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1

Correction: What is this strange power that the Death Star exerts on my imagination?

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 1, 2008 12:04 PM
2

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.

Posted by COMTE | April 1, 2008 12:09 PM
3

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.

Posted by bma | April 1, 2008 12:16 PM
4

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?

Posted by ghostlawns | April 1, 2008 12:19 PM
5

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?

Posted by Abby | April 1, 2008 12:21 PM
6

the really bizarre thing is that this is real.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 1, 2008 12:21 PM
7

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.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 1, 2008 12:23 PM
8

@5 I always wanted to see something modeled after the shield generator in Empire Strikes Back.

Posted by Hernandez | April 1, 2008 12:24 PM
9

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.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 1, 2008 12:42 PM
10

I hope we get a Death Star in Seattle.

Posted by elswinger | April 1, 2008 12:48 PM
11

@#9 Haha!

Posted by darkelf | April 1, 2008 12:50 PM
12

But why is it always the second Death Star--which was never even finished? Could part of the mythical attraction be its incompleteness?

Posted by Boomer in NYC | April 1, 2008 1:06 PM
13

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.

Posted by eclexia | April 1, 2008 1:54 PM
14

To me it looks more like an asshole.

Posted by elenchos | April 1, 2008 1:59 PM
15

I was thinking it actually looks like the Omnidroid that took out Metroville in The Incredibles.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 1, 2008 2:52 PM
16

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

Posted by -B- | April 1, 2008 6:47 PM
17

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

Posted by -B- | April 1, 2008 6:53 PM
18

Hmm it did work but 10 minute delay on being posted Oh Well.

Posted by -B- | April 1, 2008 6:54 PM
19

Did you know Rem Koolhaas was originally a film major before he began studying architecture?

Posted by Dougsf | April 1, 2008 7:02 PM

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