Their huge win 1.3 Billion for a man made island in the South China Sea, presents a question as for the ethics of architecture and those who live without a conscience.
x-jla
Sep 3, 16 10:38 am
Architecture hasn't ever had any ethics. The majority of "great" works were built out of unethical circumstance. We worship the artifacts of empires and dictators. Since the beginning, architecture has relied on two main things, money and bullshit. Religion, empire, immortality, the illusion of power, delusions of grandeur, the many texts proclaiming the superiority of one ism over another, etc....this is the juice that fuels architecture...that with lots of other people's money. Only until recently have we toyed with the idea of "architecture for humanity." A pursuit that we find still relies on piles of bullshit and money...
geezertect
Sep 3, 16 2:19 pm
^ Well said. Architects exist to participate in the building of buildings. By definition, that is an activitiy requiring at least some amount of capital. Poor folks need not apply. Anyone who is troubled by being a servant of the rich is going to face a work life of troubling questions. It's just the way the cosmos works.
If you want to serve the poor, become Mother Teresa.
sidewinder
Sep 3, 16 7:44 pm
It's so silly how they just call the island "Eco" and then everyone is supposed to believe it will actually be environmentally friendly.
sameolddoctor
Sep 3, 16 10:12 pm
That project takes the cake for being the most asinine pile of crap. I hope they can explain to their students in their academic circles.
tduds
Sep 4, 16 10:57 am
To think I once had nothing but respect for Liz DIller.
They never should have looked outside of Manhattan.
Their huge win 1.3 Billion for a man made island in the South China Sea, presents a question as for the ethics of architecture and those who live without a conscience.
Architecture hasn't ever had any ethics. The majority of "great" works were built out of unethical circumstance. We worship the artifacts of empires and dictators. Since the beginning, architecture has relied on two main things, money and bullshit. Religion, empire, immortality, the illusion of power, delusions of grandeur, the many texts proclaiming the superiority of one ism over another, etc....this is the juice that fuels architecture...that with lots of other people's money. Only until recently have we toyed with the idea of "architecture for humanity." A pursuit that we find still relies on piles of bullshit and money...
^ Well said. Architects exist to participate in the building of buildings. By definition, that is an activitiy requiring at least some amount of capital. Poor folks need not apply. Anyone who is troubled by being a servant of the rich is going to face a work life of troubling questions. It's just the way the cosmos works.
If you want to serve the poor, become Mother Teresa.
It's so silly how they just call the island "Eco" and then everyone is supposed to believe it will actually be environmentally friendly.
That project takes the cake for being the most asinine pile of crap. I hope they can explain to their students in their academic circles.
To think I once had nothing but respect for Liz DIller.
They never should have looked outside of Manhattan.