Towers of ilium is hiring a consulting firm to help with more engaging titles for these blog posts. Stay tuned for details.
Big recessions can usually be predicted by grandiose architecture. Currently, the Chinese building boom seems to be fading, but their inventory of white elephants is still impressive. Certain projects in the Middle East exceed any reasonable level of common sense or economic justification. But, it is the building boom in Silicon Valley by Google, Facebook, and Apple that give towers of ilium the most concern. These efforts to rethink the very idea of office space have resulted in architectural expressions that are certainly doomed to failure. Their value lies in the fact that they will set a cautionary precedent and not inspire similar projects.
In many respects, Wright's demonstration of office design feels more credible and sustainable.
Office space is the end product of humanity. We will successfully mechanize all miserable jobs someday--from milking cows to re-roofing buildings. Our collective future will be drab, secure, and comfortable spaces where we can spend seven or eight hours pondering the next step in civilization--specifically, whether or not we should have medium or light roast coffee at 2pm.
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