Thank you for this, I agree with you that words matter, but also, architecture matters.
The vessel was designed as an act of hubris, too many architects are guilty of this, with no regard for what kind of impact their very public "works of art" (I use the term loosely) will have on the public.
The Vessel is vacuous and ugly, both those things have an impact on the human psyche. No wonder it became a suicide hub.
The money grift is not the least bit surprising.
We desperately need to stop feeding the egos of architects and return to building with harmony, balance and beauty in mind. A comment that I'm sure will bring about a great deal of "eye rolling" from the architecture community.
I remember in school I was having a conversation with some architecture professors about responding to context, and one of them told me that it's important to ignore context because most context is ugly. I worry he would use this to justify the kind of 'public art' you are discussing. quite unfortunate
"Words matter. Language softens injustice. If we want change, we must call things by their rightful names."
"The misuse of language instills evil in the soul." - Socrates
Thank you, David, for writing this piece. You show a high moral standard that must be shared by everyone.
I often wonder how something like that structure could get built in the first place. It is not enough to say it is the responsiibility of the architects and owners, or even the city that would allw it, but why is it there in the first place? What is it for? In the end, the People are responsible for everything. Our level of consciousness, or, as in this case, our UNconsciousness, is always the cause.
Thank you for this; it was a revelation. I knew about the suicides but not about the grift. I personally love the Vessel but now I can never look at it the same way again.
You know every time I hear "center piece" from these city managers and architects when referring to their work, I think it says more than they mean to say. If you spend all day looking at a city rendered on a computer, or (more fitting) a mock up on a table, then yeah maybe you do feel like "center piece" is fitting as you set your place god like at the table city planning. Good stuff 👍
Thank you so much for shedding light on the important topic of how architecture exerts power over people, and how we need to be careful and conscious about our design decisions, which often affect life in unexpected ways.
What a fabulous and important article -- thank you!
And it well explains my cynicism about the media's calling the Thompson murder an "assassination," the gist of which is that he was so much more important a human than the tens of thousands who die each year as a result of so-called health care.
Finally—someone calls out the emperor’s new starchitectural monuments for what they often are: breathtaking containers of nothing. Your take should be required reading before any city approves another ‘iconic’ eyesore. Proof that the sharpest architecture writing isn’t about buildings, but the voids they fail to fill.
Some dramatic, tall structures attract suicidal people, for example, the Golden Gate bridge (see the documentary "The Bridge"). It's a well-known effect. Just looking at this thing, even in a drawing or rendering, makes you wonder how many people are going to want to jump from it. Couldn't they have addressed this at the planning/design stage?
Thanks for including the backstory on how it was funded.
As an out of town visitor, I have viewed the Vessel several times. I was not aware of the multiple tragedies associated with it. Thank you for the information.
This was both enlightening and disturbing. Not just because of the events but the story behind the events.
Thank you for sharing this story. If I bought a book that featured this I would be inclined to share with others. Considering the self editing and publishing process this story would likely be out in the public domain. You gave us the opportunity to connect the dots. Like so many historical events in the world , pages of facts have been eliminated shaping a planned narrative and goal.
(Words matter and you are so right, I hadn’t heard anything of this. Please delete this comment. “Clad” even for being covered in “cladding” from when I worked in a graphic design capacity for a construction company. But more important “committed suicide” gives too much agency to the person who suffered. It’s cool if you think I’m just being a “woke snowflake” but it is a phrase that takes away from the victim.)
Thank you for this, I agree with you that words matter, but also, architecture matters.
The vessel was designed as an act of hubris, too many architects are guilty of this, with no regard for what kind of impact their very public "works of art" (I use the term loosely) will have on the public.
The Vessel is vacuous and ugly, both those things have an impact on the human psyche. No wonder it became a suicide hub.
The money grift is not the least bit surprising.
We desperately need to stop feeding the egos of architects and return to building with harmony, balance and beauty in mind. A comment that I'm sure will bring about a great deal of "eye rolling" from the architecture community.
I agree with you completely.
I remember in school I was having a conversation with some architecture professors about responding to context, and one of them told me that it's important to ignore context because most context is ugly. I worry he would use this to justify the kind of 'public art' you are discussing. quite unfortunate
It is an empty vessel. That’s it.
When it was closed, no one missed it.
"Words matter. Language softens injustice. If we want change, we must call things by their rightful names."
"The misuse of language instills evil in the soul." - Socrates
Thank you, David, for writing this piece. You show a high moral standard that must be shared by everyone.
I often wonder how something like that structure could get built in the first place. It is not enough to say it is the responsiibility of the architects and owners, or even the city that would allw it, but why is it there in the first place? What is it for? In the end, the People are responsible for everything. Our level of consciousness, or, as in this case, our UNconsciousness, is always the cause.
Thank you for this; it was a revelation. I knew about the suicides but not about the grift. I personally love the Vessel but now I can never look at it the same way again.
You know every time I hear "center piece" from these city managers and architects when referring to their work, I think it says more than they mean to say. If you spend all day looking at a city rendered on a computer, or (more fitting) a mock up on a table, then yeah maybe you do feel like "center piece" is fitting as you set your place god like at the table city planning. Good stuff 👍
Thank you so much for shedding light on the important topic of how architecture exerts power over people, and how we need to be careful and conscious about our design decisions, which often affect life in unexpected ways.
I really appreciate your comment and restack as well. these comments keep me going :)
I guess there's no hubris like architectural hubris.
unfortunately true :(
What a fabulous and important article -- thank you!
And it well explains my cynicism about the media's calling the Thompson murder an "assassination," the gist of which is that he was so much more important a human than the tens of thousands who die each year as a result of so-called health care.
right!
this is brilliant. I live in a different country, but exploitation by the rich is unfortunately a bit of a recurring theme everywhere.
Finally—someone calls out the emperor’s new starchitectural monuments for what they often are: breathtaking containers of nothing. Your take should be required reading before any city approves another ‘iconic’ eyesore. Proof that the sharpest architecture writing isn’t about buildings, but the voids they fail to fill.
To paraphrase, this pointless structure is a machine for dying
Some dramatic, tall structures attract suicidal people, for example, the Golden Gate bridge (see the documentary "The Bridge"). It's a well-known effect. Just looking at this thing, even in a drawing or rendering, makes you wonder how many people are going to want to jump from it. Couldn't they have addressed this at the planning/design stage?
Thanks for including the backstory on how it was funded.
As an out of town visitor, I have viewed the Vessel several times. I was not aware of the multiple tragedies associated with it. Thank you for the information.
This was both enlightening and disturbing. Not just because of the events but the story behind the events.
Thank you for sharing this story. If I bought a book that featured this I would be inclined to share with others. Considering the self editing and publishing process this story would likely be out in the public domain. You gave us the opportunity to connect the dots. Like so many historical events in the world , pages of facts have been eliminated shaping a planned narrative and goal.
Yeah. Fucking hate it. It is, simply, ugly, even if people weren’t throwing themselves off of it.
Make beautiful things!
(Words matter and you are so right, I hadn’t heard anything of this. Please delete this comment. “Clad” even for being covered in “cladding” from when I worked in a graphic design capacity for a construction company. But more important “committed suicide” gives too much agency to the person who suffered. It’s cool if you think I’m just being a “woke snowflake” but it is a phrase that takes away from the victim.)