Without a doubt the maxim ‘Failed Architecture’ raises questions. What and according to whom is architecture failed? Which criteria do we use when assessing architecture, e.g. the viewpoint of inhabitants and/or users, architects and/or planners?
Which role does ‘Zeitgeist’ play when assessing architecture, and how do ‘our’ contemporary taste and cultural differences influence the assessment of buildings? To answer some of these questions Trouw is inviting people from different professional backgrounds and from various parts of the world to share their thoughts and experiences.
The series starts on Wednesday March 30 with a talk by and interview with Anthony Tung. Tung is an urbanist and writer who has been a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner, an instructor on architectural history at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a visiting professor on international urban preservation at MIT.
In his ‘Preserving the world’s great cities’ he asks why some cities preserve their heritage better or more readily than others? He describes how the architectural character of cities can be transformed by war, greed, poverty, pollution and apathy and how some cities and people managed to turn the tide.
On this occasion Mr. Tung will talk about the differences between Amsterdam and other cities in terms of the appreciation and preservation of certain types of (post-war) architecture and he will talk about the types of buildings and urban ensembles that are most widely threatened. He will discuss some of the causes of this mistrust or even outright hostility that some architecture is facing.
In addition, he will present his personal definition of ‘failed architecture’ (“unsympathetic new buildings set in beautiful historic settings”) by juxtaposing “inappropriate” versus “appropriate” new additions to the urban fabric and by raising the question: “What should the standard be for new construction in protected historic settings?”