That roof was actually required due to the site being in the "historical" area of the Cal campus -- apparently they tried to do otherwise, to no avail...
yes- but that is highly subjective and retrograde policy on the part of berkeley. that "historical area" has a couple of 70s era buildings that don't have traditional rooftops. I just looked at a model of it in the library. sometimes I think we're moving backwards.
I completely agree that such a historicist attitude is retarded in general, and particularly in that context -- hopefully the architect chosen for the replacement for the UC Berkeley Art Museum (selection process now under way -- Ito, Sejima, Kuma, Ando, Cloepfil) will have an easier time on the site they'll be working with...
Javier, it was exactly those Brutalist structures from the late 60's that have caused this reactionary attitude towards innovative design at the Berkeley campus (given that several Modernism era structures on that campus are of little merit). Also, this disappointing design would in fact greatly appease many alumni who do at large prefer a conservative, Classicism derived structure, to psyhologically compensate their wistfulness for the incomplete Hearst Plan.
Plenty of "NY firms" design boring academic buildings to fit within the aesthetic parameters, however ill-informed, of universities everywhere.
Most people these days have fixed ideas of how schools and especially universities are supposed to look. I'm not saying this is good--but maybe there's some subtle ways "Tod and Billie" were able to play with this in their design of the building, or at least contribute to some sort of architectural dialogue about the image of Berkeley.
Dana Buntrock left a comment on my post about this project. Thought it might be of interest to people here:
"I am on the faculty of the UC Berkeley Department of Architecture and associated with the Institute for East Asian Studies, so I care deeply about this building.
Without going into details, there is some helpful background. First, this buildings was designed for a site called Memorial Glade on our campus. For better or worse, the administration, in response to some hulking brutalist buildings built many years ago, insisted that any building on the glade have neo-classical overtones. Yep - Tod and Billie do not exactly spring to mind in that context, but have valiantly responded. The stone selected for the facade is apparently quite lovely, and having seen test patches for the exposed concrete, I am very excited about the sandblasted concrete finishes elsewhere in the building.
And if sandblasted concrete brings to mind the American Folkcraft Museum, it should - this building was designed around the same time, and just took a loooong (looooong) time to get funded. In fact, because of funding limitations, only the library will be built for the moment.
Finally, the rendering was done by the university for promotion purposes. Tod and Billie seem to (quietly) hate it - but clients are like that, you know? They do dumb things, and good architects grin and bear it, knowing the true test is in the building, not the eyewash."
9 Comments
That roof was actually required due to the site being in the "historical" area of the Cal campus -- apparently they tried to do otherwise, to no avail...
yes- but that is highly subjective and retrograde policy on the part of berkeley. that "historical area" has a couple of 70s era buildings that don't have traditional rooftops. I just looked at a model of it in the library. sometimes I think we're moving backwards.
I completely agree that such a historicist attitude is retarded in general, and particularly in that context -- hopefully the architect chosen for the replacement for the UC Berkeley Art Museum (selection process now under way -- Ito, Sejima, Kuma, Ando, Cloepfil) will have an easier time on the site they'll be working with...
but that building is just plain bad looking (judging solely by the rendering). even with a flat roof, it doesn't look that interesting...
Javier, it was exactly those Brutalist structures from the late 60's that have caused this reactionary attitude towards innovative design at the Berkeley campus (given that several Modernism era structures on that campus are of little merit). Also, this disappointing design would in fact greatly appease many alumni who do at large prefer a conservative, Classicism derived structure, to psyhologically compensate their wistfulness for the incomplete Hearst Plan.
tod and billie are free to just wlak away. they don't need the money or anything. that building is shameless.
Plenty of "NY firms" design boring academic buildings to fit within the aesthetic parameters, however ill-informed, of universities everywhere.
Most people these days have fixed ideas of how schools and especially universities are supposed to look. I'm not saying this is good--but maybe there's some subtle ways "Tod and Billie" were able to play with this in their design of the building, or at least contribute to some sort of architectural dialogue about the image of Berkeley.
Dana Buntrock left a comment on my post about this project. Thought it might be of interest to people here:
"I am on the faculty of the UC Berkeley Department of Architecture and associated with the Institute for East Asian Studies, so I care deeply about this building.
Without going into details, there is some helpful background. First, this buildings was designed for a site called Memorial Glade on our campus. For better or worse, the administration, in response to some hulking brutalist buildings built many years ago, insisted that any building on the glade have neo-classical overtones. Yep - Tod and Billie do not exactly spring to mind in that context, but have valiantly responded. The stone selected for the facade is apparently quite lovely, and having seen test patches for the exposed concrete, I am very excited about the sandblasted concrete finishes elsewhere in the building.
And if sandblasted concrete brings to mind the American Folkcraft Museum, it should - this building was designed around the same time, and just took a loooong (looooong) time to get funded. In fact, because of funding limitations, only the library will be built for the moment.
Finally, the rendering was done by the university for promotion purposes. Tod and Billie seem to (quietly) hate it - but clients are like that, you know? They do dumb things, and good architects grin and bear it, knowing the true test is in the building, not the eyewash."
who cares? the form of the roof is just an aesthetic thing.
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