Monday, December 26, 2005

An oldie but goodie

I suspect that we all have websites that we follow for a time, and then forget about for a time, and then suddenly remember for no real reason and check out again with either delight or dismay. One such case is James Howard Kunstler's Eyesore of the Month, which could be updated weekly as far as I'm concerned. Each month the site presents a photo of some unfortunate bit of architecture or urban planning or suburban catatonia, complete with pithy comment. Case in point is this selection, in which a typically hideous Frank Gehry building* is described thusly:

If your dog had a tumor like this the vets would just shake their heads and put him to sleep. The design follows the logic of cancer: invade and overwhelm the host organism.


The current (as of this writing; sometime in January it will be archived) Eyesore is actually a bit of positive comment on the downtown core in Troy, NY. We here in Buffalo might consider such.

* On Gehry: the first time I saw photos of a Gehry building, I thought it was really cool. Next time, still cool but obviously recycling the idea of the last one. And so on, until now I wonder if the guy has any ideas at all beyond the "crumpled tin foil ball" thing.

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