on architecture
May 8, 2008 by Ensio
Street View in New Town of Poundbury by Léon Krier
The global destruction of cities and countryside, of human cultures and of nature itself, can only be reversed by a global philosophical, technical, cultural, moral and economic project: by an ecological project.
The city is not the unavoidable result of a society’s activities. It can only be built and maintained when it represents the goal of individuals, of a society and its institutions.
A city is not an economic accident but a moral project. Forms of production ought no longer to dictate the form of the city; but the form of the city, its organic nature and moral order, must qualify and shape the forms and of production and of exchange.
Léon Krier is an architect and urban planner to my taste: an antimodernist who is propably best known for his development of Poundbury ‘village’ in Dorchester, UK for the Prince of Wales. In my opinion, Krier and others like him should be given free hands to redesign urban environments throughout Europe.
I seem to recall hearing about Poundbury many moons ago, but I’ve not seen any images before. Definitely something to add to my itinerary if I ever get that southwest England road-trip arranged.
I’m glad to say that there’s another project in this vein in the offing. And it’s relatively near me!
http://www.princes-foundation.org/index.php?id=171
Perhaps, if it’s nice enough, I can move there.
This is a good excuse for a pagan road trip, methinks. If Afagddu, who takes good photographs, could lay his hands on a cheap camcorder, we could film the whole thing and sell it to Hollywood for megabucks, and live like kings for the rest of our lives.
Superficially the film would resemble a typical American road trip flick - young crazy student guys tear-ass around in their car, get drunk, do wild stuff, get laid, etc. But it would be the pagan version - so instead of our heroes crashing a fraternity party and drinking beer, they would dress as Vikings, ram their (armoured) car into a fraternity house, slay all the men with axes, spears & swords, and then chain the women and take them away to a life of sexual liberation.
Also, instead of, for example, drunkedly embarrassing themselves in front of the Dean of their college, they could burn down a few mosques and churches, that sort of thing.
Also, there would be human sacrifice and at least one scene with Ensio smoking his skull pipe and looking evil.
i guess it could be called “Ensio’s Summer Holiday” or “Ensio Does England”.
Very tempting ideas, Elberry.