US against them. Howl and Archigram

Extended Blog on Archigram and Howl

Neil Spiller writes that after the second world war, technology provided the West with a freedom from “war, famine, pestilence and political tyranny”¹. Archigram was created by a group of individuals motivated by what technological improvements made possible not only to architecture but to life in general. Archigram investigated through their projects what this new obsession meant for men. Their agenda consisted of one where “nomadism governed the new social force”² It was a world of rapid change, mass production and consumption was heavily influencing lifestyle. These new means of production quickly contributed to society's new ideals. While some critics thought that “standardization” and “mass production” in society would only end up in getting rid of individual talent, others were more fond of the coexistence of machine and men. For them, the machine provided people with a liberated society³. Thus, Archigram was in search of a new language that would accommodate this new freedom. Archigram's projects consisted mainly of capsules and pods. It was going to be a metropolis full of pods. Many ideas of construction were derived from the car industry. David Greene, member of Archigram, explained: “the house is an appliance for carrying with you and the city is a machine for plugging into”.⁴ They also predicted that “technology would become totally divorced from its form” on the other hand, “Computer city” reflected many ideas that Archigram believed the quick development of computers and exchanging of data would have on urban area. Computer city was all about the connectivity which the city would enjoy. Furthermore, Spiller describes the project as an evidence which Archigram realized that technology was becoming smaller and smaller. Software was taking over hardware as the hottest thing to have. As a result, Archigram's work went through a process of disintegration.

On that basis, the evolution of machines have never stopped. Machines have been praised for their precision, reliability, beauty, size and effectiveness. They foremost role was to assist and facilitate men's daily lives.

In terms of production and construction, computers have allowed faster means of production with more varied taste. Complexity has been taken to a whole new stage. Simulations and testing have saved money and time. Computers as a tool has never been so important in the creation and production process. The boundaries have been pushed to its limits.

Although we are yet to be living in capsules in plug-in city, the idea is not at all far-fetched. We are already living in a world which is constantly connected to each other. The internet has dissolved all boundaries between people. In contrast to the machine revolution, the information revolution happened at lightning speed. With the arrival of personal computers, society welcomed the internet into their homes with open arms. At this point, the lives of people were changed for ever. The possibilities proved endless. Virtual world has managed to fulfil our many needs while allowing us stay in the comfort zone of our homes, social networking, sex, shopping and many others. We barely need to leave our beds. It all comes to us fast and easy. It is a lazy world where literally everything comes to us at the click of a mouse. As Archigram predicted, technology has gone smaller with time. But they failed to realized that technology was also going to combine its function. For instance, the massive mobile phone, the famous walkman, the camera, the personal digital assistant, has all evolved towards the small and slick iphone. One device for all. The list of functions can only go on. These devices have enabled us to be in touch with other people virtually 24/7. Constant communication is a must in today's world. You wouldn't want to miss out on the latest facebook updates.

On the other hand, in Allen Ginsberg's poem 'Howl', more precisely the second part, he describes a new world order: the time of the machines or the machine world. He calls it 'Molloch'. Molloch is the same time the robot … the human machine. It has money in his veins. It does not see through its eyes or hear through its ears. All it cares is endless oil. Its soul is the the electricity that keeps it going. Using the power of men, Molloch has risen to the heavens with its Antennae held high. Molloch took over all dreams and spirituality and replaced them with materialistic mentality. Men are slowly being turned into machines, no heart and no feelings.

In similar ways, the world which Ginsberg describes has similarities to the one we live right now. It might not be the same Molloch but a newer version....Molloch version 5.0. Molloch 5.0 has is faster and more intelligent. It is everywhere. It keeps an eye on all our moves. It knows what music we listen to; what parties we have been to. Who is our best friends. Molloch 5.0 infiltrates into the deepest and most private part of our personality. Molloch 5.0 constantly updates itself. It comes newer, shinier and faster to keep deceiving us so that we keep putting our trust in them. They look so perfect and faultless.

With time, Molloch has gone from helper to the human cause to master of the machine cause. If James Cameron story of Terminators is anything to go by, there will come a time in the near future that we will surrender our freedom to the machines. Well, I believe this time has come already. Except that we are not aware of it. We are already giving more and more time to machines and gadgets rather than our loved ones. We cannot live one day without checking our emails and updating our facebook page. We crave for limitless connection to the virtual world. This neediness for digital love is the kind of control that Molloch 5.0 are slowly bringing us towards. Further, Molloch 5.0 needs like its predecessors is always sucking energy. It is constantly in need of a power. It will eventually use all our fossil fuel and leave us nothing.

The future of machines and men will probably go on as long as there is enough energy to run Molloch's future generations. Unless new energy sources are found, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain both the comfort zone of humans and operate machines at the same time.

