From masterplans to reconfigure London after the Great Fire of 1666 to contemporary responses to earthquakes and tsunamis, the exhibition considers the evolving relationship between man, architecture and nature and asks whether we are now facing a paradigm shift in how we live and build in the 21st century. — BBC News Magazine
Paul Kerley talked with curator Jes Fernie, about a new exhibition, Creation from Catastrophe, at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
2 Comments
The cases of London in 1666 and Chicago in 1871 are both good lessons, but-- at least in terms of actual implementation-- the lesson is mostly opportunity missed, not opportunity seized.
Wren's plan came within days of the fire, and the prospect of grand manner urban design, wide boulevards and a more rational (modified) grid of streets and blocks may have been attractive to some (architects, for example). But many hundreds of individual property owners were not interested in losing part or all of their building lots, or access to them, that would have resulted. The issue was politically toxic. So within a decade, virtually the same urban footprint of odd-shaped lots, irregular blocks, and crooked streets was rebuilt in place. The one big change was to building materials: brick and stone replaced wood, and buildings were likely taller as a result. So a big change to buildings, yes, but not to the larger urban pattern in this case.
The inclusion above of Burnham's proposed civic center from the 1909 Chicago plan is curious. Impressively conceived, beautifully rendered, but never built --not the Capitol-inspired structure nor the radial, diagonal boulevards that would have cut through dense urban fabric. (That fabric that was built in the nearly four decades after the 1871 fire... so I'm not sure how the fire's devastation is connected to Burnham's vision, time-wise.)
So the theme of emergency-as-opportunity is very rich indeed in terms of planning, development, and architecture. Not all opportunities are taken, of course, which is the point of the story. But not every slate wiped clean by catastrophe is the same: the local context of geography, demography, occupancy, economy, politics, culture and technology all may play a part in the eventual outcome.
Rather than Burnham's civic center plan up top, this image of Piazza del Popolo shows a similar grand manner composition actually built. The opportunity came over time: the sacking of Rome in the 5th century; a millennium of urban decline and abandonment; and the return of the Papacy in the 15th century. This all set the stage for Sixtus the V (begun by predecessors) to implement a big plan on the foundation of various calamities.
Nice analysis citizen. Thankfully none of the visions for London where realized. If anyone's seen the rationality of Lisbon's 18th century center, it's evident how much more interesting the areas outside it are. Not to say that a couple of boulevards don't bring some order to the picturesque jumble as in Rome, but the straight grid show's rationality's short comings.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.