#techo utopia

[ha213-section4-blog]

I was very intrigued by the concept of the "spacial city" from our assigned readings. The sketch above was done by the author himself, Yona Friedman, of what a typical spatial city would look like. He believed that buildings should move away from being rigid and heavy, and towards being flexible, lightweight, and temporary. This city would look like a merger between countryside and city and could best be described as "mobile architecture." Incorporating more three dimensional space than any other urban/futuristic plan, The Spacial city would efficiently allocate the land available, creating an atmosphere of functionalism.  

[ha213-section4-blog]

1939 New York World's Fair

In class we looked at several styles of architecture stemming from world fairs, so I was curious to see what American world fairs looked like. To my surprise, there is almost a close resemblence between the the New York World Fair that happened seventy years ago and the covers of many sci-fi magazines. 

During the 1930's many different styles of architecture were internationally growing, but the New York World Fair was mostly influenced by Le Corbrusier and Mies van der Rohe. Large geometric shapes, sweeping curves, and glossy white surfaces were prevalent in almost every structure, as well as a huge emphasis on glass and metallic materials. The fair presented a theoretical futuristic city that would potentially replace the dull city fabric of 1930's New York with a more techno-utopic atmosphere. 

Source: http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/04/gallery-1939-worlds-fair/all/