Brian states, in part, the folowing:
". . .Architects of the world must consider their positions
on these settlement patterns of development, and
what they are or are not doing to change outcomes,
as they are uniquely capable of offering a realistic
critique of the abuses that are more than obvious,
at the same time the complexities and a cultural
context which reinforces collaboration of ideas
with skills to move the largest constructions on
the Earth in a way that serves the cause of life.
Architecture has a civic purpose, and this is it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are insiders and outsiders. We may not like it, but it is so. We are never all together in the cause of Life, in the civic purposes of Life: We have different positions on these matters. Perhaps it is this separation of objectives that is the cause of abuses, settlement patterns of development, and the lack of collaboration. It may just be in the nature of human beings that we cannot always work together within the purposeful intentions of various contexts. There are differences and rebellions present all around us. (I can see it on Design List as well.) But, human history shows us the need or desire for WALLS at all scales of existence, not merely CITY WALLS. The city walls seem to magnify the nature of our existence. Walls can be for screening views, keeping out people, forcing us to go around barriers, or causing us to go over, under and around them. Those willing to chance the results of wall penetration may find their lives affected---life or death are possibilities. Walls say, "We will cause you to pause, and consider your intentions concerning us on the other side." Walls, say, "We stand for a separation between your way of life and our way of life." Walls occurs to establish peace, but they often times result in war.
A reading of Franz Kafka's, "The Great Wall of China" suggests to us that it was built for another purpose rather than to keep out the Mongols of the north. It suggests to us that many years are required to learn how to build such a great wall. It is years of learning about this kind of technology that yields the potential for building such a wall.
Brian may be suggesting that we, as architects (and city and regional planners), may need to not learn, or unlearn, about our history, and may need to stop learning about the technology of walls. He may be suggesting that we need to focus on the civic purpose in ALL OF OUR WORKS, in ALL OF OUR LEARNING.
But, then, we would drop our defenses against offenders of our particular way of life.
It is our way of life that we are defending. Like it, or not.
Would we have our way of life become the same as all other ways of life?
Abuse of freedom yields walls; and walls abuse freedom.
CITY WALLS ARE NOTHING NEW.
.H.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
china-great-wall-11.jpg
500 x 328 pixels - 31k
www.mongolia.co.uk/.../ china-great-wall-11.jpg great wall china_small.jpg
250 x 373 pixels - 21k
www.arc.miami.edu/.../Study%20Abroad/ China.html img_8945.jpg
1280 x 853 pixels - 116k
pic.templetons.com/.../china/ wall/img_8945.jpg great-wall.jpg
175 x 320 pixels - 11k
www.thebigview.com/buddhism/ eightfoldpath.html
city.walls.gif
269 x 348 pixels - 49k
userwww.service.emory.edu/.../ city.walls.gif
Luzern.jpg
336 x 500 pixels - 34k
f23.parsimony.net/forum52169/ messages/31817.htm
rklar.jpg
638 x 800 pixels - 123k
www.v.kth.se/v96_cao/ rklar.jpg
WFAasi Azerbaijan-Baku Ol...
267 x 324 pixels - 26k
user.chollian.net/~cnu2001/ ENGLISH-WFB%20Asia... samarra0.jpg
816 x 800 pixels - 307k
users.ox.ac.uk/~wolf0126/ photos/samarra0.jpg
41.jpg
420 x 600 pixels - 45k
www.salvonet.com/yorkweb/ walk/4/screens/41.jpg 1997-04-28.jpg
583 x 371 pixels - 61k
www.jhauser.us/.../Romans/ Rome/4/1997-04-28.jpg 1997-04-31.jpg
620 x 356 pixels - 72k
www.jhauser.us/.../Romans/ Rome/4/1997-04-31.jpg
[ More results from www.jhauser.us ]
walls-m.jpg
234 x 150 pixels - 14k
www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/ ugrad/welcome.htm kanowalls2.jpg
355 x 434 pixels - 10k
apollo5.bournemouth.ac.uk/.../ kano_walls.htm e120.jpg
384 x 256 pixels - 32k
www.hillside.co.uk/ tour/e120.html 6d63bc54dc45c73399e8b288d...
1167 x 795 pixels - 95k
www.uni-goettingen.de/admin/ bilder/pictures/6...
