Reyner Banham Megastructure Pdf Download
Lahoma Helmy
THE POSTER DOING A DOUBLE TAKE OF A LIVING STRUCTURE AS THE MASK. IT HAS ALL THE MEANINGFUL STUFF ON IT. LIKE EXISTING: APATHY, POLLUTION, GREED, DECEIT, DESTROY, SUPPRESS, COMPROMISE, PATCH UP, MONEY, VESTED INTERESTS, WAR, INEQUITY, GRAFT, NATIONALISM. NONE OF THAT HAS CHANGED IN FORTY YEARS. SAVED BY THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE: CONCERN, HARMONY,SHARE,IMAGINE, INTEGRITY, PLAY,RECYCLE, INVENT, JUST, EXPLORE, CHOICE, TRANQUILITY, HONESTY, UNITY.THAT TOO IS STILL JUST A HOPE. I HAVE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM THOSE THAT HAVE PURCHASED THE POSTER AND HAVE USED IT FOR INSPIRATION. MAYBE IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH TO COMPREHEND. FEW READ IT. IT WAS IN THE BACKDROP ON A FEW TV SHOWS.
I HAD AN EXHIBITION AT WALNUT CREEK CITY GALLERY IN 1976 WITH NO FEEDBACK. THE PROJECT WAS DEAD AND THE TIMES WERE CHANGING. EARTH DAY WAS NOT POPULAR. THE MATERIALISTIC 80 IES WERE IN VOGUE. ARCHITECTS LIKE VENTURI THAT GLORIFIED THE EXISTING TOOK OVER. IT IS SO EASY TO EMBRACE WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, A WIN WIN SITUATION. ARCHITECTS LOVE TO BE PRAISED FOR MAKING A NEW BUILDING WITH A UNIQUE FACE, BUT ALL THE SAME BACK STAGE.
THE SCALE WAS IMPRACTICAL. ARCHITECTS AND CLIENTS REBELLED FROM MEGASTRUCTURES, BECAUSE IT TOOK COMPREHENSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF MUNICIPALITIES, CITIZENS , AND EXTENSIVE PRIVATE CAPITAL. THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I HAD THE LUXURY OF TEACHING THAT FREED ME FROM RELYING ON MY NEXT BUILDING FOR INCOME, SO I COULD DREAM ON. THE REAL WORLD NEEDED THE NEXT PROJECT TO BUILD TO GET , GOODIES.
HE VIEWED ARCHITECTURE AS PASSING TRENDS, AND CATEGORIZED MEGASTRUCTRES AS SUCH. WHAT I WANTED HIM TO DO WAS TO WRITE A BOOK ON THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. HE, HIS SON AND WIFE CAME TO DINNER IN THE HOUSE IN VENICE ON THORNTON AND I PITCHED THIS TO HIM. HE WAS SHOCKED AND SAID HE HAD OTHER INTERESTS. HE DIED A FEW YEARS LATTER, NEVER INDICATING TO ME THAT HE WAS ILL. WHAT HE MISSED WAS THAT ISSUES OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN COME BACK AGAIN. AS OF THE MOMENT ALL THE ECO CONCERNS: POPULATION EXPLOSION, TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL CONCERNS AND MEGA COMPLEXES ARE MAKING A HUGE COMEBACK. FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED CORRECTLY AND ARE PRESSING PROBLEMS ON EXISTING AND NEW URBAN CENTERS.
WHAT IS HAPPENING ARE PATCH UP SYSTEMS THAT CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH THE PROBLEMS. BUT THAT IS WAY THINGS WORK. DO WHAT YOU CAN WITH THE MONEY YOU HAVE, NOT REALLY TRYING IN TO SOME NATIONAL SYSTEMS, LET ALONE GLOBAL. REGIONAL BEING THE BIGGEST GOAL. THE SYSTEMS NEED TO CONNECT UP WITH STANDARDS FOR ALL. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.
ten years of work ends up as a drawing of the biomorphic biosphere spreading out over the los angeles basin, a few spots on the land like santa monica, beverly hills, downtown los angeles kept as historical monuments
the blurb of reyner banham of the biomorphic biosphere in megastructues, urban structures of the recent past. reyner did say positive things, but i am sure few read the caption on the unattractive ariel of los angeles
CLIENTS TAKE THEIR OWN PROJECTS SERIOUSLY. A HOUSE IS A PERSONAL DEMANDING JOB THAT PROPERLY EXECUTED IS A FULL TIME EFFORT BY ALL PARTIES, ESPECIALLY THE ARCHITECT. I CAN ONLY PUT IT IN A LIMITED PERSPECTIVE OF IMPORTANCE, I AM AN INHABITANT OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE.
