Designers these days are like gods. They are given such reign over function; the world is blinded by swoopy lines and bubbly surfaces.
It took engineers no less than ten years to figure out how the hell they could build this monstrosity of design that pays little heed to the laws of physics:
Oops, not the shoe that Zaha Hadid designed for Lacoste a few years ago...
Oops, not the ones she did for Melissa.
I mean this bridge that is down the street from me:
Ten years...
....to build a silly bridge. An engineer could have built it in 3, used half the tonnage of steel and concrete and made it more elegant and more efficient.
Now she's building a building on Saadiyat island:
Stunning.
But form over function is untenable when our (those of us that will use the building) values conflict with the designers' fancy.
In Abu Dhabi, it doesn't even matter that buildings are not functional, as long as they look pretty from a birds eye they'll get the green light. Wouldn't you green light this building?
But, what about the people that have to live in there? Did anyone consider them? What about a nice balcony to take advantage of the beautiful weather? Hmm?!
Designers must be forced to consider the the systems of communication, transportation, energy and waste; the greater environment in which their creation will rest is of utmost importance. They must consider ground level experience and they must play off the surrounding buildings.
It benefits no one when a beautifully designed finger sticks out like a sore thumb.
Someone tell them that.
