... so some buildings present use is but a variation of the original architect's vision. Many of the commercial premises are still just that but the shop sells more rice than flour. Some pubs have been converted to flats. One of the best disguised ( possibly ) is the cinema that is now a cafe. All black as if wearing a berka. It was never designed to be a cafe, yet Cafe Naz is one of the most popular down Brick Lane. How we use a property isn't hard to deconstruct, there are normally clear indications in the signage or building facades. What is more interesting is how society uses smaller items like street furniture or household items in a completely different way. A Tower Hamlets street planter devoid of flowers becomes a giant ash tray for people to stab there cigarettes into the soil. Front doors are used as message boards instructing postman how to do their jobs. Plastic cups are forced into metal fences to form letters, that eventually become words. Probably the one that interested me most when I gave it consideration was a piece of carpet laying in a park. It had become a bed. Someone sleeping rough was using it along with boxes for protection from the elements.
Do we not learn from this that the consumer wants a product that isn't conveniently available? It seems apparent that the street needs ash trays and the rough sleeper needs to stay warm and the items required are just not in the right place at the right time at the right price.
No comments:
Post a Comment