voussoirs: STUNNING ARCHITECTURE

The headlines seemed to sum up our expectations for architecture today: 9 Stunning Homes Around the World That Defy Gravity – see:

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/stunning-homes-around-world-defy-gravity.

Buildings, so it appears, have to be ‘stunning;’ they have to catch our attention; they must be ‘bespoke,’ ‘different,’ ‘unique’ in the extreme, just to emphasise the clever ‘creativity’ of the ‘genius’ mind.

So, to our 'gravity defying' amazement, we see nine houses with large cantilevers screaming out, “Look, no legs!”

Is this our problem today?

Why not scream out in wondrous admiration with much acclaim for 'stunning' upside-down houses; for crooked places; sideways houses; leaning homes? What variation in deformity has not yet been thought of? Is modernity merely a hunt for things uniquely unusual?

Our problem appears to be that we equate ‘creativity’ with ‘bespoke, startling difference.’

There is an obvious problem here that needs more attention.

The hunt for clever abnormalities is not limited to architecture.

A fairy house.

A 'funky' cake - 'funky' is good.

Things 'crooked and looney' are good.

SYNONYMS

Are the synonyms of deformity the language of modernity that defines the desired qualities in ‘creative’ outcomes?

deformity

abnormality

defect

impairment

malformation

aberration

asymmetry

buckle

contortion

corruption

crookedness

damage

defacement

depravity

evil

grossness

hideousness

injury

irregularity

knot

misshapenness

repulsiveness

ugliness

unattractiveness

unnaturalness

unsightliness

warp

malconformation

misproportion

misshape

12 MAR 22

NOTE

When the architecture is not so ‘stunning,’ the project is often given a labelled reference as a name, or as an inspiration that seems to want to ‘jazz’ things up a little, or add some rational complexity to a concept that appears to be struggling for some meaning and context. So we have the Brownie house, referencing a Kodak camera: see - https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-box-brownie-house.html; and the Hadid office statement that the dhows of Qatar inspired the new stadium in that country: see note in – https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-box-brownie-house.html. Today’s news reports on a project that is called the Upside Down Akubra House, a classic Australian outback hat: see – https://www.archdaily.com/931920/upside-down-akubra-house-alexander-symes-architect. While the house may not be dramatically upside down, the reference apparently seeking to hype things up a little, can be.

14 MAR 22

And now a Radius House: https://www.archdaily.com/977870/radius-house-pentagon

31 MARCH 2022

More 'stunning' cantilevered buildings: see - https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/05/dramatic-cantilevered-houses/?li_source=LI&li_medium=rhs_block_2