Noble, an architecture critic from Metropolis Magazine, tries to reconcile his love for Rem Koolhaas's student center at IIT in Chicago with the various things that he doesn't like about Koolhaas himself. The critic admits being ready to dislike the project as he approached with thoughts of contempt for the architect. From his petty pretentiousness with his IIT clients - to his tyranny over his employees - to his cheap tipping at MoMa's cafe - to his somewhat hypocritical attitude toward formalism, Koolhaas is a villain in Noble's mind. All of this is forgotten when Noble walks inside the student center...
Noble's emotions are easily understandable in contemporary architecture. Starpower in architecture doesn't seem to make way for altruism, or vice-versa. Indeed, some of the most thrilling architectural experiences are to be found in bastions of capitalist power. Star-architects, with maybe a couple exceptions (H&dM, for one), seem to rely on large staffs of overworked, underpaid employees. If one is to dwell on it, one can almost construct an ethical dilemma as to whether or not he or she ought to "like" a particular building.
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