Mike,
All valid points, and you and I could discuss Frank all day. However, taking our own thoughts (and anyone else's) about Gehry out of the equation, and since this is the Young Architects Forum, I think a better post would have read something like this:
The New York Times just published a list of The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture. While I don't agree with all of the panel's choices - for example, I feel Frank Gehry should have been included if for nothing else than his contribution to melding technology with design - I would encourage the young architects in the forum (and some of the older ones as well) to have a look at the list if possible. (You may not be able to without a subscription.) You may find some architects and architecture unfamiliar to you and may help garner some discussion within your office and among your other architect friends as to what is significant architecture.
And on that note, I would be interested in seeing what your responses are to the list or to the idea of "significant architecture." Also possibly how your thoughts have changed as you've been more involved in the day to day of architecture.
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Lawrence Paschall AIA
President/CEO
Spotted Dog Architecture
Dallas TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-04-2021 08:42 PM
From: Mike Mense
Subject: New York Times 25 Buildings List
Lawrence
Thank you for taking the trouble to respond. These discussions should engender disagreements. That's one of the paths to learning.
Nonetheless.
With all due respect, I think you missed the point. At least twice. Your, or my, opinion is not what is important here. History is does not depend on those.
This is not People magazine. We can and should expect a little more care from the newspaper of record.
It is exactly the suggestion, that you accepted, that this was a worthy collection of judges/selectors, whatever, that makes this a sad thing to have on the record.
Better they had published your list.
I think the history of architecture is important. You are suggesting, on the basis of taste (never in my opinion the appropriate basis of a professional opinion), that Gehry is not central to the history of 20th century architecture. Would you also banish Antoni Gaudi on the basis of a similar apparent devotion to convention?
We all have our conventions I guess. One of mine demands that Frank Gehry, in any number of his works, played a most important role.
I would also timidly suggest that those who dismiss Gehry tell us which of his buildings they visited and disliked.
Personally, I think the museum in Minnesota, to use my word, is silly. But, like I said, who cares about my opinion?
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Original Message:
Sent: 8/4/2021 8:08:00 PM
From: Lawrence Paschall II AIA
Subject: RE: New York Times 25 Buildings List
As a newspaper, The New York Times is free to publish any list they so choose, even if they are silly as you point out. Which makes me wonder why you're upset.
Clearly they didn't just run down to the newsroom and ask a couple of staffers to slap something together. They asked architects, critics, and designers to weigh in and offer an opinion. Which is what this list is. Opinion.
Does Gehry belong on the list? That can be argued. As an architect, I'd be happy if he wasn't on a list anywhere ever again. But that's my opinion, as again, is this list.
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Lawrence Paschall AIA
President/CEO
Spotted Dog Architecture
Dallas TX
Original Message:
Sent: 08-03-2021 01:30 AM
From: Mike Mense
Subject: New York Times 25 Buildings List
I think the Times should be very embarrassed. They have just published something called THE 25 MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKS OF POSTWAR ARCHITECTURE. Of course any list like this is silly. And we can always quibble about I.M. Pei or Eero Saarinen's absence or The Kimball. But to leave out Frank Gehry is inexcusable. Most significant? You don't have to like Gehry or his work but you cannot deny that he and it changed the course of architecture. Really, one hopes someone higher up at the Times issues an apology. If you want to be the newspaper of record, you do not let historical gaffes like this stand.
Am I upset? Yup. Sheesh!
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Mike Mense FAIA
Architect, Writer, Planner, Painter
mmenseArchitect
mensenyc on Instagram
Hamilton Heights, NYCf
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