New from the Belgian-Indonesian vlogging architect duo #donotsettle comes “6 Things You Don't See From Architecture Media (Until You Visit Them).” Known for their user-oriented architecture videos, in this video they present something slightly different to the usual, using a quick tour across several international cities to visit buildings by the likes of Herzog & de Meuron, Unstudio and OMA to demonstrate to viewers all of the experiential aspects of architecture that are often lacking in architecture media.
Their video covers issues such as the route to the building and how it reveals itself within the city, the way people interact with the design, and the feel of materials. While the video is able to give us a vicarious sense of these sensations, it also makes a strong case that when it comes to understanding all of these elements of architecture, there's really no replacement for visiting the building in person.
On the other hand, while it’s undeniable that nothing can recreate the experience of visiting a building in reality (unlike conventional architectural imagery, buildings are not static or two dimensional), it’s also important to not over-inflate first-hand experience to the point of reducing the role of role of architectural media. Neither should be posited to replace the other, but rather they should work in confluence.
More importantly, the buildings that are lauded in the architectural world are simply inaccessible for reasons that are geographic, financial or otherwise. And so for many, architectural media is not the lesser, but the only way to consume such buildings.
All the points that #donotsettle raise in their video are sorely true, so although less archi-travelled viewers may be tinged with a slightly jealous longing, user-oriented videos like these may be the closest comparable experience to the real thing... for now.
