Before we head into a digression into one of my other passions, a quick note about this now playing track. BLK JKS are a South African band that have their own take on progressive rock that has really thrilled me throughout the year. They are a difficult band to pin down, but for my money these guys are pretty damn prog - between the wicked guitar solos and the multi-part shifts in tone. But they seem to be divisive - I've seen them compared favorably to Radiohead and negatively to Mars Volta. I love both those bands, thought I don't particularly hear either of them in here. Here's a video of the band performing this particular track in Florida just a few months ago:
Now onto the main reason for tonight's post, a diversion into the world of architecture. As you may have noticed in previous posts, I have more than a passing interest in architecture. At least enough of an interest to get two degrees and work for nine years in the field (at least until my layoff thanks to the current recession). So why not an architecture blog? Mainly because I find architecture much more difficult to write about. I have a hard time getting my thoughts into words and sentences, so it'd probably end up a blog full of photos. Which would be great to look at, but ultimately kind of lazy and it wouldn't allow me to flex my writing muscles - such as they are.
An ongoing interest of mine is the absolutely insane fantasy world that is Dubai. By now you are probably familiar with the beyond ridiculous money that had been thrown into making the city an elite destination for the rich and disgustingly wealthy that makes Las Vegas look like a ghost town by comparison. I find the whole situation fascinating on so many levels.
1. In terms of architecture, the Dubai boom has just been absolutely insane as the sheiks try to outdo and outbuild each other. Burj Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Emirates Towers, Dubai Financial Center, The Mall of the Emirates... I could go on and on. Each new project reveals unheralded levels of design and engineering marvels. From a professional standpoint, this is just thrilling to watch.
2. On the sadder side of the situation, it cannot be ignored that much of this wealth and fantasy is being built on the backs of what can really only be called slave labor. The shocking juxtaposition of the squalid living conditions of the workers "living" just outside the wealth and glitz of the city is impossible to describe in mere words.
3. The sheer chutzpah of these developers is astounding. I mean, really, a map of the world made out of private islands for the super elite? An indoor ski slope in the desert? Wow.
4. With the global economic crisis it has been fascinating to see the city crumble around itself, even as more audacious projects launch (the Louvre Abu Dubai comes to mind). As debt climbs and incomes drop, the European wealthy that flocked to Dubai are leaving in droves, sometimes in such a hurry that they abandon luxury cars in the airport parking lots. On one hand the city continues to reach for the sky, while large swaths are being ignored and left to decay. Another fascinating juxtaposition.
Which all brings me to a wonderful photo essay that recently appeared in the New York Times, which I suggest you spend some time with. It touches on all of the fascinating aspects of Dubai without ignoring the ugliness behind the glamour. It will be very interesting to see what becomes of this city as the rest of the world continues to wake up from the heady over extension of the last decade.
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