ruminations about architecture and design

Thursday, June 19, 2014

possibly more on the larkin building

All architecture is potentially transformative, and the original designer has a certain amount of power when it comes to defining the level of effect. Boston City Hall is a deeply memorable and emotional space, but for the people who work in it every day I imagine a form of numbness has set in.

I believe office space should be generic, bland, predictable, and comfortable. Efforts to create "fun" can come off as creepy or ironic. Attempts at efficiency in the utilization of space may yield benefits to the bottom line of a company, but could backfire if a competitor realizes that work can be improved by giving people more elbow room.

The Larkin Building, like everything Wright did, sought to create a revolution, but it looks much like other office spaces of the time. Technology and gender values defined much of the space.

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