Recently my friend(architect) another software engineer friend were talking in a coffee shop and the topic shifted to a Spanish architect's knockoff building that newly rose next to the coffee shop .
SE(software engineer): Nice building..looks good from the front side( he means elevation:)!) na?
Saying so He looked at me.As i didn't want to be the" bitter-over-criticizing-arrogant" person that im largely believed to be ..looked away from him.
AR (Friend): looks at my weird reaction and fills in by saying ,indeed it is good but a lil out of proportion..so an "almost"!( didn't recognize that it was a copy..its okay..you need not know every building in the world to be an architect)
S.E : (assured by AR's approval) yeah yeah ... the building spells class, that's why all the high end retail/hospitalities are here.
AR: smiles and sways his head and asks me "You always have an opinion on everything ..how come you are silent?"
Me: There is nothing new to talk about it..its a copy of a Spanish designer's work. (controlling myself)
AR: Oh! These days all of the buildings are like that .. at least this one is" good copy" it ended up looking good..!
I was disturbed to say the least,that's an architect from a reputed college..and was a better designer than many of the people i know/met!
ME: Yeah just because everybody does it , you need not give into it. Lets forget the originality part,That building was designed for Spain's climate and for god sake..it was an auditorium.( i studied it for the acoustics literature/case study in college). How can anybody copy it for a commercial complex? Context Much?!
AR: That is also true..but people (laymen) don't notice the difference.. they just like it because its new/different!(siting S.E initial impression)
ME: Only its neither New nor Different. (and i laughed it off!)
Something about this conversation bothered me for along time..! Are we to blame? Are we conditioning people's mind to think "a specific style " to be chic ? I know all the architects are not this bad there are some amazing designers doing some breathtaking work out there. People with Passion to whom i salute. My question is.. Are these people adequate in number? Especially in a country like India where mediocrity is encouraged/applauded just because it can accommodate a larger demographic!
My Resentment towards our education system only grew in leaps and Bounds :( Why ? Because all these misconceptions stem from undeserving teachers and bad learning structure. Aren't any of these architects taught about "Organic Design"? Obviously not...i bet many of them would relate it to the "green buildings" (a rage these days ) :)
Well I believe every body(designer or not) should know how to perceive any design and apply it to their own aesthetic and hence creative their own "Perspective"
Like alan kay said" A change of Perspective is worth 80 I.Q Points :) [meaning , to become an intelligent/wise person from a dumb head..all u need is a change of Perspective :)"
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