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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 24, 2023

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You're not saying outright that I have to defer, but your statement "It is that if you are going to criticize contemporary architecture, then it helps to come across as knowing what you are talking about" certainly carries the implication that I ought to be deferring to those with the right vocabulary.

At any rate, I've edited my comment from "brutalist" to "ugly-ass concrete boxes" because that's what's getting built in my area. As I stated in my original reply to you, my city/county/state certainly isn't hiring Pritzker-nominated architects to design its public buildings.

Edit: Stupid auto-correct.

You're not saying outright that I have to defer, but your statement "It is that if you are going to criticize contemporary architecture, then it helps to come across as knowing what you are talking about" certainly carries the implication that I ought to be deferring to those with the right vocabulary.

No, saying that you should use the right vocabulary does not mean you should defer to anyone.

As for your local architects, run-of-the-mill architects follow the trends set by elite architects. If your local govt is only building concrete boxes, the fault lies with them, not with the field of architecture. Because governments in other parts of the country seem to be able to build something other than concrete boxes,

  • -12

As for your local architects, run-of-the-mill architects follow the trends set by elite architects. If your local govt is only building concrete boxes, the fault lies with them, not with the field of architecture. Because governments in other parts of the country seem to be able to build something other than concrete boxes.

I...don't disagree? I'm confused where you think I'm blaming architects in my comments here.

I'm glad we agree; I inferred that you were making a broader statement because you said, "I wonder if there's an active campaign against beauty itself." Which is the usual claim on here of people who are criticizing wokeness, etc, rather than the lack of imagination of their local building dept.

I also prefaced that statement with ""in my darker and less sober moments"