link: New York Times
The new Chanel Pavilion in Central Park opened recently, celebrating fashion thru architecture and public space - perhaps missing the mark completely, especially in such economic and environmental/social urgencies.
"Opening the pavilion in Central Park only aggravates the wince factor. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the park as a great democratic experiment, an immense social mixing place as well as an instrument of psychological healing for the weary. The Chanel project reminds us how far we have traveled from those ideals by dismantling the boundary between the civic realm and corporate interests."
What becomes of a public space composed of elite showings - with required previously purchased "free online" tickets? Where do the boundaries of open and closed, elite and common, spontaneous and prepared, fashion and environment meet in a city like New York, within a site like Central Park?
1 comment:
I wonder if any impromptu, parasitic architectures (fashionable or not) will sprout up on the borders of the Chanel lifestyle bubble? Border zones are always the most interesting thing to keep an eye on. How will regular park dwellers adopt any of the spaces or materials generated from the pavilion for their own recreational or economic purposes? I'll go and see.
Post a Comment