Photo link.
Last week, I mentioned how great Dennis Oppenheim's artwork was, including "Bus Home" in Ventura, CA. A commenter claimed that the work was "universally hated" in Ventura. Intrigued, I did a little research.
Universally hated might be a little strong, but the project was certainly deeply flawed. As in, the paint has decayed, leading to rust, and Bus Home doesn't provide shelter when it rains. In June, only six years after Bus Home was unveiled, the city began repairs expected to cost $119,000.
This reminded me of an article I read a few months ago about a building Frank Gehry designed for MIT. The building cost $300 million to build ($200 million more than initial estimates) and opened four years behind schedule. And within four years of its opening, MIT had already spent $1.5 million to make repairs.
Problems with such artistic architecture is hardly unusual. After all, the man acknowledged as the "greatest American architect of all time" designed office buildings that suffered from unsealable links, and homes without closet space.
*Previously: Foggy day in Dubai.
*The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture is 45% off at Amazon.
