
again - it just could be the problem with horrible car infrastructure, though... creating something human scale in a car environment...
tokyo is like that too toasteroven, except maybe no one would notice this project really. Lots weirder stuff around the corner.
there is some kind of basement thing going on as well. its a strange little project. I would ciriticize it for being bland and boring, but otherwise its DPZ orthodoxy all in all, car oriented though it might be on one side (in a pedestrian oriented city no idea why that is such a big problem).
Not much of a story except that everyone dislikes Zaha for being interestingly different as a person or whatever the heck the bugaboo is about her.
I think part of the "ugliness" of the photos is due to the orange-colored brick building in the background being surrounded by temporary scaffolding. The road seems to be at least five lanes all going one way. The stairway In the third from the top photo in Will Galloway's post seems to have a counterpoint in the last photo indicating that there is an underground pedestrian passageway under the road. In the next to the last photo the area seems fairly attractive with human-scaled buildings and the what-ever-it-is seems fairly harmless.
The proposal represents a significant investment in the site and the development of an architectural form that will create a new genre in the roadside advertising canon.
Zaha, please stop already!
http://gizmodo.com/zaha-hadid-has-designed-the-worlds-worst-billboard-1666975176
'nuff said
I hate that it encroaches the sidewalk. Why doesn't it encroach on the roadway? Drivers need to be paying more attention, anyway.
I wonder how many students submit projects in this same design vain and just get reamed in the critique? Ha-did (see what I did there) just gets publicity and water cooler scuttlebut.
the billboard is quite good and have some wry humor. as a building it is very illusionary and useful on both sides. it is a corpo-public-new-board typology. it is a potential public space on the sidewalk as it bottlenecks flow on purpose. she is right, that axis connecting to the building with that mitered corner towering glass atrium is begging to be confronted. they should build it. and, because zha designed it, structure is a good "fuck you". prince charles can't stand her either.
it is not the street is that precious all of a sudden but people are ticked off by zaha, for reasons ranging from she is an arrogant arab talent to she couldn't save bangladesh.
Where the fuck that come from?
This is art masquerading as commerce, which is different from the Aspen Art museum, which is commerce masquerading as art.
Donna, sidewalks aren't important. They are only used by people who can't afford cars.
Volunteer, you might want to rethink that.
Why?
I was going to say something here, but Curtkram told me I'm not allowed to say anything unless it's positive.
thanks for listening eke :)
Wait...I want to hear what EKE has to say, even if it's negative.
my guess would be 'the core modernist tenet of 'making bad decisions' is what caused bad decisions to be made when the decisions for this billboard were being discussed'
Hmmelty.
Perhaps she should just join Gehry designing jewelry.
with all the shit we have to look at everyday, at least someone's trying to be artful with this piece of advertising...the fact that it's gaudy and super distracting to drivers is beside the point
maybe normal folks will take notice and think, "hmm, maybe we should pause and think about what our environments look like"
After revulsion that's a fairly normal response to seeing a large turd. Pretty clear that Schumacher wrote the PR for it.
"at least someone's trying to be artful with this piece of advertising" - You call this Artful, more like Fartful.
"After revulsion that's a fairly normal response to seeing a large turd. Pretty clear that Schumacher wrote the PR for it. " <<< the large turd is the right word.
Orhan, yeah, dunno where the Arab reference came from.
I'll go with what Curtkram says he thinks I think. It's close enough, and saves me the trouble.
From the article: "Well, here it is: the world's worst billboard."
Really?...the world's worst billboard? In the entire world?
K.
The Arab reference comes from Zaha herself circa 1982 in person and later in other places.
so..its the worlds worst billboard, but everyone is posting images and discussing about it
Oh yeah? I just passed a billboard for "Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas." Your move Zaha.
A Google image search for world's worst billboard puts Zaha at #9. But as the eight above it are focused on advertisements - technically speaking a billboard is a panel for the display of advertisements in public places - I'd have to agree that this is indeed the world's worst billboard, at least to my knowledge.
Bluto, Hadid already designs jewelry. Parametric, of course, like all the rest of her crap.
I checked out the jewelry. This is a "ring".
"so..its the worlds worst billboard, but everyone is posting images and discussing about it". Yes, very much like everyone is posting stuff about Ebola.
Well, I am being dramatic. But, frankly, this looks like one of the junior staff had too less to do, and was given this shit to do.
Omega sure is getting their money's worth.
People who's only interest is to produce crap and make a fanfare out of it.
That's all Zaha is about. Produce a total piece of SHIT and get publicity while telling everyone that this COPROLITE is a gem.
Coprolite... I had to look that word up, Richard. Fossilized turds. I learn so much on archinect.
Not sure Omega needs the publicity (or even cares). Zaha sure is, and bet that was the business model before they decided to produce this crap
pics of actual shit, huh?
i suppose criticism here has le jumped the shark.
but at least its scientifically museum grade shit.
unlike 98% of what most the bitches here are making.
gizmodo?
really?
If it was square, or boxy, there'd be little issue.
