MAD's topography-inspired Fake Hills housing development in China has sparked a strong reaction from readers. Calls for the firm to "stop the MADness" lead this week's comments update.
You MAD? readers are criticising the huge, distinctive form of the Fake Hills housing complex recently completed by MAD, which stands between the coastal Chinese city of Beihai and the seafront.
"A perfect way to block sea views and plunge a beach into shadow," wrote Kieran.
"Can we stop this MADness please?" wrote Urbanrodeo. "Talk about post-rational justification – it's a behemoth and a blight, any way you slice it."
Others pointed out that the building is an example of the "oversized, xenocentric and weird" architecture China is moving to outlaw.
"A wavy Prora complex with holes. I thought China didn't want weird architecture any more," said regular commenter She Grabs the Curtain.
One commenter said the structure was the final nail in modernism's coffin:
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Newer York: readers aren't convinced by architect Richard Meier's claim that New York is losing its character to a new wave of skyscrapers.
"Granted he's lived here longer than I've been alive, but I would counter that New York's defining architectural and urban trait is change, not an arbitrary height limit or orthogonal style," said Berklyn in defence of New York's latest crop of supertall towers.
"From street-level view, a building that is 6+ storeys is not much different than a slender 50+ storey residential tower," HintofBrain pointed out.
Other readers questioned Meier's own record. "Says the man who spent a mere few days in Rome and left that city with a super respectful white box dumped over the Ara Pacis," wrote Giles Heather.
A guest user held the architect to account with this rendering of Meier's own proposed design for a World Trade Center memorial:
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BIG in LA: Bjarke Ingels' firm has released plans for a mixed-use scheme in the Arts District in Los Angeles, but commenters are concerned about the impact of gentrification in the area.
"Projects for the rich by the rich who claim to not be for the rich," wrote Ben. A user called Remi agreed, labelling the development as "liberal ideology at its finest" and "BIG gentrification".
Uncharacteristically, one regular commenter had something more positive to say:
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