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QUESTION
The purpose of this assignment is to encourage research and reading. Select two architectural critics from the list below. Find one article from each critic and write a brief, one paragraph, summary of each criticism. In an additional paragraph, compare/contrast and comment on the writing style and readability of the authors. Would you recommend them to a friend?
Please note the following:
- Be sure to cite your source.
- This assignment is to be “typed” (word-processed).
- Hand-written submittals are not acceptable.
- Remember the single page, 8 1/2″ x 11″ document format.
Choose two of the following architectural critics:
- Peter Blake – THE NEW REPUBLIC
- Blair Kamin – THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
- Robert Campbell – THE BOSTON GLOBE
- Hall Kaplan – THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
- Beth Dunlop – THE MIAMI HERALD
- Herbert Muschamp (d. 2007) – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Joseph Giovannini – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Nicolai Ouroussoff – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Paul Goldberger – THE NEW YORKER (formerly)
- Robin Pogrebin – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Christopher Hawthorne – THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
- Witold Rybczynski – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Ada Louise Huxtable – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Michael Sorkin – THE VILLAGE VOICE
- Jane Jacobs – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Sarah Williams Goldhagen – THE NEW REPUBLIC
This list is not all-inclusive. There are many more critics and publications. Should you wish to research a critic not on the list, please clear that critic with me beforehand.
A number of people have complained of the need to “subscribe” or “pay” for copies of online articles. In some cases that may be so, although I have found that:
- Downloadable articles can often be acquired at no charge.
- Some online subscriptions are free, especially to students.
- Most of these newspapers and magazines are available for free through the USF Library system, or any public library.
- Some of these newspapers and magazines are available for purchase at local newsstands, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc
ANSWER
Criticism Research: Joseph Giovanni and Jane Jacobs
Giovanni (2018) writes about the post-modernist buildings and wonders if they can be saved since they were praised and reviled in the 1970s. He gives examples of buildings that were treasured back then but ended up considered ugly among the new architectural designs in the cities. In his opinion, even with a new style, buildings lasting decades as such enter a witching hour as people start taking them for granted and ignoring their presence. He then recommends that the tired-looking, even with a fresh coat of paint, may not improve as they are in limbo. Giovanni thinks that the cycle of praise, majorly characterized by neglect and rediscovery to signing petitions, is intense and problematic for post-modern buildings. It is about the style of wars despite the notion that the buildings represent the architecture history.
On the other hand, Jacobs (1961) features important components of cities, like security, which contributes to the greatness of a city. In her words, Jacobs (1961) describes the cities as full of strangers who, although entitled to security as citizens, may not get this advantage because of the social system. The security she describes is not limited to a vigilant police force but the whole social system; public actors, doormen, street watchers, and storekeepers, all included. Jacobs also addresses concerns about developments that contribute to boring, homogenous cores. The housing policies, new buildings with high rents, and squeezed house projects all contribute to what she terms “dead districts.”
Giovanni’s (2018) writing style is exploratory as he included other critics’ opinions to arrive at his argument. His curiosity and subtleness in describing post-modern architecture while citing examples and instances make her work interesting to read. Moreover, Giovanni creatively breaks long sentences to reduce monotony, making reading easier. Jacobs (1961) maintains a swinging writing style to present her opinion without disguise. She uses contemporary situations through a third-person perspective to present her point of view. Furthermore, the sound of authority in her writing style gives away her manifested brilliance in this article. Like other critics, her writing style is unique in this article as she explains and details specific aspects.
Jacobs’s (1961) writing is argumentative, while Giovanni’s (2018) is exploratory and purposive, i.e., to convey what he thinks of the PoMo architecture aside from other critics. Although these writing styles are different, their readability is remarkable and can be recommended to a friend.
References
Giovanni, J. (2018). Should PoMo Architecture, at the 50-Year Mark, Be Saved? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/arts/design/post-modernism-architect.html
Jacobs, J. (1961). Review: ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities.’ The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/books/review/jane-jacobs-death-and-life-great-american-cities.html
