new shoes for the new world

The exhibition the new vision for the new architecture fits in rather oddly in RIBA. the black marble and frosted glass sit uncomfortably with the hardline functionalism of the photographs in the exhibition- the feeling that enjoying RIBA's opulence was, well, a bit wrong, somehow, in comparison. a bit of text on the wall says that 'the model for all modern architecture is the sanitorium' and, partly as a consequence of living in south london for 7 years, i'm tempted to agree.

i'm debating this rather prickly question in public in a few months. i got a phone call at some ungodly hour of the morning yesterday from my adversary, who quipped 'architects are the second oldest profession- except without the standards of the first.' and this exhibition shows the element of truth in this. on the one hand, we have the theories of karel teige, applying marxism to functionalism, constructing a technologised, americanised socialist utopia- 'a model for socialist living that applies the principles of dialectical materialism to space in constructing a liberated socialist city.' on the other, the style is the preserve of wealthy philanthropists like shoe magnate thomas bata, who bankrolled the construction of zlin, a model constructivist community dedicated mainly to the production of his line of shoes.