Bermann describes the phrase "narcissistic will to power, most rampant in those who are most powerful" as the "oldest story in the world". It is story as relevant today as it was in the era of Goethe's Faust, relating to developmental tragedy. Mankind strives to better themselves, as history has proven, no matter the consequences to themselves or to the rest of mankind. With bettering oneself in parallel with the evolution of technology, this hunger for self bettering through the modern movement, this will only encourage us to go one step further and maybe too far. Examples of this can be seen from new cities and towns to transportation and energy. Modernisation has changed society, most noticeably in the developing countries. Marshall Bermann describes it as "an impersonal environment, a totally modernised space in which the look and feel of the old world have disappeared without a trace". This quote echoes the title of the book in the sense of 'melting into air', or leaving no trace.
This, In turn, leads us into the cycle of having to destroy before we can create. There is a 'desire for development' and this comes with a price. A price that destroys lives and takes lives. It has become a 'process', the need to destroy to create, a cycle in which humanity of today has become accustom to. Humanity has not learnt anything from previous generations and will continue this way unless we change our approaches to the modernist world. As architects, we need to recognise this social dilemma with the modernist economic developments, but we need to do this in a way in which we don't sell our souls to the devil so to speak. We can no longer turn a blind eye to allow for our pockets to get deeper at the expense of ruining lives of others. Relating this to architecture, we could interoperate this by saying, rather than having to 'destroy' to 'create', or demolish to rebuild, we could build up on the spaces which create our skylines, spaces which are rarely used, this would save us from having to destroy at ground level in order to rebuild up. This could help with the social divide between rich and poor, it is always those most in need that are worst hit. Old council estate blocks get ripped down for 'regeneration', meaning residents get rehomed so that fancy apartments can be built, which help to feed the pockets of the wealthy, making them wealthier. It is a cycle which has long been in place in societies whereby the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. But as architects, we have the chance to help stop this cycle, we can design a world where we don't always have to destroy to create, but instead design to help. With technology of today, there is no reason why we can build with existing buildings rather than against them, we shouldn't have to rip down buildings and relocate people just so we can build bigger and better apartments so the richer can have a luxury penthouse suite. This only creates a bigger divide in societies, the rich think they can do what they want while the poorer envy those who think they can just do what they want when they want. It isn't healthy for society and as architects, we can help this social injustice if we put our minds to it.
This, In turn, leads us into the cycle of having to destroy before we can create. There is a 'desire for development' and this comes with a price. A price that destroys lives and takes lives. It has become a 'process', the need to destroy to create, a cycle in which humanity of today has become accustom to. Humanity has not learnt anything from previous generations and will continue this way unless we change our approaches to the modernist world. As architects, we need to recognise this social dilemma with the modernist economic developments, but we need to do this in a way in which we don't sell our souls to the devil so to speak. We can no longer turn a blind eye to allow for our pockets to get deeper at the expense of ruining lives of others. Relating this to architecture, we could interoperate this by saying, rather than having to 'destroy' to 'create', or demolish to rebuild, we could build up on the spaces which create our skylines, spaces which are rarely used, this would save us from having to destroy at ground level in order to rebuild up. This could help with the social divide between rich and poor, it is always those most in need that are worst hit. Old council estate blocks get ripped down for 'regeneration', meaning residents get rehomed so that fancy apartments can be built, which help to feed the pockets of the wealthy, making them wealthier. It is a cycle which has long been in place in societies whereby the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. But as architects, we have the chance to help stop this cycle, we can design a world where we don't always have to destroy to create, but instead design to help. With technology of today, there is no reason why we can build with existing buildings rather than against them, we shouldn't have to rip down buildings and relocate people just so we can build bigger and better apartments so the richer can have a luxury penthouse suite. This only creates a bigger divide in societies, the rich think they can do what they want while the poorer envy those who think they can just do what they want when they want. It isn't healthy for society and as architects, we can help this social injustice if we put our minds to it.
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