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Show GLORIOUS BOXES Where ever mankind may have gotten its idea of an infinite unchangeable space from, it is safe to say that it is not an immediate deliverance of direct observation. Alfred North Whitehead (14) The most popular - most "functional" - styles of modern architecture are not necessarily those most comfortable to live in, but always those which photograph well. Daniel Boorstin (15) The word "box" is not meant as a humorous exaggeration. It is a precise description of the geometry governing the reality of the man made environment. The scale, name, and purpose of the buildings shown in the following floor plans is information irrelevant to the issue here. We're interested only in the qualities of space not the quantitative or social aspects. Whether one building is bigger or smaller than another is irrelevant. The name and purpose of the building is also meaningless. Whether church government library or temple makes no matter. A box is a "box." The purpose of showing these plans is purely descriptive. What follows is a glance down through the centuries beginning with the ancient Egyptians. Only the dates will be given as to the construct ion. This will show the inevitable inexorable progression toward the ultimate abstraction in the twentieth century - the sloughing off of the ginger bread the dead tissue revealing the final truth. The date of construction isn't really important either when you consider building at the planetary level. As a civilization we are a failure one of God's experiments born lifeless. |