Architecture/Criticism/Critics

A brilliant article about architecture and the critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff of the New York Times by Alexandra Lange who teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

"Architecture criticism cannot simply be about what’s new because that leads precisely to the globe-trotting, star-gazing, architecture-as-sculpture approach we have now. What we need is criticism that treats renderings and buildings as different, since users are the ultimate critics. We need criticism that connects us to a building’s references, emotions and textures, not only its news value. We need criticism moored to place, and to the history of that place, so that the ways forward multiply (and don’t only involve building something curvy). Ouroussoff is not good enough because he reinforces the worst trends in architectural culture, never explains where he comes from and never explores the many different places we might go."

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Comments

[Duane Elverum]

Nice find Ron. Let the timely discussion of architecture and ECU begin! You may be interested to read the opening comments (particularly point #3) for the Prefab 20*20 Aftershow, an international architectural competition hosted at ECU during the Olympics, and currently hanging in the Atrium.http://blogs.eciad.ca/elverum/2010/02/11/the-responsibility-of-space/