Why "architecture lives"....

Architecture is not something that just happens. And perhaps architects are least to blame (or credit) for how our cities tend to look. To quote that famous Australian architect, "Cities have not been built by architects but rather, by mad monarchs, despots, and so on".

Architecture is often not what it appears to be, and is deeply embedded in ideology. More often than not, it tells us a completely opposite story of the intdended one. Like in John Carpenter's 1988 movie, we need to put a pair of ideological sun-glasses to be really able to experience it, or get its real message. Perhaps it is only then that we can make out the monstrosities inherent in its creation. Or (I'm very pessimistic) in far fewer cases, its angels...

image by jaime.silva (flickr)