Right.

So it's been a while. Every post seems to begin with that sentiment, but that's besides the point.

And besides, there's not much going on. Actually, I did find something hilarious. For something Canadian. [Joking.] In the same format is "Get Your War On" , which is just as funny. But the former is accurate enough to my current experience going on now, though it makes me feel that I've got it pretty good. Futility can be a hobby if you work at it.

A few things that have happened recently:

1. The suggestion of relocating Boston City Hall to South Boston. Mayor Tom Menino is blatantly trying to piggyback on the instant popularity of the new ICA by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. It's intriguing for sure, but the rest of their work is irritating and aloof...I still haven't been there but it's on the list. It appears to be dramatic and dynamic and powerful (and top-heavy), but so is City Hall. But moving the most essential municipal building in the city to its fringe is peculiar and irrational. It's strange how people hate City Hall but the ICA has been hailed as unconditionally great. Maybe I'm such a sucker for Le Corbusier that even an O.K. knockoff of his work still does it for me. That's probably more like it.

Here's a progression...

1. Convent of La Tourette, Eveux-sur-Arbresle France, 1960, [Le Corbusier]

2. Boston City Hall: Boston Massachusetts, 1968 [Kallmann, McKinnell & Knowles]

3. ICA: Boston, Massachusetts, 2007 [Diller Scofidio + Renfro]

This is not at all to say that the ICA is the architectural heir to La Tourette, [I admittedly have a stiffy for Le Corbusier's work, good and bad] but it is pretty closely related to City Hall in its massing, control of public space [though in a much sparser context] and scale. It's different in at least as many ways, and it's better organized internally. In fact, it would probably succeed in Boston's Scollay Square than City Hall...the architects themselves have described it as "a machine for capturing views", which would be a much more successful aim if it were placed where City Hall is. But City Hall couldn't operate where the ICA now is. This pissed me off about a month ago when I first heard about it but I forgot about it. And now I'm tired enough to end this post without any logical conclusion to an argument I've barely made. Enjoy!

Oh, and the other things I wanted to include were 1. people laid off at work, [but not me], 2. the BSA housing competition I've been messing around with and which is making me paranoid, 3. American poverty becoming more pervasive in suburban, rather than urban settings and 4. A recent poll of the public's 100 favorite American buildings [the results are frightening.] ...Ambitious, right? Well maybe I'll get to it next time.

*the photos are from greatbuildings.com, wikipedia.com and archinect.com, respectively.