Public Survey
Unqualified
In an effort to include additional viewpoints in our discussion of architecture, Paprika! asked Yale students in the Woolsey Hall Rotunda for their opinions on three famous works of architecture: Villa Savoye, Hollyhock House, and Vanna Venturi House. We only gave background information when asked, and we assured students that the designs were not ours and that any criticism wouldn’t hurt our feelings. In the style of before & after home renovation photos, we’ve depicted some of their comments in the following collages.
On Villa Savoye:
“It doesn’t look right for a family, but maybe Justin Bieber would live there.”
“It looks great for parties. It needs a swimming pool.”
On Vanna Venturi House:
“It looks pragmatic and conservative, like it can be assembled quickly to house people. It’s ugly, but how important is aesthetic when people need housing?”
“At first I thought I saw a cross on top. I thought it was a church.”
On Hollyhock House:
“Terrible lawn. The grass needs more nitrates.”
Villa Savoye original photo credit:
Ahlskog, Christian. “Villa Savoye Exterior.” Digital Image. Flickr, July 4, 2012. Accessed November 26, 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/22669220@N07/8539399826/.
Hollyhock house original photo credit:
Kanouse, Kent. “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House.” Digital Image. Flickr, September 8, 2007. Accessed November 26, 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/kkanouse/1358820578/.
Vanna Venturi House original photo credit:
Highsmith, Carol. “Vanna Venturi House in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.” Digital Image. Wikipedia, 1989. Accessed November 26, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanna\_Venturi\_House#/media/File:VVenturi\_House\_Highsmith.jpeg.
