chapter 01_A short tale of theuser/client 's love-hate relationship with the planner/designer

Chelsea Brown

What are the most disastrous projects/buildings or master plans developed according to a utopic vision in a top-down paradigm that have proven to be a mistake after completion? This subchapter will examine projects that have been torn down, projects that are so brutal that they have become objects of hatred and criticism, and projects that manifested such malfunction that they had to be redesigned, retrofitted, or fundamentally altered in the years following their completion. The spatial order tends to reflect the social order, whether one is looking at a roman camp, baroque karlsruhe, or even versailles.

top-down paradigm
Germania unbuilt master plan The masterplan developed by Adolf Hitler and architect Adolf Speer was to serve as a symbol of the nation. The Neo-Classist buildings planed to line the North-South axis were monumental in scale, and suppressive of individual form.. The Volkshalle featured a dome 16 times the size of St. Peters in Rome.

objects of criticism and hatred

The Berlin Wall Construction of the Berlin Wall began August 13, 1961 by East Berlin officials to separate that section of the city from democratic West Berlin. Over the next 28 years the wall would increase in size and number of guarded fortifications. Two drastically different political and social ideologies existed on either side of the wall. http://www.berlin.de/mauer/geschichte/index.en.html

objects of criticism and hatred

The Berlin Wall

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/09/world/europe/20091109-berlinwallthennow.html

fundamentally altered

November 9, 1989 The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Soviet Easter German State. Today both sides of the city have been rejoined. The path of the wall is marked in cobblestones throughout the city.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/09/world/europe/20091109-berlinwallthennow.html

objects of criticism and hatred

Stalinalle

Soviet reconstruction began with the Stalinalle, now known as Karl Marx Alle. The boulevard is 89 meters wide and 2km long. It is flanked by 8 storey buildings that exemplify Soviet reduced classicism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-S94985,_Berlin,_Stalinallee,_Ruinen,_Trmmer.jpg

fundamentally altered
Karl-Marx Allee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-S94985,_Berlin,_Stalinallee,_Ruinen,_Trmmer.jpg

objects of criticism and hatred

plattenbau construction

Plattenbau construction was used by both Soviet and Wester Germans. It was inexpensive and fast to build. Unfortunately it created a monotonous city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-S94985,_Berlin,_Stalinallee,_Ruinen,_Trmmer.jpg

fundamentally altered
covered, adapted, reused

Today the plattenbau has been refinished with colorful pans and given texture. http://www.olex.org/blog/?p=221

symbol of power

1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin The spatial order tends to reflect the social order, whether one is looking at a Roman camp, Baroque Karlsruhe, or even Versailles. source: http://www.olympic.org/multimedia-player/all-photos/1936/08/01/raabs056/

fundamentally altered

Futbal stadium in Berlin Today the former Olympic stadium is used as a futbol stadium. What was once a symbol of power is now a symbol of local culture and pastime. http://www.herthabsc.de/de/stadion/olympiastadion/das-olympiastadion/page/598-1006-89--.html

symbol of power

Tempelhof Airport Tempelhof airport few built projects of Nazi Germany, located at southern end of would be NS axis. At the time the largest structure in the world. Used as airport until late 1990.