In this week’s comments update, readers are discussing a cluster of seven staggered housing blocks in Abu Dhabi by Dutch studio MVRDV.
Called Pixels, the development features a communal plaza and stepped terraces, designed to encourage residents to spend time together outdoors.
Commenters were unconvinced, calling it “dystopian” and comparing it to a “prison”.
“The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one”
“Looks like a prison, and a non-descript one at that,” wrote Architect Incognito.
In a comment that was upvoted eight times, Rd suggested “the cognitive dissonance is strong in this one”.
Other readers were even less forgiving – Jack Woodburn deemed the towers to be “dystopian ugly” and Heywood Floyd concurred “this is rough”.
However, Apsco Radiales was less cynical and chipped in to say “they are not ugly – they are very much reserved, which is not something you can say for buildings in its sister city Dubai”.
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“Architecture for architects”
Another project compared to a prison in the comments section this week was the Brick House – Philip Johnson’s Glass House guest annexe in Connecticut, which has been restored and reopened following a 15-year closure.
Bloibl felt it had “all the feel of incarceration without the felony rap”.
Joe Public thought it was “architecture for architects – to the rest of us, it’s an outhouse”.
Meanwhile, for Pa Varreon it represented “an interesting conclusion for an entire life devoted to architecture”.
However, some readers were intrigued. “I’ve always wanted to tour the space in silence to hear the transition from exterior to interior,” reflected Michael Wigle.
Ez_ve replied “if you want to tour it but can’t get to it in person, go to a self-storage unit and close the door for a close approximation”.
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Is this actually good design?
Also on commenters’ radars this week was a geometrical family home in Suffolk with an origami-like, wood-clad roof, informed by local buildings and agricultural structures in nearby villages.
“Another bunny architect disappears down the geometry rabbit hole,” lamented Jb.
Meanwhile, commenter RK determined that UK planners have “a remarkably poor ability to stand back and look at the design and ask themselves: is this actually good design?”
“So many complex roof and waterproofing junctions to go wrong,” cautioned Alfred Hitchcock. They went on to ask “what’s the point of the complex and no-doubt expensive roof when the plan and interiors are so conventional?
However, Peterli contested “I’m not convinced that the interiors, once one goes up to the first floor, are that conventional.”
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Comments Update
Dezeen is the world’s most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page and subscribe to our weekly Debate newsletter, where we feature the best reader comments from stories in the last seven days.
