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Monday, October 13, 2008

Being Bold

posted by on October 13 at 12:48 PM

About the remodel of New York City’s MAD building, which was designed by Brad Cloepfil, a principal of the Portland firm that designed the Seattle Art Museum expansion, Allied Works…
2008240981-1.jpg

…New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff wrote a week or so ago:

This is not the bold architectural statement that might have justified the destruction of an important piece of New York history. Poorly detailed and lacking in confidence, the project is a victory only for people who favor the safe and inoffensive and have always been squeamish about the frictions that give this city its vitality.

Nothing makes me more nervous than the confident call for bold architecture. Such a call has one meaning beneath (or sustaining) all other apparent and not apparent meanings: that a “bold architectural statement” is by nature (or in essence) alone good. But “bold” does not mean “good”; also, a building does not have to be controversial to be good; and finally, a building is not good just because it generates lots of talk. (Some buildings we need to pass over in silence.) And “safe and inoffensive” buildings can be good buildings.

An example of a “bold” building (or, better yet, an example of the commodification of the “bold architectural statement”) :
32474105.EMP1SWF.jpg
Much has been the talk about this building.

RSS icon Comments

1

“bold” does not mean “good”
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this.

Posted by Greg | October 13, 2008 12:47 PM
2

Building looks fine to me. If "bold architecture" means ostenatious, masturbatory acts like the EMP, which so poorly relates to its context and surroundings, then no thanks.

Posted by Hernandez | October 13, 2008 12:52 PM
3

This post means nothing without a picture of the original atrocity pre-remodel, you incredulous hack.

Posted by Non | October 13, 2008 12:58 PM
4

Let's not set up false dichotomies. The question isn't the MAD building vs EMP. The question is the new MAD building vs the building's old incarnation, now lost:

http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/images/Feature0064_01x.jpg

EMP is a red herring.

Posted by onewink3 | October 13, 2008 1:00 PM
5

Oh, my gosh, that was the funniest building in New York. I loved it. The new one, meh.

Posted by Fnarf | October 13, 2008 1:15 PM
6

"Nothing makes me more nervous than the confident call for bold architecture."

Really Chuck?... NOTHING?...

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | October 13, 2008 1:18 PM
7

Edward Durrell Stone's original Huntington Hartford Museum building was inarguably flawed, inarguably imbued with a personality like no other, and inarguably functional as a museum. The interiors (infinite applications of rare woods and stone) were astounding in a Morris Lapidus sort of way, and a pleasure to spend time within.

The new building is an overdesigned cologne bottle.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | October 13, 2008 1:21 PM
8

The original building was ugly and had no sense of context. The new one is pleasing to look at and fits better with its surroundings. QED.

Posted by Greg | October 13, 2008 1:23 PM
9

Q.E.D. is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum" which means literally, "that which was to be demonstrated". The phrase is written in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument, to signify that the last statement deduced was the one to be demonstrated, so the proof is complete.

Posted by Non | October 13, 2008 1:25 PM
10

As a kid growing up in NY, before I knew anything about architecture, I loved the original building. And after I learned about architecture, I still loved that building. It had so much character and charm. The new building has neither.

Posted by archi | October 13, 2008 1:45 PM
11

Bold means they're depressed and want something to cheer them up.

Architecture is not always the answer.

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 13, 2008 1:55 PM
12

It's architectural design compares favorably to The Double Bacon Hamburger Fatty Melt, however I suspect it doesn't taste as good.


Posted by Cranky Old Man | October 13, 2008 2:00 PM
13

....and a palm tree or two would be very thoughtful.

Posted by Cranky Old Man | October 13, 2008 2:05 PM
14

Wonders will never cease: Charles Mudede writing something so intelligent (and correct) as

"Nothing makes me more nervous than the confident call for bold architecture. Such a call has one meaning beneath (or sustaining) all other apparent and not apparent meanings: that a “bold architectural statement” is by nature (or in essence) alone good. But “bold” does not mean “good”; also, a building does not have to be controversial to be good; and finally, a building is not good just because it generates lots of talk. (Some buildings we need to pass over in silence.) And “safe and inoffensive” buildings can be good buildings."

Who'd a thunk it?

Posted by David Sucher | October 13, 2008 2:21 PM
15

frank gehry is awesome. you are dumb.

Posted by um | October 13, 2008 2:41 PM
16

I thought the new building was bad until I saw the picture of the old one. From all the positive comments the previous building must have worked better at street level because this view makes it look like an oppressive monolith, better as prison than art museum. If the window pattern at the top was continued throughout, it wouldn't be so bad.

I definitely prefer the buildings on each side to either building on this lot.

Posted by Cascadian | October 13, 2008 2:44 PM
17

@9: If you have to explain the joke, it's not funny any more.

Posted by Greg | October 13, 2008 3:07 PM
18

it's still miles better than the boring, cost-engineered to death, "office tower" he delivered for SAM.

Posted by chris | October 13, 2008 4:43 PM
19

"Much has been the talk of this building"
Did Yoda write this?

Posted by Scott Dow | October 13, 2008 4:54 PM
20

Um... am I the only one who thinks the photo on the bottom is bloody awesome? I don't even know what it is and I want to go to it.

Posted by wench | October 13, 2008 5:23 PM
21

The new building really does look like a Taiwanese parking garage.

Posted by brappy | October 13, 2008 6:05 PM
22

I completely agree, Charles (& @4). The EMP (in this rendering) looks like something a Gehry building pooped when Frank took it out for a walk.

Posted by eric sic | October 14, 2008 8:50 AM

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