A Day Made of Bits
This video reminds me of a few architectural projects from years ago:
- The Digital House (1998) by Hariri and Hariri, a house "organized around a Touch Activated Digital Spine...a glass enclosure made of active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs)." The project was sponsored by House Beautiful Magazine.Corning's vision, "A Day Made of Glass," which seems to integrate some of the ideas found in the above projects, is comprised of specific elements centered on glass and technology. But the integration of all of these various pieces into one day, where our interactions take place with screens more than anything else, is kind of depressing. It's a scenario where technology dictates the directions of things. But I think criticism is needed. Just because we can make something doesn't mean it should infiltrate our lives. I think our current course is to let technology lead the way, so in this sense many people will find that this vision makes sense, and is cool to boot.
- The Kramlich Residence and Media Collection (1997) by Herzog and de Meuron, an "inhabitable media installation tailored to meed the daily requirements" of the clients, avid collectors of media art (video, films, slides, etc.). Glass would have been the surface for the projection of their media collection.
- The Phantom House (2007) by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, a project that proposes "a green architecture that satisfies our quest for the good life." The project, located somewhere in the American Southwest, was commissioned by The New York Times.
(Thanks to Mum for the link.)
Science & technology are similar to politics in the sense that you need to border on extreme if you expect to make even a moderate impact. This is Corning's dream, not what they expect to come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteBesides, technology is the result of human inspiration. It is the product, not the driver. My suspicion is there would be a greater need for easy access to relavant information that would drive this development, not because we randomly developed this technoglass that we suddenly feel compelled to use everywhere. I believe it's a misreading of the relationship.
Technology & science can't "lead the way", they can only inspire further response, whether that response is productive or destructive is strictly a human concern.
Granted this is Corning's dream, but a video like this, exploring numerous possibilities for implementing glass/touch technology, nevertheless creates desire. In this sense the technology can help lead the way, if you will. Sure, other factors will shape how and to what extent technologies are implemented, but the desire isn't formed entirely by inspiration and need.
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