Let's divide education into tree groups : beneficial, giving nothing and harmful. Architectural education pertains to the latter. All this tutor fuss with parallelepipeds and cones is aimed at killing man's natural reflexes so that they could design the so-called 'Khruschev's towns' without committing a suicide.
I adored architecture since childhood, but already by the age of 18, I was well aware of the fact that my views were completely opposite to the generally accepted concepts.
I believe that the technical revolution has enabled people to inhabit just any place. It has freed the mankind. Therefore, if architecture imitates inconvenience, it simply expresses the current trends. Thus, the 'dens' of James Bond's technocratic enemies used to be located in caves or volcano craters. The most advanced looked the idea to disguise a house as a tumbledown castle, as would look a display of high technological level. And on the contrary, the so called 'hi-tech' is a mere demonstration of low level, while most coarse and plain technology would not conceal even its own existence, just like chips on the most primitive of stone knives.
I believe that the right name for 'functionalism' would be 'pauperism', as long as this architecture clearly displays minimum of costs. Absolute poverty is very impressive. I was amazed by the Savoy villa, how has this monstrously huge cube still not crushed these petty props ? It looks as amazing as people having AIDS, tuberculoses, leprosy and still remaining alive.
I have always been sure that the very name of 'functionalism' is an ignorant demagogy, since architecture provides for much less number of system equations as compared to the number of unknown quantities. An outer column would not affect any single functions of a house, it only influences the price. 'Cost' by no means implies 'function'. This mathematical verbiage indicates mere ignorance.
I believe that the so-called 'minimalism' implies killing of maximum resources with minimum use. Tremendous deserted rooms are evil space killers; a white cube on a hill might mar hundreds of natural landscape's square kilometres. This is worse than killing animals ! The minimalism's primitive geometry and straight lines express anti-rational trend; this geometry clearly shows absolute absence of brainwork. The minimalism's best achievement would be to turn Jungfrau mountain into a regular pyramid : absolutely stupid, incredibly senseless and fairly expensive.
Totalitarianism had rampaged triumphantly for the entire XX century through all aspects of life, including, particularly, the Great Architectural Dream. This Prime Sweet dream raved of billions of clones within billions of cells. The entire century turned into a fierce fight against pleasures of life and individualism. Brad Pitt said that while designing his bathroom he thought of sex only. This is worth seeing. No one would dare saying that he sees any kind of pleasure in sex. A sterile imitation of ruins (
Schullin boutique,
Best restaurant) is possible, too. Within an extremely original binocular-house, the architect has managed to avoid every tiny trace of individuality. A home might have not a single right angle, and show absolutely no trace of personality, not a single bit of humanistic meaning (eg works by Frank Gehry). The entire century turned into an endless investigation of how far one might go still remaining immaculately faceless.
My poor clients were overdosed with socialism. They now request me to make them interested. At least with contemplating the Architect playing another foolish trick. All are just to smart to walk around the Parphenon, its front and rear columns look the same, while I shall captivate at any rate.
To me, this is so clear, that I started using some methods and techniques. Look at these two examples. If you prefer number one, you are hopelessly educated; if you choose number two, this indicates certain gaps in your education. I use depersonalising methods, and an official in charge of cultural and educational activities would say :'You've got infinite taste !' I remove these details and use the opposite set, and my client would say :'I've been dreaming of this all my life !'
So I seem happy.
Are you happy, too?
M.Ostreuss
