And who doesn't love hearing anecdotes about cantankerous architects? "the new style would have to "teach people how to live." When inhabitants of Le Corbusier's Cite de Refuge, a dormitory for Paris's down-and-out, complained in the sweltering summer heat that the windows could not open, Le Corbusier chastised the residents for confusing their "psychological reactions" with their physiological ones. The inhabitants had yet to imbibe what Le Corbusier called "the spirit of living in mass-production houses.""
I really like this point: "Bess suggests that premodern buildings admirably serve people who worship because often their architects were themselves worshipers. Art produced by living worship traditions should therefore be resumed."
Surveying different branches of Christianity through architecture and aesthetics. There's a few Presbyterian and Episcopal churches that look extremely WASPy, particularly compared to the mega-churches looks like Wal-Mart.
There's a seaprate but related point to be made about the architects being local, too. Suppose St. Paul's were not designed by Wren, but instead designed by Bernini or some other Italian Baroque architect. How would it look and how would people think about it? A Koolhaas or Gehry in Seattle could really be a Koolhaas or Gehry anywhere. There's a couple of skyscrapers that look similar on the outside. The one that was designed by a Portland guy that feels closer and more local. The other one (I think it was designed by a Houston firm) feels very "Los Angeles" for some reason.
I think that's one of the problems with all of the starchitecture or whatever you want to call it. We seem to wind up with buildings people want to see, but not ones that people want to love or use.
This evening: sailing. The wind looks like it is going to be amazing.
