"& the book shall kill the stone...." goes the phrase in Count of Monte Cristo... I first heard it in Ar. Prem Chandvarkar's lecture on the design of a design...
Architecture was one of the highest regarded arts because cultures imbibed their history (& prowess) in the built form before the invention of printing. The written word was a scarce commodity, and one difficult to preserve... Buildings, by comparison, were easier to maintain, and more mighty (seemingly).
As the written word spread (thanks to Gutenberg), architecture lost its place as a representative of the cultural idiom, and there began its search for the inner soul... what did architecture stand for? what would it show the world? ... leading to the birth of so called design ideals...
Put that in our lives, and we are shocked by the rude awakening.. why are we here? what is our purpose? is wealth, health, material comfort our sole aim? will we live as a lost soul, or will our names be etched in stone? what defines us? what drives us?
It is, has and will be the most pertinent question any human could / should / would ask oneself..
it is the darkest question of all, for it scares us into obsolescence..
are you up to the challenge?
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