This excellent article by Chip Cutter from his interview with New York architect Vishaan Chakrabarti casts light on the drab uniformity of today’s modern urban landscapes. This is of particular relevance to Asia, where I live. So much of the beauty and distinctiveness of local architectural traditions, many dating back hundreds or thousands of years, have been literally bulldozed into oblivion, replaced by Western temples of consumerism. Like the hutongs and courtyard homes of Beijing, or the grey brick shikumen style archways and homes of Shanghai, or the red brick structures of old Taipei. These are all almost entirely gone, replaced by the dull, utilitarian and frankly downright depressing structures we find ourselves in today. …see more