[BP 11] Style & Substance in Modern Design

I ran across this article this past weekend on a discussion of redesigning public space in Cleveland, Ohio. The major question appears to be how to best unify both form and function in a public space with a thoughtful consideration of how to attract and maintain a public presence. The latest proposal can be seen below:

http://media.cleveland.com/pdgraphics_impact/photo/11cgmalljpg-b09cefc673b80f25.jpg

 

 

I find that this article tied directly to our discussion in class of how to define and design a space that works reflects contemporary society, especially in the first industrial and globalized economies.  This past week in class, we discussed several different simultaneous movements in design across the world during the turn of the 20th century. As the world became more closely connected and interdependent, each country began to define its own distinct style, especially in the United States. With the new innovations in building that allowed for the first skyscrapers (after the combination of steel and glass), the overriding question became how incorporate classical building designs with the new, lighter-weight and transparent materials. Here we are 100 years later, and we are still having similar discussions on how to thoughtfully merge new technology into appealing and human friendly space. This style and substance debate is still being explored today.