America - Baudrillard

“America,” an article by Baudrillard, is one that attempts to show how cities in the United States have attempted and succeeded in developing postmodern buildings and cities. Baudrillard claims that American architects have used a ‘true’ sort of anti-architecture, opting for hard technologies and exaggerating all dimensions. He claims that the architects have found fantastic new ways to design buildings while using elements from historical vernacular styles. Baudrillard compares America to Europe claiming that American streets are alive, “filled with crowds, bustle and advertisements,” while the European street, “…only lives in sudden surges, in historic moments of revolution and barricades” (9). He describes the postmodern architecture used in the cities of New York, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas, and even describes Disneyland as a marvel in architecture where it “conceal[s] the fact that true childishness is everywhere” (12).

The author’s intended audience is those that believe that America is not a bustling place; that there are not any postmodern movements in architecture, and that Europe has cities that surge with new ideas and revolutionary buildings. He makes the claim that there are people who say that “the streets are alive in Europe, but dead in America,” to which he replies, “They are wrong” (9).

Baudrillard is a European that has been brought up in a society where America was not looked up to, but has recently visited and found it to be not only equal to, but beyond the culture that he has become accustomed to. This can be drawn from such statements as “our European skies” (9), and his fascination with America can be seen in his choice of words, describing the American streets as “intense, electrifying, turbulent, and vital” (10).

Baudrillard risks European criticism as he promotes American designs above that of Europe claiming that “space is deemed public and bears all the marks of the public arena,” while America is, “always turbulent, lively, kinetic, and cinematic” (10-11).

The author clearly has an interest in American architecture, especially in the larger, flourishing cities, where “the power of pure open space” is demonstrated (14).

Baudrillard’s excerpt on America seemed to be filled with uncertainty about the country. He appeared to praise New York for its bustling streets, crowded sidewalks, and tall buildings, but seemed to downplay every other architectural design in other cities. Baudrillard described the violence of New York as “the violence of the way of life,” but then goes on to depict Santa Barbara as a collection of “funeral homes” (10). He questions whether the Bonaventure Hotel in LA can be considered postmodern and describes how it does exactly the opposite as its intention (intention – to view the city, result – everyone is cut off from each other). He praises Salt Lake City as “a jewel,” but retorts by referring to its architects as “a people of mutants” (11). Las Vegas is “a great whore,” and Disneyland is a place that conceals the fact that “true childishness is everywhere” (11/12). Then he concludes by stating that these are not cities and makes some allusion that they are deserts. Was he just trying to be ironic? There must have been something that I missed, because I attempted to understand what point he was trying to make, but he seemed all over the place.

The one thing that could be taken away from this article was the author’s description of Disneyland. And with his take on the beloved attraction, I can agree. It shields people from the outside world. It makes them think that they can behave unlike themselves, because it is an imaginary world, when in fact they are more themselves than they are in the ‘real’ world. It is a medium of immersion that tries to be transparent so as to bring out the (I hate to be this corny) inner child of anyone who visits.

Another thought that is brought up from the article, is the idea that architecture can be a form of new media. There are revolutionary new ways to design buildings that present cities in exciting ways, and can even tell stories. Some buildings are a part of this presentation (as with the skyscrapers in New York), while others help to present a new perspective on the city (as with the Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles).

With these points in mind, the following questions are presented:

1. In what ways is Disneyland a transparent medium?

2. In what ways is Disneyland NOT a transparent medium?

3. In what ways can postmodern architecture (as some of the buildings described by the author), be considered forms of new media, if at all?