http://offcite.org/2009/10/01/book-review-city-ubiquitous Design. Houston. Architecure. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:34:25 -0600 hourly 1 http://offcite.org/2009/10/01/book-review-city-ubiquitous/comment-page-1#comment-247 Jason Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:14:46 +0000 http://offcite.org/?p=1957#comment-247 I think the tunnels and the Galleria are both unusual places for the author to call out as generic, in a sense because especially the tunnels are a place where interiorized enclaves fail at generic banality. That they're underground because of Houston's clime strikes me as nongeneric. But also the war between styles within the tunnels reminds me of the war between styles I often see in new construction in Houston -- those buildings that want to be Villa and Farmhouse and Versailles all at once. This makes me think of Houston sprawl, of buildings rising before city planning is done, of the dealmaking, past and present, that I associate with this city. Even the Galleria, particularly, with its Saks and its Neiman and its Nordstroms, with more high end bouiques than I've ever seen in a mall before -- strikes me as inherently Texan, at least. I think that because of the rise of spaces with certain similarities, it has become more important for us to notice how difference strikes through them in new ways. I think the tunnels and the Galleria are both unusual places for the author to call out as generic, in a sense because especially the tunnels are a place where interiorized enclaves fail at generic banality. That they’re underground because of Houston’s clime strikes me as nongeneric. But also the war between styles within the tunnels reminds me of the war between styles I often see in new construction in Houston — those buildings that want to be Villa and Farmhouse and Versailles all at once. This makes me think of Houston sprawl, of buildings rising before city planning is done, of the dealmaking, past and present, that I associate with this city. Even the Galleria, particularly, with its Saks and its Neiman and its Nordstroms, with more high end bouiques than I’ve ever seen in a mall before — strikes me as inherently Texan, at least. I think that because of the rise of spaces with certain similarities, it has become more important for us to notice how difference strikes through them in new ways.

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