by AlanM » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:50 pm
The problem with 60's-70's bland boxes is that as an aesthetic builidng material concrete just doesn't stand the test of time. After a few years of exposure to the weather, pigeons and pollution they start to look tired and discoloured.
As far as materials go you'd struggle to find anything as durable as granite and since when it is polished it looks good with glass the 80's-90's glass & granite cladding still look as they were intended several years down the line. I'm not defending the glass box architecture, I think its lazy design, but the blandness generally offends very few people and these projects get permission quite easily, whilst braver more daring designs tend to get shot down before they leave the drawing board.
I think this city would be a much more interesting place if the developers, planners and architects could be more innovative and think outside the (glass) box. We could then have buildings that would ignite peoples passions, whether positive or negative. As it is we are being underwhelmed by apathy which is being fueled by the increasing blandness of our surroundings
Alan