REMIX IS EVERYWHERE
There are this days when suddenly some links become very obvious and new information seem to fit each other like a puzzle. The same happened today when researching for OpenSimSim and watching the theories of Kirby Ferguson.
By showing references from the music industries and Hollywood bluckbusters Kirby is arguing that the act of “copy, transform and combine” is inherent in our social evolution. Just think about the internet - it could only develop so quickly because of the possibility to see the source code of a page and start using the most intelligent bits and pieces. Funny enough I was starting a similar argument during a lecture in Wroclaw using the example of “WALK THIS WAY” by RUN DMC.
In contemporary architectural theory and education we believe in a different truth. Real architecture needs to be unique. Remixing is considered to be an act of un-creativity. At least this applies for the western architectural philosophy. Famous architects start to abuse in public other architects of plagiarism. In 2007 Rem Koolhaas announced in public that Sir Norman Foster was copying his ideas of RAK Gateway in the urban design of Masdar City.
But maybe it´s time to adopt to the Chinese philosophy of mastering ones profession by copying the “master”? Only by starting to share information and knowledge more openly we can reach our challenging goal to built CO2 neutral cities and buildings by 2050.
But maybe we are on the right way already? Funny enough today some architectural blogs published the “red ball project” and diller scofidio + renfro hirshhorn museum bubble.
aerial view of the balloon expansion at the hirshhorn museum
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro
I guess no one would really deny that this could be considered as a remix of Rem Koolhaas´ 2006 Serpentine Pavillon (see image on top).
Or maybe it´s just a remix of Leonidov´s 1927 Lenin Institute?
What do you think about the Kirby´s theory of REMIX in regards to architecture? Do you know any other buildings that use an inflatable in a similar manner?
