Architecture The Death Rem
posted by on April 1 at 11:48 AM
For those who don’t know, Rem Koolhaas, the man behind our famous Central Library, wants build the Death Star in Dubai:
…Rem Koolhaas, of the Office of Metropolitan Architecture, planning to build a a gargantuan 44-storey replica of the Death Star as a corner-piece for his planned city in Dubai. According to his office, the enormous sphere will be part of a masterplan for his concept of “the generic city”, which has been described by the New York Times as a “sprawling metropolis of repetitive buildings centered on an airport and inhabited by a tribe of global nomads with few local loyalties”.
What is this strange power that the Death Star exerts on our imagination? Is it the death drive of architecture? Is this the building that stands at the end of all architectural visions and missions? A planet that destroys planets is transformed into a building that destroys other buildings.
Correction: What is this strange power that the Death Star exerts on my imagination?
Correction: What is this strange power that the Death Star exerts on Chaz' imagination?
As for me, I still say the thing is really a giant Pokemon-ball.
According to his office, the enormous sphere will be part of a masterplan for his concept of “the generic city”, which has been described by the New York Times as a “sprawling metropolis of repetitive buildings centered on an airport and inhabited by a tribe of global nomads with few local loyalties”.
In other words, there REALLY is no "there" there. It's the ultimate in the McDonald-ification of architecture. You cannot look out your window and tell if what you're seeing is in Shanghai, Paris, New York, Mexico City, or Dubai. Damn the local history and context, screw designing with the environment, let's just put up the same damn buildings wherever we go as a testament to globalization.
This is why I think that architects are fucking idiots.
I got deja vu reading this because it was only a month ago or so you posted this.
Charles, do you do a google search of "death star architecture" every day or something?
Because Star Wars, despite all George Lucas has done to destroy it, is still cool to a lot of (usually male) people. And the Death Star is pretty damn iconic. Were there any other things from Star Wars that you can really make into an actual building?
the really bizarre thing is that this is real.
The really bizarre thing is that "the generic city”, a “sprawling metropolis of repetitive buildings centered on an airport and inhabited by a tribe of global nomads with few local loyalties” is being treated not only as legitimate, but as something desirable.
@5 I always wanted to see something modeled after the shield generator in Empire Strikes Back.
On the other hand, the idea of a bunch of super-wealthy global nomads not being able to find "down" escalators when the rebels launch their attack on the thing is somewhat delightful.
I hope we get a Death Star in Seattle.
@#9 Haha!
But why is it always the second Death Star--which was never even finished? Could part of the mythical attraction be its incompleteness?
Well, I said it last month in a more proper way. But now I think it's time to be vulgar.
It's nothing to do with death or Star Wars, sir. That building is a pussy. The power it exerts on our imagination is pussy power. The landscape of rigid towers is transformed from gay porn to straight gangbang porn with the addition of just a single commercial orifice building.
To me it looks more like an asshole.
I was thinking it actually looks like the Omnidroid that took out Metroville in The Incredibles.
The death star does not exert anything on my imagination.
It does not exist it is fantasy.
Buckminster Fuller has already built large round structures.
This is nothing new.
The American paviion at expo 67.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Night_view_of_American_pavillion_e001096692.jpg
I am posting again because my first post mysteriously would not work.
All I can say is round buildings have ben done before Geodesic domes and Buckminster Fullers American Pavilion EXPO 67.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome
Hmm it did work but 10 minute delay on being posted Oh Well.
Did you know Rem Koolhaas was originally a film major before he began studying architecture?
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