Food for thought

 

Following on the heels of Monday's blog post about design in a recession and an earlier post from December on how tough times can foster innovation, today Hugh Pearman joins the chorus advocating forward-thinking architecture in the face of economic uncertainty. His thoughts? 

"There's nothing like a recession for bringing architecture back to its senses," Pearman writes. "With less being built, there's time to think. Overblown stylings are out the window. New Puritanism stalks the streets. By and large, this is a good thing." 

In New York alone, the Great Depression, Pearman recalls also saw the building of three of Manhattan's architectural icons - the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. 

Whatever shape the next wave of great buildings take, it seems almost certain they will be sustainable. It's no secret that the incoming Obama administration is placing more of a focus on the environment. Will the green movement be the sector to kickstart the U.S. economy, as many are hoping?