In Praise of Shadows A Book by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki & Thomas J. Harper www.goodreads.com Things that shine and glitterA naked bulbThe Japanese toiletEmpty dreamsMost important of all are the pauses+9 More 125 Best Architecture BooksDaylight should not tyrannize architectureDeep shadows and darkness are essentialLights and lampsThe gentle light of shoji screens zendarknesslightmaterialmaking
Controlled environments “Controlled environments” are another of modernism’s great obsessions. Extravagant amounts of energy are spent to keep buildings—as well as skyway systems, shopping malls, and domed stadia—at a constant temperature year-round via entirely mechanical means. The folly is not simply a touchy-feely isolation from the authenticities of nature, which can admittedly be cruel, but a larger disciplinary presumption that seeks to extend the centralized authority (central air, central government) of power ever more comprehensively. It is possible that this particular hubris may have pushed Gaia to the tipping point. Michael Sorkin, 20 Minutes in Manhattan At a uniformly comfortable termperatureFascination with control sustainabilitycontrol