This will be a short post, just wanted to get my thoughts on "Junkspaces" out on the page, or screen.
I recently read "Junkspaces" by Rem Koolhaas, and it was very fascinating to me. The concept he brings forth is that architecture in today's metropolises has no connection to culture or history. This was very interesting to me because these kinds of spaces are all around me, living in Hong Kong. The skyscrapers around me have no connection to history or culture, and they look strikingly similar to one another. Their overuse of steel and glass, the sheer number of advertisements, and the dull marble floor can be applicable to so many commercial buildings I see around me.
It's not that the architects that designed these buildings have no talent or no passion, but rather these buildings are the product of urbanization. These buildings act as simple methods to promote consumption from consumers, it seems that these buildings are born from the need for economic growth in a country. These buildings act as simple methods to provide commercial space for consumers. Like Koolhaas, these buildings are ruining modern architecture, and the inevitable rapid urbanization will just keep shifting the art of architecture down the wrong path. Reading about his concepts made me view the city in a very different way, and I might not be able to unsee it.