The name Silenus suggests something in itself, Otto Silenus was from Hamburg an architect who was not renowned for his work but more for the presence and impact he left on people. He was sought out by Mrs. Beste-Chetwynde to level Kings Thursday and rebuild it with a box like structure. Silenus was passionate about on thing really he was fascinated by the machines which he held in a higher place then human mankind. He says in the a quote to a journalist
“The problem of architecture as I see it is the problem of all art—the elimination of the human element from the consideration of form. The only perfect building must be the factory, because that is built to house machines, not men. I do not think it is possible for domestic architecture to be beautiful, but I am doing my best. All ill comes from man”.
There is something quite eerie and familiar about that, I’ve seen it through the works of Le Corbusier, his fascination with the modern world and the need to create a different world through technology can be scary at first, the need to be different by thinking it is progress and development may not necessarily be a good thing. The similarity between Otto Silenus and Le Corbusier is the obsession towards the machine, and just like Otto quotes “Man is never beautiful; he is never happy except when he becomes the channel for the distribution of mechanical forces.”
I’m not sure if the future will be beautiful, it just depends on what you think is beautiful! we have a need to change and evolve all around constantly through means such as technology, economics, culture and many other things, the pace at which we do so can sometimes leave us feeling left behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment