A discussion of design and geography at the Architectural Association in London this spring turned into an examination of difference and uniformity in the work of architects practicing globally. Presented by Asia Design Forum (ADF), a nonprofit think tank, the event was the sixth in a series of Design Roulettes held in different cities since 2010 and the first one outside of Asia. “So many buildings in Asia today are designed in places like London or New York that we thought it made sense to bring this on-going conversation to the U.K.,” said Ken Yeang, a director of ADF.
Christopher Lee, a principal at Serie Architects, which has offices in London, Mumbai, and Beijing, noted that the drive to create buildings that stand out has, ironically, made many cities around the world feel the same. Look at the skylines of fast-growing cities and you’ll find tall buildings screaming for attention but still getting lost in the crowd. That’s because many architects try to create difference out of novelty, using extreme forms to establish identity, said Lee. “Globalization, though, is not new,” he stated, showing a photograph of one of Le Corbusier’s buildings in Chandigarh. Examining Corb’s work in Chandigarh, Lee described it as “both ancient and modern, both universal and specific.”
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