2009-05-20

Atkins Proposes New Prayer Halls For Mecca



Well Atkins scares the hell out of me! When you hit the profile tab on their web site a massage pops up saying "A license is required for all but personal use of this code. See Terms of Use at dyn-web.com". Easy buddy! I'm just looking at who you are as an architecture firm..

They probably jacked a code and forgot to disable the pop up :)
(You know it's not "personal use" anymore when you put it on your company web page, right?)

Anyways they as they declare are:

"We are a multinational community of 650 architects sharing a passion for excellence. Unlike many design firms, we believe that design solutions must be fitting to the time, place and culture in which they are located. We have no single “house style” – preferring instead to offer excellent, inspirational architecture and urban design that reflects our diversity and collaborative working style. In this site, you can sample our unlimited creativity."

Their unlimited creativity didn't at least help them here..
How stupid is this. What's this we have no single "house style" shit. Which architect has a single "house style"?
And why do they employ 650 architects? Why not 649 or 651? Does it sound better that way?
Design solutions must be fitting to the time, place and culture in which they are located?
Oh god I'm enlightened! This shakes the foundations of architecture as we know it today.
And the Muslimic / Religious Documentary style voice over the video puts the icing on the cake!

This is the worst "Sell Global, Pretend Local" nonsense I've ever seen!

I guess just like the code, they jacked this "who we are" from a global denim or soda company.
It could be just like this fine:

"We are a multinational community of 650 tailors sharing a passion for excellence. Unlike many denim firms, we believe that denim solutions must be fitting to the time, place and culture in which they are worn. We have no single “Jean Style” – preferring instead to offer excellent, inspirational denims that reflect our diversity and collaborative working style. In this site, you can sample our unlimited creativity."

Why do I care?
Because if no one does this kind of global blueprint sellers especially the ones that have influence over the Arab world, become so bold as to approach KAABA with a shopping mall / stadium / fancy hotel attitude!

Remove The Ottoman Arcade, bring The British
Grandstand! What a nerve!!!
And when it's extended there are 48? Prayer Halls and they remove the Gateways/Minarets as well!
It's not the pointed arch that makes a building Islamic Architecture but respect, love, and praise..

atkinsdesign