Archinect is full of people intent on enforcing traditional form-making, even though most don't know shit about what Zaha's trying to get at. The closest to an actual critique was Donna's note on the sidewalk encroachment issue.
Most anger here is beyond misdirected; Zaha is not the problem, the roadside billboards along I-95 are all far worse than this thing.
ok, so this billboard replaces an existing weird little billboard structure in a somewhat crappy car-centric environment. it appears that the existing sidewalk is being widened and will actually allow better pedestrian access - but I agree that the encroachment on the sidewalk is off-putting. I'm guessing there are some property ownership issues with this - and either the city could buy off the advertising company or keep collecting property tax... Billboard is a difficult typology (like most car-centric structures) - something that architects are usually never involved with.
My first reaction was - wtf - a billboard? but now I know a little more about the context this isn't so bad. There are some things that it does quite nicely (better visibility to the street) - but the view of the actual billboard itself - it needs a little more finesse. I dunno - maybe it's the cars... the street itself that I have trouble with... It's just not a very pleasant environment...
"but at least its scientifically museum grade shit.
unlike 98% of what most the bitches here are making."
You're still in 2nd year, are you not? (or I do hope so)
Except on the I-95 billboards you can't actually run into them and have the shards come though your windshield and decapitate yourself and kids. There is that.
Alissa Walker, bravely copy and pasting the rage-bait formula that Geoff Manaugh couldn't stomach. Who cares? As a Billboard, it's purpose is to get attention, which it clearly is succeeding in. It's a Billboard, remember? I guess we have to ask if the highest virtue of everything--buildings, gizmodo articles, tweets, articles, is to get us angry and get our attention. So tired of the rage-baiting new media, trying to get us angry about this and that advertisement, just like yesterdays Steampunk flavored condo--it's just praise in disguise.
^ Chicks biggest claim to fame is 'walking' and adoration of gelato - plus, it's Gizmodo. Not sure what anyone is expecting here. :eyeball: and move on - they already got their clicks.
Appleseed and Lightperson, with all due respect, Alisa is getting a lot more people to listen to her every single day through Gizmodo etc, than you probably will your whole lives. If Zaha practices architecture and design as pop-art, why is Gizmodo not a valid source of commentary?
argument is entirely out of context. You can say its boring if you like, but otherwise Check out a more rational article with more and better explanation images before getting all weird because its zaha. Look at what it replaces and the effort is not so negative. i kind of like what is there now myself (urbanism should be fucked up just a bit; take all the grit out and might as well move to the bloody suburbs) but if we are honest, what she is proposing is better urbanisitically if you believe in any of the orthodoxy (EKE should be loving this, not hating, its totally humanistic).
existing:
proposal from sidewalk
and street
I like the existing more, her proposal seems to be different for the sake of being different.
The existing structure is a bus stop, is it not?
Volunteer, that's what I can't understand: is this thing some other amenity in addition to being a structure to support an ad? If it's a bus stop that's pretty cool. I certainly like its form in opposition to the buildings behind better than the current little structure. But I don't understand why it's there at all, so I'm having a hard time with it.
Donna, looking at the Zaha structure again, maybe it is a bus stop also? Maybe it never was just a billboard?
According to the article,
No bus stop, no bench.
it's not a bus stop - it's a weird little structure on an odd sliver lot next to a road - probably left over when they widened the road and the city just never bought it back. there's often stuff like this in older cities that built up before cars - likely grandfathered in. Does anyone else work in a city where almost everything is non-conforming to zoning code?
I'm with Will, the existing structure has more character... zaha's structure is better for the street... but not as weird - street view is kind of bland, actually. something you'd see in front of a windswept plaza in front of a 1960s office tower. there's some nice stuff going on with the planter... but it's just not exciting to me - like old hat.
again - it just could be the problem with horrible car infrastructure, though... creating something human scale in a car environment...
tokyo is like that too toasteroven, except maybe no one would notice this project really. Lots weirder stuff around the corner.
there is some kind of basement thing going on as well. its a strange little project. I would ciriticize it for being bland and boring, but otherwise its DPZ orthodoxy all in all, car oriented though it might be on one side (in a pedestrian oriented city no idea why that is such a big problem).
Not much of a story except that everyone dislikes Zaha for being interestingly different as a person or whatever the heck the bugaboo is about her.
If it were a bus stop I would probably like it. But it is a stylized TV screen so forgive me for not swooning over it.
I get vertigo often and try to avoid swoops of obstructions like this. Just one opinion.I think part of the "ugliness" of the photos is due to the orange-colored brick building in the background being surrounded by temporary scaffolding. The road seems to be at least five lanes all going one way. The stairway In the third from the top photo in Will Galloway's post seems to have a counterpoint in the last photo indicating that there is an underground pedestrian passageway under the road. In the next to the last photo the area seems fairly attractive with human-scaled buildings and the what-ever-it-is seems fairly harmless.
You guys just don't get it.
The proposal represents a significant investment in the site and the development of an architectural form that will create a new genre in the roadside advertising canon.
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