​Studio ​Ambiguous​​​​
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Ethos
    • Team
    • Contact
  • Thesis / Writings
  • Blog
  • Things
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Ethos
    • Team
    • Contact
  • Thesis / Writings
  • Blog
  • Things

Industrial Revivalism and the Ghost of American Modernism

8/14/2017

0 Comments

 
The concept of revivalism in architecture is not a new one. It has returned time and time again as architects try to capture the purities and order of the past. Then reflecting these ideologies through modern detailing and materials. Living and working in Omaha I had the opportunity to visit multiple Midwest cities this summer I began to find a common theme or vernacular expressing itself within the urban fabric. Newly constructed buildings were designed to resemble old industrial buildings. Formal proportions were not met however the detailing of the projects reflected a turn of the century building that had been updated into trendy lofts and office space. 

The desire for these midwestern cities to be constructing buildings such as these pose a unique question. Why is there a desire to reflect industrial buildings within our cities? 

I believe the answer to this is rooted in history. American Modernism in accordance to urban planning and the future of our cities was filled with false promises. In Lebbeus Wood's Blog post "Haunted" he discusses the ghost of American modernism. 
"It is the ghost of a once-upon-a-time promise of a better life for everyone, a promise that never delivered. The convenience stores sell junk food that makes us fat. The service station dispenses endless fuel for our gas-guzzlers poisoning the atmosphere. The franchise restaurant is everywhere but belongs nowhere. The pawn shop may be easy, but it reminds us of our, and others’, desperation. The promise haunts us and its ghost lingers at the edges of night, dreamlike and restless. Then we come to the little-illuminated house. How cheerful it is! But the ghost is there, too, mocking our optimism and good cheer."
Modernism promised us grandeur and cities of the future so much that the public, city officials, city planners, and architects bought in. We went as far as pushing "city regeneration" projects to level entire city blocks. In Omaha, the destruction of Jobbers Canyon was supposed to give way to a mix used downtown regeneration that included a marina, office space, and public connection to the river. Instead, the city received a Conagra office campus and a chlorinated pond contaminated to the point that fish are unable to survive. All located 100 ft from the Missouri river connected by a singular bridge. In Minneapolis, city officials leveled over 40% of the central business district in the name of "regeneration". Only to leave behind a vacant city with 40% more parking lots and abandoned lots in the urban core. 

The concept of Industrial Revival is a reaction of these failures. It is an unconscious decision that is driving the demand for these buildings. As a culture, we understand the gravity of what we have done to our cities. We understand the great loss and gap in history that was created by our futuristic ideals. However, there seems to be a desire to recreate the past and hold onto the beginning roots that originally created these cities. The hallucinogenic cloud created by the recreation of these brick buildings brings forth a false sense of security and reminiscent past of the good old days. Blinding us from the reality that our cities are growing exponentially with a constant influx of people, culture, technology, and money. 


Industrial Revival will no doubt continue and slowly fill in the gaps of our cities as we push for more walkable and livable cities and downtown cores. While I believe in creating these livable cities I question the motives and theory behind Industrial Revival as an architectural movement and aid on the side of caution. These projects should stand as a reminder or memorial to what was or could have been. They remind us of the lessons we learned from American Modernism and their lessons should be used to build and construct more meaningful cities. However, this movement should not define the future of our cities it should not act as a band-aid or reflection of the past. It is an unconscious response to the wrath of American Modernism. The ghosts that have been suppressed by the construction of these buildings will not be fully dissolved until we learn and focus on creating a definitive vision for Midwestern cities. 

AW
​
Picture
Jobbers Canyon Omaha
Picture
Gateway Regeneration Minneapolis
Picture
Gateway Regeneration Minneapolis
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    432 Park Avenue
    Adam Wiese Thesis
    Advertising
    Affordable
    Albert Pope
    Alex Moore
    Alex Moore Thesis
    American Modernism
    Apple
    Arch Daily
    Archigram
    Architects
    Architecture
    Architecture Job
    Archizoom
    Art
    Bad Taste
    Billboard
    Chaos
    Christian De Portzamparc
    City
    City Of The Captive Globe
    Collage
    Communication
    Contradiction
    Cutouts
    Delirious New York
    Design
    Digital
    Digital Media
    Digital Mortuary
    Disney
    Disneyland
    Double Life
    Facebook
    Fake Architecture
    Filip Dujardin
    Filtering
    Filters
    Follow
    Four Walls And A Roof
    Fringe Condition
    Generic
    Generic City
    Google
    Google Street View
    Highway
    Home
    Housing
    Humor
    I Am Art
    Ideal
    Image
    Industrial Revitalism
    Influencers
    Intention
    Job
    Juxtaposed
    Ladders
    Lars Lerup
    Learning From Las Vegas
    Like
    Madelon Vriesendorp
    Manifesto
    Marcel Duchamp
    Media
    Medium
    Michael Sorkin
    Modern
    Modernism
    Nebraska
    New Urban Crisis
    New York
    New York City
    No Stop City
    OMA
    Omaha
    Past/In/On Residence
    Past Residence
    Photograph
    Photoshop
    Pier Vittorio Aureli
    Political
    Post Internet
    Post Modernism
    Public Domain
    Public Housing
    Public Space
    Public Transit
    Question
    Readymade
    Reality
    Reinier De Graaf
    Rem Koolhaas
    Representation
    Revit
    Ryan Trecartin
    Significance
    Smart City
    Social
    Social Media
    Social Services
    Speculation
    Standardization
    The City As A Project
    Theory
    The Re'Search
    Thesis
    Transit
    Twitter
    UFO Studio
    Urban
    Urbanism
    User
    Voluntary Prisoners
    Wealth Gap
    Whose Architect
    Writing

      Stay In Touch

    Subscribe
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.