As Douglas Spencer stated in his manifesto regarding complacence of contemporary architecture, “Neoliberalism does not impose itself on us coercively, via punitive measures or structures of discipline, but gently shapes our common-sense understandings of the world and ourselves through the medium of our everyday experiences.[sic]”. (Staten, 2017)
Keywords:
Normative position; neoliberalism; reappropriating; reclaim; dynamism; free market ; ephemerality
Introduction:
The dynamic role of architecture in the 21st century sits in its ability to be an act of social immersion between individual and the occupied space. Architects are therefore responsible for all sensory experiences one can experience in and around a space or building. Consequently, in my narrative I believe architecture is now a tool more than trade. The guidelines by which I define my current normative position links architectural communication between user and the build environment by relations of the metropolis and building form through meaningful design typologies and the basic understanding of business opportunism in the niche of preservation and reappropriation. (Betsky, 1990)
Within the following narrative, my essay will attempt to dissect my current perception of architecture and discuss my opinion regarding its ephemerality or longevity in the free market niche of neoliberalism. This will be done through architectures current discourse both locally and globally.
Literature review:
In ‘The architecture of neoliberalism: how contemporary architecture became an instrument of control and compliance’ (Sklair, 2017), by Douglas Spencer, he addresses how certain pro-neoliberal typologies have liberated us to create optimistic uncritical hybrid forms as well as develop buildings free of the critique of planning which is a key component of my design rationale. Neoliberalism by definition is a movement that favours free market capitalism. Douglas Spencer breaks down the theoretical ideology of neoliberalism in ‘iconic’ architecture as a combination of societal based associations of space and vitalist celebrations of “flexibility, empowerment, spontaneity” (Spencer, 2016), and the market as the final liberator of people. As the main antagonist for the research, Spencer alludes to a truth to architecture of the neoliberal where: 'there is no alternative'. (Spencer, 2016)
Fig. 1 Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana structural configuration. Designed and completed in 1943 it is a monument to the Italian State since being initiated by Mussolini in 1935 (Costanzi, 2018)Apart from literature, the voice of architects has influenced my stance of architects current conundrum. At the 2016 AIA convention (Budds, 2016), Rem Koolhaas gave the profession an honest appraisal of its failures, shortcomings as well as future prospects. He argues for the act of preservation as it deals with already existing structures and by default they are already localised in context. From this position my position of preservation lies in the envelope of the artefact rather than the cultural significance as that is stagnated within a certain period of time. When the old Italian Facist building Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (fig. 1) was taken over by Maison Fendi, their chief executive Pietro Beccari stated in an interview, (Kirchgaessner, 2015) “This building is beyond a discussion of politics. It is aesthetics. It is a masterpiece of architecture. To rebuild it today would cost more than €500m”. (Kirchgaessner, 2015) In this verbal digression from the art of design, architecture by transformative measures has taken on a new dynamism within the ephemerality of spaces to allow for progression in a free market setting. (fig. 2)
Fig. 2 Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana interior designed by Fendi. Based on the colour black: the result is an elegant and functional office space which utilises the envelope of the building for natural light. (Costanzi, 2018)Discussion and Manifesto:
Architecture as a profession is time consuming from inception of an idea to the construction stage; seeing a final product. Through the experience of practice building fruition takes around 3-4 years to complete for a relatively well done commercial project and more for larger scale undertakings, and that speed is really too slow for the revolutions that are going on in the world. (Budds, 2016) Architecture as a practice conceptualises business. The client holds the pen to which the architect or designer may move, subsequently stencilling what the developer/client wishes so there may be a maximum turnover or profit. (de León, 2019) Architecture has now entered the realm of investment and management rather than being recognised as an art (Ferree, 1893) but to me - to be successful there has to be an artistic aesthetic to any intervention within design concepts and construction methodologies. Use of materialism like glass and unique steel moments turn to public interest and convey message of transparency, democracy and consumerism. Furthermore unified by a sense of movement, fluid forms inspired by nature, and the opening up and integration of interior spaces. Through this notion there is a level of vibrancy that old buildings character places a narrative of architecture locally in context but through a well utilised commercial space.
By looking something as simple as preservation there already is a template in place for a viable intervention which can homage to earlier periods and themes of architecture and culture. It is within this niche one is able to; through the method of standardised or parasitic construction and design methods add to the existing new dimensions of design, add reappropriated functionality with its unique beauty and appeal. (Budds, 2016)
Conclusion:
The concept of revitalising any space that is to be reclaimed is where I believe progression is taking us - combining the production of space to the architecture as a singular core. This is another characteristic of the neoliberal thematic with influences on preservation which focuses on revitalisation of the old to uplift structures (eg. reappropriation of the palazzo della civiltà italiana). From the objectified view of radical structuralism, understanding ownership as a temporal dynamism amongst programmes of spaces accelerates questioning the laws on heritage as cause for upliftment of communities with affirmations of participation and connectivity - incorporating progression as a key theme.
References:
Betsky, A. (1990). Violated perfection. 1st ed. New York: Rizzoli, pp.10-32.
Budds, D. (2016). Rem Koolhaas: “Architecture Has A Serious Problem Today”. [online] Fast Company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/3060135/rem-koolhaas-architecture-has-a-serious-problem-today [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
Costanzi, M., 2018. Fendi, Rome, Italy – Photography Eduardo Perez Frankfurt +49 69 37561768. [online] Eduardoperez.de. Available at: <https://www.eduardoperez.de/architecture/design/fendi/> [Accessed 18 March 2020].
de León, M. (2019). Modern to Contemporary A Historiography of Global in Architecture. Postdoctoral. The University of Queensland.
Ferree, B. (1893). Architectural Problems in Great Cities. Publications of the American Economic Association, [online] 8(1), pp.121-123. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2485604?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
Kirchgaessner, S., 2015. Fendi Rejects Criticism Over New HQ In Mussolini Propaganda Building. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/22/fendi-launches-hq-in-mussolini-propaganda-building> [Accessed 7 March 2020].
Olivier, B. (2018). Rediscovering the 'Space of Place' in the Era of the 'Space of Flows': Karsten Harries' timely Philosophy of Architecture.. [online] Research Gate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315463204_Rediscovering_the_%27Space_of_Place%27_in_the_Era_of_the_%27Space_of_Flows%27_Karsten_Harries%27_timely_Philosophy_of_Architecture [Accessed 1 Nov. 2018].
Sklair, L., 2017. The Architecture Of Neoliberalism: How Contemporary Architecture Became An Instrument Of Control And Compliance. 1st ed. [ebook] London: Routledge, pp.1-3. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320334389_The_architecture_of_neoliberalism_how_contemporary_architecture_became_an_instrument_of_control_and_compliance> [Accessed 29 November 2019].
Sklair, L. (2019). World Revolution or Socialism, Community by Community, in the Anthropocene?. Journal of World-Systems Research, 25(2), pp.297-305.
Staten, J., 2017. What Exists Is Good: On “The Architecture Of Neoliberalism” - Los Angeles Review Of Books. [online] Los Angeles Review of Books. Available at: <https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-exists-is-good-on-the-architecture-of-neoliberalism/> [Accessed 6 March 2020].
Image References:
ArtChrist, 2020. Structural Configuration Of Palazzo Della Civiltà Italiana. [image] Available at: <https://artchist.blogspot.com/2015/09/quartiere-europa-roma-italia-palazzo.html> [Accessed 20 March 2020].
Perez, E., 2018. Interior Of Fendi Offices Rome. [image] Available at: <https://www.eduardoperez.de/architecture/design/fendi/> [Accessed 15 March 2020].