As they say, nothing's new under the sun. Numerous other container-based buidling designs aside (Wes Jones, and many others), LOT-EK's first built use of large industrial containers (van bodies, tankers) happened well after for instance, RoTo's Carlsen-Reges House at the Brewery in LA, which re-deployed giant tankers for the pool and a tower/master bath. Plus there are certainly more vernacular examples of habitable containers to be found all over the place...something LOT-EK themselves referenced in their well-known rapid-fire slide shows of influences they used to do -- which certainly didn't include the more 'designed' RoTo example...
...and if we're talking specifically about stacked module based buildings, there's all the work in this regard by Paul Rudolph or the US government's Operation Brakthrough program from the late 60s/early 70s (among others) -- of course these aren't containers as 'found objects' but rather purpose-built with the mobile home industry, but a kind of re-purposing nontheless (and also foreshadowing much of the 'new' prefab house proposals/products around these days that are also based on pretty much the same industry/technology).
I think once we all get a gander at the Breuer Library Charrette entries it will be a reinforcement of the notion that similar ideas are often achieved simultaneously by different people with no contact. All architects have a very similar set of criteria through which we view the world, it is inevitable that overlap will happen. At best, the overlap then allows an interesting comparison of the differences between the projects, as has begun in this discussion.
That said, my husband is constantly struggling with sculpture students who think they are creating a "new" idea with every project simply because they don't know their history.
well put Libery Bell. Most stuff has been done in one form or another. occassionally you come up with something you think is original, then some one walks by and says "hey that looks like..." I do think a fair amount of original work comes from the inner vision, whether familar with history or not, sometimes it just happens. The urge to create original work should always push on.
BTW- LB- rumor has it you are a cranbrook grad, is that true?
shogo, runor true - and I've been enjoying trying to figure out who you are and have it narrowed down to about three...I started in '93. And Cranbrook was constantly a place where one would work on something and someone else would walk by the studio and say "That reminds me of..."
I'll trump that one with Colomina's evocation of the Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier battle over E1027. You can also find a Colomina discussing this on WPS1 for The Feminist Future: Theory and Practice in the Visual Arts at MoMA
Or for those interested in Container Dwellings and similar projects . REally the discussion RE authenticity is boring and pointless. Is someone stiring for an arguement or what?
Expansion of Concept LOT/EK VS Andrew Maynard
As they say, nothing's new under the sun. Numerous other container-based buidling designs aside (Wes Jones, and many others), LOT-EK's first built use of large industrial containers (van bodies, tankers) happened well after for instance, RoTo's Carlsen-Reges House at the Brewery in LA, which re-deployed giant tankers for the pool and a tower/master bath. Plus there are certainly more vernacular examples of habitable containers to be found all over the place...something LOT-EK themselves referenced in their well-known rapid-fire slide shows of influences they used to do -- which certainly didn't include the more 'designed' RoTo example...
...and if we're talking specifically about stacked module based buildings, there's all the work in this regard by Paul Rudolph or the US government's Operation Brakthrough program from the late 60s/early 70s (among others) -- of course these aren't containers as 'found objects' but rather purpose-built with the mobile home industry, but a kind of re-purposing nontheless (and also foreshadowing much of the 'new' prefab house proposals/products around these days that are also based on pretty much the same industry/technology).
that is so true bothands. lest we (or I) forget the metabolists who also pushed these modules in their megacity plans.
I think once we all get a gander at the Breuer Library Charrette entries it will be a reinforcement of the notion that similar ideas are often achieved simultaneously by different people with no contact. All architects have a very similar set of criteria through which we view the world, it is inevitable that overlap will happen. At best, the overlap then allows an interesting comparison of the differences between the projects, as has begun in this discussion.
That said, my husband is constantly struggling with sculpture students who think they are creating a "new" idea with every project simply because they don't know their history.
well put Libery Bell. Most stuff has been done in one form or another. occassionally you come up with something you think is original, then some one walks by and says "hey that looks like..." I do think a fair amount of original work comes from the inner vision, whether familar with history or not, sometimes it just happens. The urge to create original work should always push on.
BTW- LB- rumor has it you are a cranbrook grad, is that true?
shogo, runor true - and I've been enjoying trying to figure out who you are and have it narrowed down to about three...I started in '93. And Cranbrook was constantly a place where one would work on something and someone else would walk by the studio and say "That reminds me of..."
originality is not the point. good is the point.
best case would be both, though, right?
it is like a finger pointing at the moon - don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory
darth vado
too bad andrew maynard is on the other side of the world. he'd be a good one to get to respond to the breuer library rfp.
fyi
copy that
I'll trump that one with Colomina's evocation of the Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier battle over E1027. You can also find a Colomina discussing this on WPS1 for The Feminist Future: Theory and Practice in the Visual Arts at MoMA
another precedent within the typology
http://www.containercity.com/
Or for those interested in Container Dwellings and similar projects . REally the discussion RE authenticity is boring and pointless. Is someone stiring for an arguement or what?
http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/containerbayhome.htm
I only registered to make this comment
Cheers
Rob
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