The Guardian has a cool piece by J.G. Ballard on some of the problems of modernist architecture, beginning with a discussion of tourists at Utah Beach, near the scene of the D-Day invasion of WW II.
All of us have our dreams to reassure us. Architecture is a stage set where we need to be at ease in order to perform. Fearing ourselves, we need our illusions to protect us, even if the protection takes the form of finials and cartouches, corinthian columns and acanthus leaves. Modernism lacked mystery and emotion, was a little too frank about the limits of human nature and never prepared us for our eventual end.
[via Boing Boing]
Posted by johndanseven at March 20, 2006 06:50 PM