2007.10.12 11:17
Negative notes
In Goldhagen's Louis Kahn's Situated Modernism we read:
"In 1951, the [Adath Jeshurun] synagogue's leaders purchased a large polygonal site in Elkins Park, where many of its members were moving. The short end of the lot faced a major thoroughfare, and the remainder sloped back into a more pastoral setting that was bisected diagonally by a small stream (Fig. 4.1)."
And the caption of Fig. 4.1 reads: Sketch of the Elkins Park site for the Adath Jeshurun synagogue, 1954. From the Kahn Collection.
These citings convey misinformation. Kahn's design for Adath Jeshurun was sited on Old York Road within Philadelphia. Kahn's design was never executed, but Adath Jeshurun did ultimately build a new synagogue on a site (within a more pastoral setting) further north up Old York Road in Elkins Park. [This site misinformation is also conveyed within Louis I. Kahn: Complete Works 1935-1974.]
Goldhagen also mentions Wright's Beth Shalom [sic] synagogue. Beth Sholom is about a mile further north up Old York Road from the current Adath Jeshurun and about two miles north of Kahn's site for Adath Jeshurun.
Just coincidently, Kahn's first independent build work, the quondam Ahavath Israel synagogue, is about a half mile away from the Philadelphia site of Adath Jeshurun. And Kahn's Oser House is practically across the street from the bult Adath Jeshurun in Elkins Park. And Trumbauer built three Elkins' mansions for which Elkins Park is named. It's like a little architectural mecca along an ancient Indian trail.
2007.10.12 10:08
The Vanity Press
I think my next book will be The Architectural Adventures of Peerless Publishing. Or simply The Fearlessness of Peerlessness.
2007.10.12 09:22
Positive notes
"...the architect to be the desperate chatterer, full of bright ideas."
To: design-l, architecthetics
Subject: playing hooky
Date: 2001.07.25 15:09
... This may all seem a bit hard to believe, but in the past all I ever saw were these enormous tapestries hanging there, and they never, ever interested me. In fact, I've lately been of the opinion that the museum should take them down, and hang big modern art there instead. ...
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To: artforum/talkback
Subject: re: Larry Poons
Date: 2003.02.13 10:25
I wish museums mixed things up more. For example, I'd like to see Poons in a French period room, or Duchamp in a Ladies Room. Brancusi next to armour, why not? Museum as future-shock, sorta. Pick your destiny.
Hold me! Thrill me! Kiss me! You're my pride and joy, etc. Now rearrange me.
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Putting some of the most valuable works in some of the most distressed areas of the building creates an almost accidental coexistence between the art objects and their surroundings, encouraging experiment in how to display art.
Old art invaded by new artinappropriate combinations cab enhance the aura of both...
One step further, the inappropriateness itself become a form of art.
--AMO, "The Hermitage Project 2003 2005-" (El Croquis 131-132), p. 381.
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I've been wondering what to "do" with Quondam, and now it's clear.
"I wish museums mixed things up more. For example, I'd like to see Poons in a French period room, or Duchamp in a Ladies Room. Brancusi next to armour, why not? Museum as future-shock, sorta. Pick your destiny.
Hold me! Thrill me! Kiss me! You're my pride and joy, etc. Now rearrange me."
Strange too how Quondam has always been a bit of a virtual hermitage.
2007.10.12 08:29
The Vanity Press
...your question is not rude, self-publish is simply what I've been doing for almost 11 years now. The lion share of what I publish is free, and, like your cautious admission of finding Wikipedia useful, I sense that most would rather not admit that what I publish is useful (or inspiring of this thread even). I have also self-published three books which are not free.
Ask youself why you don't want your students to know you find Wikipedia useful. What you're afraid of is also why academia is afraid of self-publishing.
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2007.10.11 20:04
The Vanity Press
Actually, peer review is not at all about (making) recommendations. It's much more akin to fact checking.
Again, what exactly are the peer-reviewed books on architecture versus what are the vanity press books on architecture, and what is their usefulness?
2007.10.11 18:15
Decadence in New York
"And we become these human jukeboxes, spilling out these anecdotes."
"We came here for experience, right?
2007.10.11 17:54
The Vanity Press
What are the peer-reviewed books on architecture, and how useful are they?
What are the non-peer-reviewed books on architecture, and how useful are they?
[As I grow older, there's less and less reason to trust the peers anyway.]
Coincidentally self-published 5 years ago today: Contents of the Working Title Museum.
[As I grow older, there's more and more fondness for what remains unpublished.]
I know all about self-publishing architecture books, but I'll never publish any of it.
2007.10.11 15:17
The Vanity Press
Academic standards require peer review for work to be considered "published" for academics. Peer review does not guarantee legitimacy however.
2007.10.11 15:08
Decadence in New York
Bloomingdale's is still open, isn't it?
Or there's always DIY decadence like going to Barney's and fart in all the right places.
2007.10.11 12:24
Positive notes
There are 11 positive notes within UN Studio: Design Models Architecture Urbanism Infrastructure by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos.
