July 2013 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Proposed Film and Media Study Facility by Lafayette College for downtown Easton, PA. This off-campus melange of incoherently orchestrated buildings is anchored at the corner by a blank-wall “Borg” cube.

Proposed Film and Media Study Facility by Lafayette College for downtown Easton, PA. This off-campus melange of incoherently orchestrated buildings is anchored at the corner by a blank-wall “Borg” cube. Note to planning board officials: the blank walls do not amount to an “artistic statement.” They amount only to a pretension of artistry. In fact, they express zero generosity to the public life of the downtown intersection (the “people” depicted are mere airbrush hallucinations). The “change of materials” trick, which attempts to make the project appear to be separate buildings, only makes the ensemble — and hence the block — appear un-unified. Remember, “diversity” only succeeds within larger orders of unity, absent in this design. The “green” roof of the borg is just an environmental fashion statement, also known as “greenwash.” Water issues associated with it are liable to shorten the life of the building. The “billboard” displaying the college’s name is excessive and is there to make true architectural detail or real ornament unnecessary. The proposal should be regarded as a failure and rejected.