Eric Owen Moss, who is currently working on an addition to the Queens Museum in Flushing Park (his drawings here) lectures tonight, sponsored by the Architectural League. I will admit upfront I am no fan of Moss, and even as I don’t know his position on the matter, I could not but think ‘What ever happened to Critical Regionalism?’ I attened a workshop earlier in the year on the efficacy of museum expansion, and heard some interesting arguments (moreso against, but that may only have been due to the superior erudition of the anti-expansion crowd, in the form of Max Anderson). So each time I see a new portfolio piece being foisted upon unsuspecting communities under the guise of cultural well-being, I think about how the only context for the effort tends to be a monograph of the architect. Moss has built few structures outside of SoCal, and it’s not so much that one could justify, oh, anything in that location, given its history, but if we are going to use the expansion as an opportunity to showcase new work, couldn’t they have found a local firm? Especially considering that of the last, what, five, major museum jobs in the city, only one went to a local? Play a game: go to the lecture tonite (The Great Hall, Cooper Union, 6:30pm) with a friend and, afterwards, see how many local firms you can name that you think would have been a better candidate. The over/under should be no less than 25.
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Coughing Up the Moon.
Eric Owen Moss, who is currently working on an addition to the Queens Museum in Flushing Park (his drawings here) lectures tonight, sponsored by the Architectural League. I will admit upfront I am no fan of Moss, and even as I don’t know his position on the matter, I could not but think ‘What ever happened to Critical Regionalism?’ I attened a workshop earlier in the year on the efficacy of museum expansion, and heard some interesting arguments (moreso against, but that may only have been due to the superior erudition of the anti-expansion crowd, in the form of Max Anderson). So each time I see a new portfolio piece being foisted upon unsuspecting communities under the guise of cultural well-being, I think about how the only context for the effort tends to be a monograph of the architect. Moss has built few structures outside of SoCal, and it’s not so much that one could justify, oh, anything in that location, given its history, but if we are going to use the expansion as an opportunity to showcase new work, couldn’t they have found a local firm? Especially considering that of the last, what, five, major museum jobs in the city, only one went to a local? Play a game: go to the lecture tonite (The Great Hall, Cooper Union, 6:30pm) with a friend and, afterwards, see how many local firms you can name that you think would have been a better candidate. The over/under should be no less than 25.