[My colleague and I] have both learned from experiment—that is, by directly observing nature herself and the nature of humankind. Since religion says that God created the universe and is in some way responsible for the precise manner in which natural things are built and function (including human society in general), then our theories ally themselves with religion by accepting natural form. Natural geometries are curved and fractal, whereas artificial structures since the early 20C tend to be stubbornly rectangular and anti-­‐fractal. There is something profoundly anti-­‐natural about modernist and contemporary architecture and planning. They are going against the natural order of things, and one could imply, by extension, they are going against God. Don’t be fooled by the curved new buildings and winding roads in suburban sprawl: those forms are arbitrary and don’t derive from adaptation. They don’t arise out of life and a respect of nature. It’s a totally different geometry from the curved walls and roads in a traditional village. When an architect or planner ignores the need for adaptation and imposes his/her will, the result is an absurd form—an act of defiance towards any higher sense of natural order. There is no room for God in totalitarian design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                   — Comments —

 

 

Thank you for this thought-provoking post about modern architecture.  I believe that bad motives are to blame for these monstrosities.

A community of people who share a culture and a history will build one kind of residential neighborhood.  A corporation focused solely on making money will produce a different kind of residential tract housing.

A successful businessman who loves his community will finance construction of one kind of office building.  A hired corporate executive more interested in his annual bonus and avoiding problems will finance another kind of building.

An architect who lives and works with local people will design a building that will fit in with the community.  An architect who seeks the approval of an elite group of academics will design a building of another kind.

Modern architecture expresses the rule of corporations,  governments,  and academic elites over the people.  Architecture should communicate love and respect for the community.  Buildings should be constructed so as to serve the community for many years.  Modern buildings instead tend to communicate such materialistic or domineering messages as “low
overhead,” “easy parking,” “elite architectural design,” “suburban conformity” or “powerful government.”