Friday, March 14, 2008

Urban Oasis or Urban Myth?

I wanted to take you back to the Olympiadorf or Olympic Village – one because I found some amazing colors in the student housing area (as in this photo), and also because it’s an interesting test in urban living. Described as the world’s only settlement in which separation of car & pedestrian traffic succeeded, the Olympiadorf houses approx 10,000 residents of Munich in more than 4600 apartments across more than 40 hectacres. With more than 70 different floor plans ranging from small single unit studios to 140 m2 penthouse apartments, the Olympiadorf offers many options. At the same time, the press has been critical – labeling it a concrete fortress. Check it out for yourself. Let me know your thoughts – model or mass housing?

3 comments:

Chuck Pefley said...

Don't know about the model or mass housing, but I do like today's image. Strong colors and sharp shadows make this quite appealing.

Unknown said...

I'm not sure I'd like to live there, but Chuck's right, this image with the strong colours is fantastic!

Kris McCracken said...

I love this shot. You've really drawn the colours out!

On the issue of public housing, most of the research indicates that the mass model (whether broad acre or tower block), has delivered some really negative unintended outcomes (for example: the concentration of poverty, resulting outcomes in crime, drug use, educational failure, lack of social mobility and so on).

It's a tricky one, because people need to live somewhere and no-one expected these outcomes. It’s easier and cheaper for the state go down the mass housing route, but I think that it is far more costly when one looks in the longer view.

That’s my two cents worth, anyway!