However, 'The Matrix' Trilogy brilliantly portrays a nightmarish situation where machines, having taken control of the world, have no more energy to power themselves. The sun has died. Their last resource is to use humans as a source of power. They cultivate them in fields in order to harness energy. Is this really the way forward? Are the roles of humans about to change? Although the film shows a reality which far away, the importance and attention which we give to machines will most certainly have repercussions one day. Given the speed at which technology evolves, it will not be long before artificial intelligence will reach a level where it will start to replicate and learn by itself.

Additionally, technology will no doubt get smaller but they will certainly reach a limit beyond which it will be physically impractical or impossible. Or will it. Nanotechnology and biotechnology has already shown promises of what can be achieved. There are probably reasons to believe that the age of the cyborgs will be the next evolution of the human race. For example, that would allow us to wirelessly update out Facebook page from. Emails would be outdated... instead we would be receiving electronic thoughts. Everything would by then be control by the mind. I believe it is possible that computers will one day overtake the human brain computing power which is probably when we will start having people in Harley street or maybe even Tottenham court road doing human brain upgrading. Windows would be releasing its 1003 edition to operate it. The role of architecture in this kind of future will be challenged.

1Neil Spiller (2006, Visionary Architecture, Blueprints of the modern imagination, Thames & Hudson) Page 70

2Neil Spiller (2006, Visionary Architecture, Blueprints of the modern imagination, Thames & Hudson) Page 71

3Neil Spiller (2006, Visionary Architecture, Blueprints of the modern imagination, Thames & Hudson) Page 71

4Neil Spiller quoting David Greene(2006, Visionary Architecture, Blueprints of the modern imagination, Thames & Hudson) Page 71

U S of A

Dos Passos describes an America which I am not familiar with... not 'American pie' or 'Friends'. It is one when Americans were building their foundation to dominate the world. It is one where all the hard work was being done to create the super power they are now.

Dos Passos's USA describes the characters of Henry Ford, Thorstein Veblen and Frank Lloyd Wright as men that saw the opportunity that the machine revolution provided them. Rather than accepting the farming life of their family and home town, they all felt that they belong to a different place. Given their background, they made financial progress despite their origin. Coming from a family of immigrants, they all had the idea of hard work instilled in their blood.

Based on these characters, it is evident that the machine revolution changed the lives of many people. Some clever enough took the chance and made themselves mega rich. In present day, I can only think of one thing which had such a drastic effect on people. That is the computers and the internet revolution. Is it fair to say that Bill Gates or Michael Dell are modern versions of Henry Ford? These men had major impacts on people's lives. They had the vision to see what people was in need of and they went to do that.

The Heroic Architect

The Fountain Head demonstrates many aspects of the profession. It is one of constant set backs and frustration before eventually succeeding. It is one of heroism and sacrifice.

The image of the architect portrayed in the film is one where the profession plays an important role in politics of the city. He is involved with key people. He is also constantly in the papers and people have an increased architectural awareness. Architecture were a glamorous field in these times. However, just like Howard Roark found out, it is easy to go from genius to the most hated person. Public opinion changes quickly.

In the film, the main character Howard Roark, has very strong ideas about what modern architecture should be. But unfortunately it is not one shared by the majority . He is unable to express his genius ideas. Most people don't get him. He is a person who will not compromise his design for money or fame. He is stubborn and determined. It is a life of sacrifice where he would rather not build anything than build something that did not belong to his ideals. It is an ongoing fight from beginning to end to actually convince people that architecture is about the truth.

On the other hand, there is also the sacrifice which an architect has to make in his personal life. The architect has to accept that love will have to wait and thus needs to fulfil his purpose. Domique Francon, Howard Roark's love interest is one of the few that understands his genius.

The contract which Howard gets into with Gail Wynand, the man who hated his building, is quite similar to making a pact with devil in order for him to succeed.

Close to the end, the court room shot, is reminiscent of the idea of individualism against collectivism. He stands alone arguing and defending his beliefs. It is quite the reflection of the architectural profession in one scene. We are condemned to suffer on our own. We can only hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. Architecture is not for the faint hearted. It is rather made for heroes. People who will not give up... who will not settle for any thing less.

Modernity. at what cost?

Reading Goethe's Faust: the tragedy of development provided me with an unusual insight into the dark world of modernity. Faust craves for a development of himself as well as society. By doing so, he frees other from their own subdued mind. Thus, meaning that for development to materialize, there must be liberation of thoughts and actions. But this freedom of life comes at a cost, one with 'dark and fearful' thoughts. Mephistopheles is Faust mentor in his quest to change the world.

With confidence from Mephistopheles, Faust makes the leap to 'the lover' where he meets Gretchen. She is a girl from a small town with all the purity in the world. On meeting her, Faust takes her innocence and naivety away. She is infected by modernity. In the company of Faust, Gretchen changes to become somebody else. She experiences modernity and all that comes with it. This development lead her to her own destruction. Modernisation has found another victim.

The final metamorphosis, the developer, sees Faust overgrowing his mentor to take charge. However, in his enthusiast and commitment to development, he destroys the medieval house of an old couple and then had them killed to build his tower. Faust completes his transformation to the dark side of modernity. He is blinded by his greed and stubbornness. The author writes further “once the developer had destroyed the pre-modern world, he had destroyed his whole reason for being in the modern world” It is hence true that for the modernity, there can be no future without past.