OUT OF FRUSTRATION TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS IN THE SUMMER OF 1976 I MADE A MOVIE WITH RALPH MURSINNA, AT THE TIME A RECENT GRADUATE OF SCI-ARC THAT HAD BEEN MY STUDENT. IT WAS SHOT WITH THE LATEST SUPER 8 CAMERA, THE RAGE WITH ZOOM AND DISSOLVE, IF YOU COULD NOT AFFORD 16 MM, WHICH WE COULD NOT. RALPH AND I WENT TO DIFFERENT SPOTS IN LA AND FOUND NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY SHOTS TO BACK UP THE THEME OF USING MACHINES IN A MANNER THAT EMULATES NATURES BUILDING PROCESSES AND FORMS.
THE ONE SHOT I PARTICULARLY LIKED THAT RALPH DID WAS ME RIDING IN MY SILVER CARMEN GHIA CONVERTIBLE IN LA TRAFFIC AND THEN GOING INTO A TUNNEL AND COMING OUT SOARING IN SPACE ZOOMING INTO THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET THE SOUND DUBBED AND THE COSTS TO DUPLICATE ETC. WERE BEYOND MY BUDGET. SO MAYBE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COMPLETE FINISHED FILMS AROUND. ONE WITH MY DAUGHTER LUCIA AND ONE WITH RAPH MURSINNA. MORTON NEIKRUG WAS THE SOUND MAN.
THE WORLD NEEDS TO VISUALIZE POSITIVE THINGS THAT COULD BE. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT CHANGE WHEN MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WHAT THAT COULD BE. THEREFORE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THE VISION WITH THE WORLD.
IN 1995 GREG DAVIS, A FORMER STUDENT OF MINE REVIVED MY INTEREST TO DOING A MOVIE AND HE DID GET A MEETING AT DREAM WORKS, OUR CONTACT THINKING IT WAS NO MORE THAN A DOCUMENTARY. HE GOT ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH AN AGENT THAT SAID HE WANTED THE NEXT ACTION MOVIE, NOT A NEW WAY OF LIVING.
WE REWROTE THE SCRIPT TO BE MORE UP TO DATE WITH GANG VIOLENCE OF THE ERA, BUT STILL THE FIRES AND EARTHQUAKE TO JUMP START A CONCERN TO BUILD NEW IN LOS ANGELES.
RECENTLY I STARTED TO WRITE A SCRIPT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A THEME PARK THAT ONE COULD EXPERIENCE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND BUY INTO IF THE VISITORS BOUGHT THE IDEA. THIS IS A PRACTICAL BUSINESS PLAN THAT COULD BE A REALITY. AS THE GREEN MOVEMENT AND CONCERNS INCREASE, WHICH THEY ARE, THE NEED TO REALLY DO SOMETHING WITH SUBSTANCE WILL INCREASE. THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE INCREASES AS MORE PEOPLE BUY INTO THE IDEA. LIKE AN APPENDAGE TO EXISTING CITIES THAT PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN. REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN A SUBURB THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO BECOME A SELF SUFFICIENT CITY.
MY REAL TALENT IS BEING WASTED TRYING TO SURVIVE, I SHOULD HAVE A RESEARCH LAB FULLY FUNDED BY A UNIVERSITY, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, OR THE GOVERNMENT. I HAVE PROVEN I LACK THE INTEREST IN MONEY , SO WHY NOT LET THE MONEY PEOPLE, WHOEVER THEY ARE TAKE CARE OF MY QUEST TO BETTER THE WORLD? BUT THERE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THAT.
This is good description of how, or how not, to do it alone. Making friends with media always seem to be the entry to get published. But with the internet, especial;ly FACEBOOK and portals, the press seems less important. If you google biomorphic, some of your images appaear. Biosphere the same.
remember that more persons will see the work on the internet than will ever see these in person. The rule of thumb is 99% of the internet stuff is junk, worthless. At least you have something to offer.
thanks for the comment. you are correct. biomorphic biosphere is a difficult name to understand and associate with. that is why on the next project i did, i called it the green machine. the name is now part of history and a lot of people quote the project using biomorphic biosphere. i think the name drove a lot of non architectural people away, which was not my intention.
very good point. but a mute point now after the fact.
glen
Actually BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE is a good name. People, not in architecture, think they have heard of it, probably confusing it with Biosphere 2. Alliteration is a fine device. Most architects have no clue on titles.
Also Biomorphic is exactly what it is. Biosphere what it does.
Even the literal minded should get that.
Glen, I have never forgotten being wowed at the first introduction to your work of posterity. It was in the class Eric and shared with you. Biomorphic biosphere remains the most descriptive and informative name for the project (and as noted, it has an double alliteration that is a built in mneumonic). Although it apparently one needs a slightly scientific sensibility to completely understand and fix the words mentally. I prefer it over Green Machine although I like that as a popular and easy to recall name (and easy to steal!). Downtown Tropisphere is a real stretch for me. Wish I knew how to help get it at least partially built. There are so many technically challenging issues that seem solvable now, but to see the real scale interior spaces created would be an eye opener for the public.
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