i am about 2 weeks out of sync right
now, though the post about Philip
Johnson had me wondering - when has
architecture (recently) been held up
as a moral profession, or architects?
Johnson (with Burgee) designed the IDS
skyscraper here (early 70s i think) and
it is a spectacular building, imo. and
when visiting the Gehry guest house at
the Winton Residence, right next to a
PJ main house (gropius/miesian) brick
and glass square with interior atrium/
square (outdoors inside, with glass as
walls) it was truly something to behold,
versus the claustrophobic but more photo-
genic Gehry cornucopia of buildings-
materials experimented with, composited.
i realize PJ is and should always be
connected to his past, but he was not
such an awful architect, imo. though
maybe he symbolizes what modernism has
wrought in many negative ways, i wonder
if the morality play about PJ is just
a screen for architects/architectures
excuse of why there is no morality in
the profession to speak of, beyond the
demonizing of others, of greater evils.
it is an odd expression of value when
the values themselves are worthless in
the profession and field. see WTC, etc.
bc