... one the most gifted architects of my time has been reduced to wrapping such conventional programs of use in merely expressionistic forms, without letting a single ray of her genius illuminate the human condition. Am I being pretentious and overly demanding? Of course. But that’s the way disappointed lovers behave. Exaggerated emotions. Absurd demands. Anger that transgresses all reason. She has let me down, and what makes it worse is that she apparently couldn’t care less. — Lebbeus Woods
10 Comments
I love LW, but your totally wrong. I do not agree that her architecture is reduced. I think your just jealous. The problem in the architectural world is sexist bigotry. No she does not need to care what petty naysayers have to say nor does she need to care that she has been copied so much as to call her work 'style'. To those people, they apparently cannot read since she has written extensively about architecture before she blew up. Hadid is a genius end of story.
Ok. Fair's fair. Now lets go scrutinize Lebbeus' built work.
Oh, wait a minute....
Both of the comments above me seem to be jotted with blind spite and naive impressions.
@peace77 the notion that one can only "scrutinize" an Architects built work is the sign that you fail to understand architecture. Architecture is created in the friction between line and space, we are a profession that can read and write space. So by all means "scrutinize" Lebbeus' architecture, I know for a fact that he is always interested in a debate about the merits of architectural space, and Zaha was at one time also interested in the same.
This leads me to address @AJ2030, you speak of the extensive writing Hadid had done, as well as the impact her work has had on the profession of architecture, but if you read Lebbeus' piece, which I feel you didn't from your response, you will note that his criticism does not lie in her past works but are solely embodied in the aquatic center project. If you wish is to discuss the merits of her past works to do so, but you must not blind yourself to the current project, it is like telling the chef, who generally makes good food, the food was amazing before you even try it. I know I said it before, but it must be repeated, "we are a profession that can read and write space," that is our training and that is why we are architects. The moment you stop reading is the moment you stop being and architect.
zaha buildings, I guess I'm not so easily amused. Buildings that resolves self imposed constraints set by a pre determined style fail to reach a level of deepness in my opinion. Kahn, Zumthor, Ando, Alto, all have a "stlye" that exposes the hand of the author, but their "style" is a bi-product of a greater pursuit; it's the way they deal with external constraints as opposed to zaha where the stlye is the greatest constraint of all.
I love LW, I love Zaha...what is this American Idol?
what eric says..
can you imagine seeing these people on the street and grabbing them and saying,
-"I LOOOVE WHAT YOU DO FOR ME LEBBO, BUT I LOOOVE YOU BETTER ARAB GIRL, ZAHA THE IRAQI ENGLISH, WITH FLUID FORMS I LOOOVE.., GIVE ME A KISS..."
-"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU FUCKIN' PERVERT"
ahhhhaaahaha.. laughing by myself to my own twisted humor... never mind... carry on the love first and then complain about stararchitecturism. fuck yeah!
jarch. hardly blind hardly spiteful.
It just seems silly for lebbeus woods to be going off on zaha hadid, when she is the one takes up the profession head on, has taken it directions it NEVER would have gone without her.... all the while he sits by doodling his career away. If he wants to critique Geiger about his drawings fine. But he should leave the discussion about built work to the big boys.
@aj2030: rofl, "lebbeus woods is jealous" seriously?! It's an olympic stadium built by zaha hadid... the building is a disappointment
and there is no such thing as "petty naysayers" in architecture, her buildings aren't for her
And of course, in the court of public opinion, its a smash.
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/20/10461027-london-aquatics-center-opens-with-a-splash
But, its only good if Lebbeus Woods approves. Again, why is his opinion at all relevant here? Just stop and think for a minute: These olympics will go on, and the world will continue to revolve around its access, all with Wood's commentary meaning nothing. Just a cratchety old has been who never got off the drawing board. Nothing to offer, no appreciation for what it takes to build, no impact whatsoever on the profession.
as a swimmer i'm not sure i understand lebbeus woods' criticisms. natatoriums are regimented in ways most non swimmers wouldn't consider, and definitely not woods. i can't tell you how often i've swam at venues that didn't have points of reference on the ceiling parallel to the swimming lanes...this is incredibly problematic when swimming backstroke.
that said, i don't like zaha's aquatic center either. but i just think the form is straight up ugly.
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