Future Imperfect...

[rich p]

The severe style of modern architecture is not unattractive in civic buildings and the like but soulless when applied to domestic habitation IMHO.

 

[Bollo]

I think Wright's stuff looks fabulous, but haven't there been issues with maintenance?

 

[upsidedown]

The Maglev went some years ago. Replaced more recently with a cable car on the same track bed, which plays the most irritating BMI Baby tune constantly when you're inside one of the cars.

But it's well worth putting up with to avoid the insanity of trying to park at the airport, and the gun toting police who won't let you drop off there.


There used to be a maglev at the Merry Hill centre in Dudley, taken out a few years ago. It ran from the shops to the many car parks about a mile away. Guess what happened ? Yep, everybody ignored it, drove to the smaller car parks in the shopping centre to avoid having to share transport with poor people, thereby causing regular gridlock which endures to this day.
There is, however a perfectly good canal alongside that gives very good access by bike. Wonderful at Christmas when the whole place has turned into a sea of brake lights, horns and crawling traffic.

 

[theclaud]

Slightly OT, but was the house in North by Northwest real, or just a set? It looks very Wrighty.

 

[dellzeqq]

I think Wright's stuff looks fabulous, but haven't there been issues with maintenance?

maintenance schmaintenance - you build a house in a waterfall, what do you think's going to happen.........

in a general way I agree. To take the most obvious example. For thousands of years people have been putting slopey bits on top of buildings in order to carry the wet stuff from the sky to the edge of the building, rather than have it go through the building and make your carpets wet. Seems like a good idea to me (says the man who once put a beach on the roof of a building in Clapham)

 

[BrumJim]

There used to be a maglev at the Merry Hill centre in Dudley, taken out a few years ago. It ran from the shops to the many car parks about a mile away.

Not a maglev, but a humble monorail, i.e. a vehicle sitting on a single rail.

I worked at the factory that built the maglev for Birmingham Airport. My boss even remembers some of the testing that went on for the structure. IIRC, it had to be very stiff, as the control electronics couldn't account for each corner doing separate things.

 

[BrumJim]

Slightly OT, but was the house in North by Northwest real, or just a set? It looks very Wrighty.

Just found this article using google.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Slightly OT, but was the house in North by Northwest real, or just a set? It looks very Wrighty.

Just a set but AH asked for it to look like a Wrighty!

Edit: BrumJim's beaten me to it and with better info too!

 

[Aperitif]

Ah! This is more like a thread to entertain and educate! I remember Falling Water et al from my A level art days. Philip Johnson (who introduced Le Corbusier to America I think), Frank Gehry etc etc.
On catchup TV I saw the Beeb arts programme on Nottingham Contemporary - the new art gallery "Lacy a la Brutal" designed by Quinny St Crispy - Bacon or somebody..(notwithstanding I had to turn the volume down because the word 'icon', or derivative, seemed to tumble out of the pundit's mouth at least once per sentence). Seems like an interesting thing, this future business.
As we're on a roll with 'stuff' here's another link for those who might like to look. American again but, for me, neat.

 

[theclaud]

Just found this article using google.

Cool. And one for Things Dellzeqq Might Say:

Wright would almost certainly have come up with an unsupported cantilever, as he did at "Fallingwater".

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm afraid that if a cantilever is supported it is no longer a cantilever.

 

[TheDoctor]

After coming across Corbusier's work on an OU course, I was inspired to go skiing in Le Corbier, which he apparently designed.
All the accommodation, shops, restaurants, bars and everything else are in a great big monolithic building at the bottom of the slopes. It's got all the atmosphere of an Arndale Centre, only snowier. Don't do it. Just don't.

 

[theclaud]

I'm afraid that if a cantilever is supported it is no longer a cantilever.

I suppose not! I just meant that you might spot the unwrighty effect of it where it might pass some of us by...

 

[rich p]

I suppose not! I just meant that you might spot the unwrighty effect of it where it might pass some of us by...

No it wouldn't have. We're smarter than you bear-baiting P&Lers think.

We also knew that cantilevers aren't supported although that statement may be insupportable

 

[theclaud]

No it wouldn't have. We're smarter than you bear-baiting P&Lers think.

We also knew that cantilevers aren't supported although that statement may be insupportable

Then I take my hat off to you, Sir! When I said "some of us", I should probably have said "me".

And in the bear pit, we're used to the insupportable...