It is obvious that the author sees development as part of a give and take process. There cannot be development without sacrifice of some some sort. Furthermore, the development that is created has its own termination date where it has to make place for new developments to happen. For some reason, there seem to be an association between evil and modernity.

Le Corbusier in the 21st Century

Le Corbusier was obsessed with a series of beliefs over the course of his life . As a result this influence was heavily seen in his work. Around the 1920s, he was introduced to Purism during which he studied a particular type of objects he called 'objet types'. They are objects that had evolved into the most economical and efficient of forms. Being a perfectionist, he thought that certain objects using basic geometries had the ability to evoke emotions. He also saw man as a geometrical animal and had a strong need for order.The image and technological change that machines had brought in those days was of great aspiration to him. He described them as disciplined and displayed a natural evotion into the most obvious of forms. They were practical. This lead to 'Machines for living' which had his five points or new architecture. Later on , his interest took quite a different direction when he began to draw and paint sensual forms of landscape, nature and women. He had a personal language of symbols. He understood the complex relationship between elements of nature, its importance to men. One of his most distinguished work is the Chapel at Ronchamp in which he seemed to have brought together his experience of paintings and scultpting. Le Corbusier's work never stopped changing. He believed that in order to stay ahead of his rivals, he had to reinvent himsef. He had to burn his past for a new beginning to happen.

Often I ask myself, what would have been the architecture of Le Corbusier in the 21^st century if he was living in our times. The time of computers and internet at its peak. The amount of influence that information technology has brought into our lives, let alone architecture. How would the design of Ronchamp change if it was first drawn on cad. His adoration for nature would have certainly kept him going into the sustainable architecture. Would global warming have been a complete surprise to him? As much as machines have contributed to the evolution of humanity, it has also brought this world almost to its knees. He would have probably found it hard to impose his utopian ideas. Still, he would have enjoyed how architecture and the construction techniques have changed over time. What would have been his symbolism? Computers, mobile phones, ipod, online shopping or perhaps it would have been the quite the same as before, nature and the cosmos.

Us against them.

Skynet has taken over the world... nobody saw it coming

The resistance is our only hope of fighting back the machines.

They are everywhere. The Metals are everywhere.

We have paid the price for our ignorance, our laziness, our refusal to accept the truth

The resistance is your last chance!!!

[message left at : 13:17 11 Novemeber 2045]

Strange to think that this could be our future. our beloved machine is our best friend, our brother, our sister, mum and dad. We tell them everything. We are no more in need of socializing with other humans. We have found one thing that truly listens to us without complaining. They are faithful and honest. They make no mistake. They do their jobs. They see and hear everything. They know everything, what we like, what we don't like. They are always in a good mood. They are always on time. Ocassionally, the get sick but then they have brand new readily available replacements. They are the objects of our desires. We can only dream of being as good looking, as precise, fast, efficient and expensive as them. They are perfection. They are what we have failed to be!

But we have fallen for their charm and their shiny plastic. We have tasted the forbidden fruit, opened pandora's box. The machines have won, they have infiltrated our lives. They know our every move. They have been to all our parties. They have turned us into their slaves. They have become our drug...our addiction, 24/7 information... connectivity...we crave the need for an emotional connection not with fellow humans but with a mother... a motherboard, We have changed our own habits to suit them. We have accomodated their needs. We have been used and abused. They have swallowed our soul, our identity. Our planet has been consumed for their benefits, for their own welbeing. They have sucked all our energy. Skynet has arrived.

Las Vegas without time!

I have never been to Las Vegas and yet I could feel the adrenaline rush through the words of the authors. It is a shame that both writings did not come with images. That would have been it for me. My eyes were begging for them. The neon lights, the music, the heat, the sun, the girls, the limo and the glamour...my imagination takes me to scenes of Ocean's Eleven and 21, my only only experience of Vegas for now.

The first thing that struck me when going through Tom Wolfe 's piece was the absence of the notion of time among the characters. Yes, Wolfe mentions the time and day on several occasions but the feeling I get is that in Las Vegas, time does not equal money. Money is simply money or perhaps being high on adrenaline 24/7 equals money. They have no responsibility towards time. What they do on a Monday at 7am is probably what they would be doing at 3am on Saturday. Las Vegas is heaven. There at least they have more than 24 hours in a day.

On the other hand, Dave Hickey picks on Las Vegas on a slightly bigger scale. I can certainly identify with the idea of escaping home town for Las Vegas. Although, London might not be anywhere close to Vegas but the very idea of leaving home for a better life is not always true. What could be true is the excitement of living in a thrilling city. May be that is why it is the destination of the heart. Everything is possible in Vegas and it gives the average American hope. Interesting to note that the grass is always greener somewhere else even for Americans let alone immigrants. While Vegas provides not much option to progress in the social ladder, it makes almost no difference between societal classes. What you see is what you get.