DAISY AMES

raphael vinoly spoke at the great hall in the cooper union building in new york city last thursday, february 18th. a project that i was particularly interested in was his plans for the 11.5 acre domino sugar refinery property along the brooklyn bank of the east river facing manhattan. (image via nytimes)

i have passed this late 19th century industrial factory dozens of times on my way to brooklyn. i’ve enjoyed it because it seems oddly sacred, despite its dilapidation. it reminds me of at time when things were built for their need, rather than as a symbol of achievement. it wears the armor of having been a booming factory once, as well as battle wounds of a struggling prospect.

vinoly has designed a multi-use residential and retail complex comprised of four clusters of towers which will declare the refinery’s site. however, despite its predictable future, vinoly plans include a pedestrian bridge from the site to and from manhattan. i appreciate his effort to link williamsburg and midtown manhattan, which shows strong social awareness of not only the distance between the two neighborhoods, but the need for the gap to be, oh gosh, well, bridged. (rendering raphael vinoly architects)

- john maeda tweeted this quote this morning, and i immediately applied it to current architectural trends. i am especially (un)interested in the unsubtle architect who resorts to showy gimmicks in order to seem sophisticated, and hence, their (unprecedented) popularity. in previous posts i have pointed out the architecture fad of incorporating decoration as a way of expressing a design aesthetic. decoration and design are not parallel entities.

a person wears jewelry in order to draw attention, complement a particular feature, or to make some ostentatious point. anyone can decorate his or her self. however, the internal composition, integrity, motives, intellect and substance cannot be added, it must exist within. the application of material bears no meaning in the larger plan of a building. it only appeals to those who have succumbed to the socially constructed belief that the shinier and more expensive something it is, the better quality it must be. quality and quantity are not parallel entities, either.

there are, however, certain parallels that can be made about that which is decorated (humans and buildings) and the subsequent aim to acquire quantity, opposed to that which is thoughtful (sophistication and design), with an aim to acquire quality. the importance lies in the ability to abandon the notion that popularity actually means something.

charles renfro of the new york firm diller scofidio + renfro gave a presentation at a dinner party at the guggenheim in early 2008. the event was a fundraiser in support of brown university’s first “art collection” or rather… aspirations to accumulate one. the dinner was held in the main atrium space where the uber-anitmated renfro eagarly described plans to build a creative arts center for the university. he flattered the audience by praising their passion for the arts while enthusiastically waving his hands every which way. the (primarily) conservative crowd calmly listed on as his eccentric attitude and overzealous plans for the structure were being articulated ever so circuitously by renfro on stage. he personally lost me when his off-the-cuff statement that he was “unsure what the building will be used for… for anything!… for everything!… it will simply make students happy!” at that point, i bit my lips together, hung my head, and was convinced he blew it…

ah yet! i was wrong. this building that had no apparent purpose, whose use was very uncertain just a year or so ago, is now being built… and i am still confused as to why, and most importantly how…

there are very necessary traits that architecture firms, or architects themselves, have to have: likability, smarts, business perspective, and the ability to say no. lots of times not having all (most) of those characteristics can make or break success. but, i think diller scofidio + renfro have come together to meet the needs of running a business, transmitting architectural vision, and luring their clients in. elizabeth diller exudes the ability to affectively talk about their work in a convincing, strategic and intellectual way. i believe renfro adds the pizazz that certain clients and the public demand in order to outwardly appear cutting-edge. in any event, it is interesting to see the coexistence of these forces as one. i have not witnessed ricardo scofidio in action. but, when i do, i will certainly post again.

juilliard school for performing arts - 2009

for more on diller scofidio + renfro:

diller scofidio + renfro homepage - dsrny.com

diller scofidio + renfro -  wiki page

elizabeth diller - 2007 ted talk video

tonight the minnesota vikings play the green bay packers. brett favre is teaming up against the team he previously spent 15 years of his life as the star quarterback. this is the same team that helped him become the nation’s poster boy for american football. he holds the most records in nfl history in addition to three consecutive mvp’s and a super bowl. sharing so many experiences with the packers, one can only imagine the loyalty and respect green bay had for him, as he did for them. however, in 2007, they essentially paid him to retire. he was proposed with a $20+ million to leave the packers and decline further opportunities to join certain franchises - with whom they will compete against. my thought: “what? that’s a crazy request. if you doubt his ability to perform, then why try to prevent him from performing against you?”

$20+ million is tempting, but a man with such dignity and passion for the sport continued to pursue his dream. he signed with the jets in 2008, and then the vikings this year. ultimately, he knew he was still good. he knew he was worthy. his loyalty to the packers has dwindled away leaving behind only a blackened cloud of revenge. when does one’s deep found love for something turn bitter… bitter enough to be a motivator to succeed in itself? when does loyalty turn to revenge?

it’s halftime now. brett favre, pushing 40 on october 10th has thrown two touchdowns, giving the vikings a solid 21-14 lead. his story is a testament to believing in yourself rather than succumbing to the norms and doubts of others… even if they pay you very large sums of money.