Grifting: Daniel Libeskind

After spending quite some time now trying to FIGURE OUT architecture -- and after literally throwing away Rem Koolhaas books -- I've started to direct my attention regarding this matter to my architecture-school-drop-out-turned-semiotician colleague Steven Kado.
Last week I attempted to visit the heralded new wing of the Denver, CO Art Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind.
Here's our SMS conversation (Me=Denver, Steve=Toronto):
12:25:24 PM : AFJ: What can you tell me about Daniel Libeskind?
12:28:12 PM: SK: Would you like to reap the whirlwind?
12:29:23 PM: AFJ: Please. I'm standing outside his new wing at the Denver Art Museum laughing at it.
12:30:17 PM SK: He's a total dildo.
12:30:59 PM AFJ: Dark dildo?
12:31:46 PM SK: Even though he's obnoxious at least Ghery designs around materials. Danno proceeds in total ignorance. Most of his writing is awful. He's a shit humanist of the worst stripe.
12:33:36 PM AFJ: What about his almost total rejection of utility?
12:33:39 PM SK: Being human means being really selfish I suppose. I hate him the most. Seriously. He is numero uno on my hate list of architects.
12:34:35 PM AFJ: Totally selfish but not in an ownership way. Like in an ignorant or non-contextual way.
12:35:17 PM SK: He gained cred for the Holocaust museum on Berlin. He has no feel for program, theory or materials. His work is flashy so popular.
12:37:43 PM SK: Yeah, totally. I am with you. Utility is called program in architecture. Like, we need two bathrooms on every floor . . .
12:40:13 PM: SK: Although program also means 'make it feel sad' or whatever because technical terms have no consistent application in arch. Totally flawed discipline.
12:40:46 PM AFJ: I love/hate this.
12:42:48 PM SK: Yeah you would. I haven't seen the building. He did a major museum in Toronto. His winning proposal was submitted on a napkin. It was insured for $10000.
12:44:26 PM AFJ: The napkin was given worth? Clarify please.
12:45:10 PM SK: His writing reads like Bono on African poverty. But less charismatic.
12:46:01 PM AFJ: Whoa. Pity. . .
12:47:38 PM SK: Yes. His incoherent scribble was seen as very valuable. It is a napkin. I mean, it is offensive. It addresses nothing. It explains nothing.
12:52:51 PM SK: The design he submitted to be built had to be modified because there were all these glass panels hung by psychokinesis. Also, the mummies and shit can't take . . .
12:54:25 PM SK: . . . direct sunlight. There was a picture of him smiling on a construction hoarding that was constantly being vandalized. Very satisfying.
12:54:29 PM AFJ: Like these glass panels will just hang themselves.
12:57:46 PM SK: Yes. They would just stay where his mighty mind would will them to stay. He is objectively bad at his job. He cannot meet the minimum requirements. Yet successful.
1:00:18 PM SK: The building you're actually in is probably more the work of hard working project managers trying to save their jobs than dan the man.
1:47:55 PM SK: Currently assembling a radio transmitter. Best soldering music: replacing Minor Threat: early Stereolab.






