There are currently five Chambers to SHELL. I am hoping to add more as my education progresses, but I cannot guarantee much now that I have completed my history and theory requirements. Perhaps in the future I may take another such class...
Chamber One is from Architecture 214bg (ARCH 214bg: Architectural History, from Renaissance to Post-Modernism), with Diane Ghirardo, during the Spring 1997 semester. Chambers Two, Three, and Four are all from Architecture 314 (ARCH 314: Architectural Theory and Criticism), with Diane Ghirardo, during the Fall 1997 semester. Chamber Five is from Planning-and-Development 100m (PLDV 100m: Los Angeles, the Enduring Pueblo), with David Sloane, during the Spring 1998 semester.
Housekeeping: people
have checked out MSEnet's Shell Chambers!
An in-depth look at the meaning and effectiveness of the writings of Victor Hugo and Leon Battista Alberti, specifically relating to the desire to return to "an earlier architecture" as the correct model for their "modern" time. READ IT
"Architecture is the least temporal aspect of any culture. Literature, paintings, and customs change -- and often disappear -- over the course of a single generation, but buildings last for hundreds of years. It is not surprising, therefore, that architecture should be viewed as a vehicle of cultural expression. Two of history's greatest authors, Leon Battista Alberti and Victor Hugo, realized this intimate relationship and used the medium of the written word to champion the cause of an earlier architectural style as the appropriate model for their own era. Each author, however, expresses his proposal with a unique attitude. The differences in expression are the product of the different cultures and personal backgrounds of each man, but both defend their choice based on the honesty of design."
Honesty
What is a monument? Who gets to decide? These are questions which everyone takes for granted, but for which no one can give a good answer. This essay examines four authors and their opinions about monuments. READ IT
"What constitutes a monument? There is not an easy answer to this question. Historians have often pondered the mystery surrounding monuments; in the last century, several architects, asserting the inherent link between architecture and monuments, have also attempted to explain the meaning of monuments. A proper survey of monuments would take several years to complete; but a good picture of the varied viewpoints regarding monuments can be gleaned from the analysis of four written selections: Architecture After Modernism, by Diane Ghirardo; Reconstructing Architecture for the Twenty-First Century, by Anthony Jackson; The Architecture of the City, by Aldo Rossi; and The Modern Cult of Monuments: Its Character and Its Origin, by Alois Riegl. Each of these authors presents a different of monuments. Yet of all of these, only Jackson's work truly touches the heart of the issue: that a monument is inherently a distinction made from within a culture, not from without."
Monuments
There are many traditions in architecture which are inherently discriminatory. This essay looks at concerns regarding gender, race, ecology, political, and economic challenges to the architectural institution. READ IT
"Like few other professions, architecture has a rich tradition stretching back to the beginning of recorded history. This has mainly been a tradition dominated by aristocratic males (usually white) who have overseen the so-called evolution of architecture. What this traditional view fails to account for -- and that which several authors of late have addressed -- is the challenge presented by more enlightened views of ecology, gender, and race, as well as new political and economic relationships between architecture and society."
Tradition
Four: The Los Angeles Times Building
A look at the LA Times Building in downtown Los Angeles, from both an historical and analytical perspective. READ IT
"Stationed stoically at the southwest corner of First and Spring Streets, the Los Angeles Times North Building stands in stark contrast to the dynamic nature of the corporation it houses. Every passer-by recognizes the building for what it is; yet few take the time to really look at it critically. Unlike some people, who would take this passivity offensively, it is the sign of a good, urban building that does not unduly distract the myriad inhabitants scurrying about below. Indeed, if it affects the life of an average citizen at all, the Times building simply provides the knowledge that someone is watching. (Given the current negative public attitude towards The Times, it would seem that this is a malevolent observation...)"
LA Times
Five: Never Again: The Century Freeway
The Century Freeway will probably be the last great freeway project in America. What were the issues surrounding the projects that led to such controversy? READ IT
"Los Angeles is well-known for many things. From the Hollywood sign to its warm, sunny beaches, nothing can tarnish the beautiful image that is Los Angeles. Or can it? For lurking beneath this glamorous veneer is a dark core of not-so-subtle racism and elitism. The Los Angeles freeway system, once (and still, some would argue) the pride of the region, sets the stage for one such dark act. The design of the Century Freeway intentionally traverses poorer, predominantly minority neighborhoods because the land is cheap and the population is less likely to have the political clout to change anything. For once, however, there is a happy ending: the State underestimated the people who live and work along the Century Freeway corridor, and it changed everything."
Century Freeway
