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> modernist parts of Chicago, London and New York seem be appreciated at least as much as other cities and districts with well-regarded pre-20thC buildings. No
by deogeo 7y ago
> modernist parts of Chicago, London and New York seem be appreciated at least as much as other cities and districts with well-regarded pre-20thC buildings.
Not according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Favorite_Architecture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Favorite_Architect... - modernist buildings barely show up in that list. Of course you're right - beauty is subjective. So when a simple popularity poll fails to show support for their chosen style, architects resort to pseudo-intellectual justifications of why the people are wrong to dislike the featureless blocks of glass, steel and concrete built in their cities.
- jhbadger 7y agoPart of the problem is that modern buildings change their names as corporate clients change and hard to include in lists for that reason. For example, I grew up visiting Chicago and marveling at the wonderful Sears Tower and John Hancock Center. These days these are known as the Willis Tower and 875 North Michigan Avenue.
- LeanderK 7y ago> Not according to (..) I am not sure, searching for "modern" reveals 27 hits and postmodern 14. Also, landmarks dominate the top 10 so i am not sure whether the poll more accuratly tracks the most liked building and not style. A style with more distributed votes would suffer (and, for example, there are more hits for postmodern than for art-deco).
- deogeo 7y agoAmong the top 50, 5 are any sort of 'modern'. But is this ratio reflected in the types of buildings being built? Perhaps I would not be so bitter if only (27+14)/150 of new buildings were (post)modern in style. But, much like in art, it looks like the style can only exist if it suffocates all others. Edit: By 'suffocate all others', I mean in an academic sense. Look at the designs produced by major architectural schools. They have been purged of older styles, just like the art world was purged of 'traditionally beautiful', confining it to art history.
- LeanderK 7y ago> Perhaps I would not be so bitter if only (27+14)/150 of new buildings were (post)modern in style. But, much like in art, it looks like the style can only exist if it suffocates all others. This is a poll about americas favourite architecture and not in which style to build. I think the poll is largely a function of fame. Buildings are being build in all sorts of style, but I think the sobering result is that a style in itself is not really saving anyone. I also don't think style can only suffocate? A lot of cities are mixed in style.
- jonhendry18 7y agoI think such a list would be better for this argument if it were focused on a single city. ie, ranking buildings in just Chicago or New York.