"Positive note 10b Then again (not to contradict ourselves), don't be shy! When all is said and done, architecture does take up a lot of space, so the least you can do is to say something. Make a statement, put across an idea. One of the reasons why we feel Mies van der Rohe is the most overrated architect of his time is that, besides having only one idea and continually repeating it, he said too little. Loos, Semper and Le Corbusier ma have spoken into a void, but their opinions still resonate. It is the construction manager's role to be the silent hero, and that of the architect to be the desperate chatterer, full of bright ideas."
Perhaps Mies was just very, very modern, and thus very, very 20th century.
Perhaps the 21st century, as van Berkel and Bos somewhat suggest, is to be very, very infrastructural.
Perhaps the 21st century desperate chatterer is really the desperate self-linker.
I'm sure there are Negative notes too by a self-linker thinker.
"Positive note 10a Be glad that you will never be famous. ..."
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2007.10.11 11:39
GREEN porn
I loved trash day when I was a kid. Once a week the block-long driveway in the back became like another world where lots of stuff was somewhat neatly assembled at each house and essentially free for the taking. Trash-picking is so ur-recycling and the whole communal process was like some proto modern art installation/performance. And then the big truck came and gobbled everything up--a true finale. And then it was like suddenly all quiet (until next week).
the sequel: What a Dump!
2007.10.11 11:17
Tramps like Theo Jansen
The reenactionary aspects of the process/work--"emulate natural selection"--are expertly represented. Is terrestrial locomotion really then a 'trickle-down effect' of increasingly larger global and cosmic motions? Is life itself some almost inexplicably autonomous interface/machine between terrestrial and cosmic forces (initiated by a big bang)?
Makes me wonder how one might go about designing a 'beast' that interfaces the act of visual perception.
OR
Are Sand Beasts like a well crafted publicity machine? Produce a work and then get some publicity wind behind it and watch it go (on forever?).
"So what does it do?"
"Why it generates publicity, of course!"
2007.10.07 13:12
Apocalyptic Urbanism
If you mean Nostradamus, then no, I have not read any Nostradamus.
2007.10.04 17:46
Apocalyptic Urbanism
I don't know about you, but I already have planned for the apocalypse (the second coming actually). It's not is our lifetime; circa 3091.
Which reminds me, apocalypic urbanism has already been described--the New Jerusalem, lots of gold and gems, sounds a lot like a royal crown.
2007.10.04 17:34
Herbert Muschamp RIP
...there were definite instances were Muschamp as NYTimes architecture critic did try to influence/write history, and the problem there was that he didn't necessarily offer objective views. Often it was well veiled advertising copy. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the beast these days--there really isn't that much distinction between critical review and advertising anymore, especially in newsprint.
2007.10.04 17:05
Apocalyptic Urbanism
Oh, in that case, when one of the major apocalyptic events is about to happen, I think a lot of people are going to frantically search the internet to see what was investigated about just such an event and its aftermath.
"Eureka! They said this was all going to be really cool!"
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2007.10.04 16:47
things to do and see in MUNICH??
If I was in Munich with a car I'd drive out to Altötting and then to Schloss Peising to finally meet the Baron von Ow and see the Chinese Room and then play a few rounds on his golf course.
Thanks to this thread, I and the von Ow family cook during WWII were just discussing when we might get some Weisswurst from the authentic German deli just down the road. I'm thinking next week.
2007.10.04 16:18
Apocalyptic Urbanism
Catastrophic urbanism might be a better term, and indeed New Orleans during and post hurricane Katrina provides an ample textbook on the subject. Pockets of civilization may well succumb to catatrophes, but the rest of civilization does just go on. At least that's the situation now, and probably for some time to come. Even the Great Tsunami 2004 had widespread effect, but still on only a small portion of civilization at large.
It's probably more worthwhile to contemplate catastrophic urbanism than to conjecture apocalyptic urbanism.
2007.10.04 15:08
Apocalyptic Urbanism
And don't forget that Soane was an avid collector of Piranesi prints (of the ruins of ancient Rome). The dissemination of views of the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome were still a fairly recent phenomenon in Soane's time.
The ravages of time and apocalyptic are not exactly the same thing. And besides, there's really no reason to prepare for something apocalyptic because it's ultimate doom, ie, there are no survivors.
2007.10.04 13:13
Apocalyptic Urbanism
How much of New York City 1807 still exists today? How much of New York City 2007 will still exist in 2207?
2007.10.04 12:10
Herbert Muschamp RIP
I wonder if Muschamp always credited his sources.
The non-creditting of sources (among architects) is virtually status quo. For example, N.O. recently cites Tafuri but actually cribs Bloomer.
Yeah Herbert, rest in peace
2007.10.04 11:06
things to do and see in MUNICH??
The Amalienburg in Nymphenburg Park--a rare manifestation of ultimate Rococo.
The Glyptothek and its contents. Where Florence has David, Munich has the Barberini Faun. Talk about hung over.
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