In a message dated 11/24/2002 11:57:53 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<  I don't think you need to "subscribe to the Howard Roark theory of
 architecture" to hold the opinion that, the thicker the bureaucracy, the more
 finely  minced is the artistic impulse.

 Read also the battle-statements made by the non-profit preservation groups
 involved in such discussions - they show little evidence of connoisseurship
 or real architectural concerns - they are simply about bulk, shadows, views
 of existing tenancies, construction noise. In such an environment, could even
 Howard have a chance? >>

I generally subscribe to the idea that preservation policy is a means of
managing change within a community-- it is rarely a matter of history for
history sake. The politics of aesthetics and property are an unsavory yet
inevitable result. But with so few tools to moderate change in a rapidly
morphing society, can we blame partisans from using any means available to
gain a measure of control within the built envoronment?

The idea of moderation, I think, affects new design as well. While it may
inhibit outstanding design, it also protects against awful intrusions.
However,  I also think that many designers are not particularly sensitive to
the scale and rhythm of the environment. But I'm rather critical of many new
designs-- philistine that I am, if someone has to 'explain' a building for me
to appreciate it, then it's failed a fundamental test.

I'm reminded of a lovely square in London-- there was a mix of housing on the
street ranging from several Georgian townhouses to a lovely Moderne apartment
complex. The modern building, with its graceful sweeping curves on the front,
was clearly different from other buildings on the street, but blended
beautifully with the streetscape. While I'm sure this building won't ever be
considered an architectural masterwork, it made a far more important
statement by accepting the existing environment, rather than straining to
alter what was already an established space.

To make a literary analogy-- it's like a sonnet as compared to free verse.
Yes there are more constraints, but with creative application, the form is
infinitely varied.

Now all we need are a couple of Brownings and Shakespeares.

-Heidi

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