it takes an architect 40 years to learn almost nothing

Since towers of ilium has neglected pictures for the last several posts we would like to have a double graphic feature for Thursday. This will not be repeated frequently. The images above are of the Twin Parks housing complex in New York. Typical, low income modernism that people have learned to be indifferent about. The buildings are stacks of double loaded corridors. The staircases and columns represent the heights of design ecstasy. Note how considerate the people are--they leave it empty so the architectural photography is pristine and uncluttered.

Public housing has always been one of the Ur-texts of modernism. Architects regard it as a great social responsibility, but they never really bother to listen to the users, and even if they did, there isn't enough money to do things properly in most cases. And what little money there is often gets spent on design gestures that do little good and frequent harm.