yeah, that's where my original comment was coming from, lars. 'wonder' implies scale to me. none of the houses make it, in my book, not even savoye. or fallingwater (though it should make most other lists, obviously).
i like the consideration of engineering wonders, but think that architectural wonders would add a layer of consideration beyond simple engineering marvels. that's why i thought johnson wax could make it (those crazy columns are a wonder) OR guggenheim (the concrete spiral is not just an architectural gesture).
i also like the st louis arch, but thought dulles was even better and more sophisticated, i.e., wondrous.
high line: nope.
sydney opera: maybe. but to me it's really more of an architectural landmark than a 'wonder'.
so i wouldn't go as far as rustystuds to the all-engineering, but maybe straddle between that and great architecture of a grand scale that makes folks wonder how it got done. some good stuff on this list!
sw, i really like dulles. though twa is a better work of architecture, there is such a sense of optimism about dulles that i think it does qualify as a "wonder." i think it is the modern equivalent of the temple of artemis.
I have to disagree with some of you. I think many of us are forgetting that these wonders come with time. So for the High Line, if it's still standing 50 years from now, and is even more vibrant - then it deserves to be one of the wonders.
As for dulles airport; I was raised in DC, so I have been to dulles airport more times than I can count. To be honest, it is quite graceful, but it also mutes quite quickly once your inside and surrounded by the ruckus. It can only be appreciated when it's not as busy in the airport.
when i think of a 'wonder' i think almost mythic quality and something i imagine can be there for 100s-1000s of years...the high line doesn't reach this for me..
i live in nyc and have been up on the highline many times and i love it as a project..but to me it's not a significant park of the city.. it's almost like a west park avenue in a way...i could see some people's point if it was thought of as more of an idea of development however...similar to bilbao in a way..although nyc didn't need a project to attract attention this particular area of the west village/chelsea has definitely seen a flurry of good development because of this project...somewhat significant pieces of new architecture/new building, which is a rare commodity in new york (as compared to renovation).
so i guess i could see the high line as an impetus for change in an area that was sort of blighted..but this may have happened without the high line..and the area was already filled with lots of high end galleries and such in any case... the high line has just attracted a lot more attention.
Lars Larson: Crazy Horse: The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high.
I was there for the night blast this past Labor Day Weekend. I hope I it will be finished in my life time.
snook..
me too. i was there proably ten years ago now or so... seems like it's going to be an amazing sculpture... when i drove around the US right after 9/11 i had two destinations: Mount Rushmore and the Alamo...I was very happy to also come across the Crazy Horse monument and custer state park and carhenge etc.. but the Crazy Horse memorial left a definite impression.. i definitely want to make another drive near there someday.
I'm with Rusty... A contemporary wonder of the world should be an "amazing" thing that is known by the whole... world [amazing in global terms, not architectural terms].
Just try to find how many people in Venezuela know what the High Line is, or how many in Norway can tell the name of any public library in Seattle, or how many in Nigeria ever heard of some little house called Savoye.
Medit, do you really think that centuries ago anyone actually knew the "7 Wonders of the Ancient World"? Certainly not.
The way in which something ordinary becomes extraordinary is always mysterious. Today, it is not only the fame or the spectacularity of an architecture that makes it a "wonder." Therefore it is our sense of "wonder" that has changed.
I find it interesting how "Eiffel Tower, Sagrada FamÌlia, Empire State Building etc.," which in fact are architectures that are representative of certain places, can equally be associated with tourist souvenirs...
Lump me in with the architectural blasphemists. There are very few, if any, modern or postmodern architectural creations I would describe as "wonders", and definitely not of the world. Kind of makes me laugh, actually, trying to compare them to the actual 7 wonders.
But a couple not quite ancient works I might include that I don't believe were mentioned:
Sagrada Familia
The Forbidden City
Whoops, gondol3 just beat me to Sagrada Familia. I would include Mt. Rushmore and Hoover Dam in the running on the non-ancient list.
I even think Walt Disney World as a whole could be considered.