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". . .Architects of the world must consider their positions
on these settlement patterns of development, and
what they are or are not doing to change outcomes,
as they are uniquely capable of offering a realistic
critique of the abuses that are more than obvious,
at the same time the complexities and a cultural
context which reinforces collaboration of ideas
with skills to move the largest constructions on
the Earth in a way that serves the cause of life.
Architecture has a civic purpose, and this is it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are insiders and outsiders. We may not like it, but it is so. We are never all together in the cause of Life, in the civic purposes of Life: We have different positions on these matters. Perhaps it is this separation of objectives that is the cause of abuses, settlement patterns of development, and the lack of collaboration. It may just be in the nature of human beings that we cannot always work together within the purposeful intentions of various contexts. There are differences and rebellions present all around us. (I can see it on Design List as well.) But, human history shows us the need or desire for WALLS at all scales of existence, not merely CITY WALLS. The city walls seem to magnify the nature of our existence. Walls can be for screening views, keeping out people, forcing us to go around barriers, or causing us to go over, under and around them. Those willing to chance the results of wall penetration may find their lives affected---life or death are possibilities. Walls say, "We will cause you to pause, and consider your intentions concerning us on the other side." Walls, say, "We stand for a separation between your way of life and our way of life." Walls occurs to establish peace, but they often times result in war.
A reading of Franz Kafka's, "The Great Wall of China" suggests to us that it was built for another purpose rather than to keep out the Mongols of the north. It suggests to us that many years are required to learn how to build such a great wall. It is years of learning about this kind of technology that yields the potential for building such a wall.
Brian may be suggesting that we, as architects (and city and regional planners), may need to not learn, or unlearn, about our history, and may need to stop learning about the technology of walls. He may be suggesting that we need to focus on the civic purpose in ALL OF OUR WORKS, in ALL OF OUR LEARNING.
But, then, we would drop our defenses against offenders of our particular way of life.
It is our way of life that we are defending. Like it, or not.
Would we have our way of life become the same as all other ways of life?
Abuse of freedom yields walls; and walls abuse freedom.
CITY WALLS ARE NOTHING NEW.
.H.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
china-great-wall-11.jpg
500 x 328 pixels - 31k
www.mongolia.co.uk/.../ china-great-wall-11.jpg great wall china_small.jpg
250 x 373 pixels - 21k
www.arc.miami.edu/.../Study%20Abroad/ China.html img_8945.jpg
1280 x 853 pixels - 116k
pic.templetons.com/.../china/ wall/img_8945.jpg great-wall.jpg
175 x 320 pixels - 11k
www.thebigview.com/buddhism/ eightfoldpath.html
city.walls.gif
269 x 348 pixels - 49k
userwww.service.emory.edu/.../ city.walls.gif
Luzern.jpg
336 x 500 pixels - 34k
f23.parsimony.net/forum52169/ messages/31817.htm
rklar.jpg
638 x 800 pixels - 123k
www.v.kth.se/v96_cao/ rklar.jpg
WFAasi Azerbaijan-Baku Ol...
267 x 324 pixels - 26k
user.chollian.net/~cnu2001/ ENGLISH-WFB%20Asia... samarra0.jpg
816 x 800 pixels - 307k
users.ox.ac.uk/~wolf0126/ photos/samarra0.jpg
41.jpg
420 x 600 pixels - 45k
www.salvonet.com/yorkweb/ walk/4/screens/41.jpg 1997-04-28.jpg
583 x 371 pixels - 61k
www.jhauser.us/.../Romans/ Rome/4/1997-04-28.jpg 1997-04-31.jpg
620 x 356 pixels - 72k
www.jhauser.us/.../Romans/ Rome/4/1997-04-31.jpg
[ More results from www.jhauser.us ]
walls-m.jpg
234 x 150 pixels - 14k
www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/ ugrad/welcome.htm kanowalls2.jpg
355 x 434 pixels - 10k
apollo5.bournemouth.ac.uk/.../ kano_walls.htm e120.jpg
384 x 256 pixels - 32k
www.hillside.co.uk/ tour/e120.html 6d63bc54dc45c73399e8b288d...
1167 x 795 pixels - 95k
www.uni-goettingen.de/admin/ bilder/pictures/6...
--
The Design-L list for art and architecture, since 1992...
To subscribe, send mailto:design-l-subscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
To signoff, send mailto:design-l-unsubscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Visit archives: http://lists.psu.edu/archives/design-l.html