World's Greatest Architect: Making, Meaning, and Network Culture

Artifacts (including works of architecture) play dual roles; they simultaneouslyperform functions and carry meaning. Columns support roofs, but while the sturdy Tuscan and Dorictypes traditionally signify masculinity, the slim and elegant Ionic and Corinthian kinds read asfeminine. Words are often inscribed on objects. (On a door: "push" or "pull.")Today, information is digitally encoded (dematerialized) and displayed (rematerialized) to becomepart of many different objects, at one moment appearing on a laptop screen and at another, perhaps,on a building facade (as in Times Square). Well-designed artifacts succeed in being both useful andmeaningful. In World's Greatest Architect, William Mitchell offers a series of snapshots--shortessays and analyses--that examine the systems of function and meaning currently operating in ourbuildings, cities, and global networks. In his writing, Mitchell makes connections that aren'tnecessarily obvious but are always illuminating, moving in one essay from Bush-Cheney's abuse oflanguage to Robert Venturi's argument against rigid ideology and in favor of graceful pragmatism. Hetraces the evolution of Las Vegas from Sin/Sign City to family-friendly resort and residential realestate boomtown. A purchase of chips leads not only to a complementary purchase of beer but tothoughts of Eames chairs (like Pringles) and Gehry (fun to imitate with tortilla chips in refriedbeans). As for who the world's greatest architect might be, here's a hint: he's also theoldest.