...7 Wonders of modern-postmodern-contemporary architecture?
how does the crazy horse memorial compare to these large statues?
the more i think about the original idea of seven wonders the more i think that the enormity of the object is what is important...
their probably should be an independent list for architecture since most of our initial thoughts don't really comply with that aspect.
yeah, that's where my original comment was coming from, lars. 'wonder' implies scale to me. none of the houses make it, in my book, not even savoye. or fallingwater (though it should make most other lists, obviously).
i like the consideration of engineering wonders, but think that architectural wonders would add a layer of consideration beyond simple engineering marvels. that's why i thought johnson wax could make it (those crazy columns are a wonder) OR guggenheim (the concrete spiral is not just an architectural gesture).
i also like the st louis arch, but thought dulles was even better and more sophisticated, i.e., wondrous.
high line: nope.
sydney opera: maybe. but to me it's really more of an architectural landmark than a 'wonder'.
so i wouldn't go as far as rustystuds to the all-engineering, but maybe straddle between that and great architecture of a grand scale that makes folks wonder how it got done. some good stuff on this list!
sw, i really like dulles. though twa is a better work of architecture, there is such a sense of optimism about dulles that i think it does qualify as a "wonder." i think it is the modern equivalent of the temple of artemis.
I have to disagree with some of you. I think many of us are forgetting that these wonders come with time. So for the High Line, if it's still standing 50 years from now, and is even more vibrant - then it deserves to be one of the wonders.
As for dulles airport; I was raised in DC, so I have been to dulles airport more times than I can count. To be honest, it is quite graceful, but it also mutes quite quickly once your inside and surrounded by the ruckus. It can only be appreciated when it's not as busy in the airport.
when i think of a 'wonder' i think almost mythic quality and something i imagine can be there for 100s-1000s of years...the high line doesn't reach this for me..
i live in nyc and have been up on the highline many times and i love it as a project..but to me it's not a significant park of the city.. it's almost like a west park avenue in a way...i could see some people's point if it was thought of as more of an idea of development however...similar to bilbao in a way..although nyc didn't need a project to attract attention this particular area of the west village/chelsea has definitely seen a flurry of good development because of this project...somewhat significant pieces of new architecture/new building, which is a rare commodity in new york (as compared to renovation).
so i guess i could see the high line as an impetus for change in an area that was sort of blighted..but this may have happened without the high line..and the area was already filled with lots of high end galleries and such in any case... the high line has just attracted a lot more attention.
Lars Larson: Crazy Horse: The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high.
I was there for the night blast this past Labor Day Weekend. I hope I it will be finished in my life time.
snook..
me too. i was there proably ten years ago now or so... seems like it's going to be an amazing sculpture... when i drove around the US right after 9/11 i had two destinations: Mount Rushmore and the Alamo...I was very happy to also come across the Crazy Horse monument and custer state park and carhenge etc.. but the Crazy Horse memorial left a definite impression.. i definitely want to make another drive near there someday.
I'm with Rusty... A contemporary wonder of the world should be an "amazing" thing that is known by the whole... world [amazing in global terms, not architectural terms].
Just try to find how many people in Venezuela know what the High Line is, or how many in Norway can tell the name of any public library in Seattle, or how many in Nigeria ever heard of some little house called Savoye.
Medit, do you really think that centuries ago anyone actually knew the "7 Wonders of the Ancient World"? Certainly not.
The way in which something ordinary becomes extraordinary is always mysterious. Today, it is not only the fame or the spectacularity of an architecture that makes it a "wonder." Therefore it is our sense of "wonder" that has changed.
I find it interesting how "Eiffel Tower, Sagrada FamÌlia, Empire State Building etc.," which in fact are architectures that are representative of certain places, can equally be associated with tourist souvenirs...
Lump me in with the architectural blasphemists. There are very few, if any, modern or postmodern architectural creations I would describe as "wonders", and definitely not of the world. Kind of makes me laugh, actually, trying to compare them to the actual 7 wonders.
But a couple not quite ancient works I might include that I don't believe were mentioned:
Sagrada Familia
The Forbidden City
Whoops, gondol3 just beat me to Sagrada Familia. I would include Mt. Rushmore and Hoover Dam in the running on the non-ancient list.
I even think Walt Disney World as a whole could be considered.
wonders we don't even now about (until now)
...aaaaand: the gap between rich and poor named 8th wonder of the world
Puente Hills Landfill
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