Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Jordan University's pedestrian tunnel

[Maybe, architecture doesn't have to be stupid after all. liberated from the obligation to construct...] Rem Koolhaas
These words echoed in my head when I was encountered with the renovations done to the JU's pedestrian underground tunnel.
First thing they did... was use the wrong material as floor tiles... the light brownish stone is totally inconvenient for this purpose... this tunnel is crossed by so many students and others every day... and don't forget the winter rain and mud created....
Second thing is the corner's detailing they made... I don't understand what and why!!! they just built what seems to be a bench sort-of-thing... but no one would think of sitting there... it is a circulation area... and people move endlessly...
Third thing is the facade when you go out of the tunnel... It has the traditional disproportional arched neich... and no further comment on that!!!!!
The last thing which is the most horrific is the unjustified steel structure that are being built for kiosks... [my guess]
All of those who visited the university knows that there are always people there setting up a table and selling stuff... from T-shirts... scarfs to CDs and Jewelery... and the place was always cramped...
So as a solution for that... and being bounded by the [obligation to construct] they decided to set up steel kiosks... making the tunnel even smaller.
I don't understand why humans [or maybe Arabs only] love institutionalizing everything... every event should follow a rule... a name... a structure... there is no more place for banal/ naive/ natural actions...
I know that the previous situation wasn't the best... but I don't think that they have got the right solution... as a matter of fact... somethings are better left unsolved or uncorrected...

The tunnel still under-renovation

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