E2: Intervention Architecture

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This film is about five projects that have won the Aga Kahn award for architecture. From Wikipedia: "The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Islamic societies in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community development and improvement, restoration, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment. It is presented in three-year cycles to multiple projects and has a monetary award, with prizes totalling US$ 1 million."I found the content of this video to be very interesting, especially since the award attempts to be holistic instead of, as one person in the video put it, relying on mostly visual criteria as many architectural awards do. One interesting quote regarding a clothing factory that won the award is this: "Due to an industrial boom in the last half of the 20th Century, Turkey is strewn with dimly lit, cement laden, and metal clad factory buildings. They litter the edges of every major city across the county. Like most factories, they're environments that do not cater to human well being. Believing that everyone has the right to natural light, fresh air, and adequate space, the building's designers prioritized the well being of its occupants. Thus generating not only happiness, but increased productivity." On the other hand, the presentation of the material is often dry, with mainly clips of dialogue by persons involved with the design or judging of the projects. Many times, one clip of someone talking about the project would be butted right next to the next clip of another person talking about the project, with hardly a pause between them. Many times I found myself wanting to reflect on what was just said, but I was unable to because of the fast pace. I think the filmmakers may have had to fit five projects into an hour film, and so tried to jam as much content as possible into the hour. Because of the dryness, I felt my attention drifting often, and I would have to rewind the film. The was also my experience with the other e2 series films. The content of this series is important and sorely needed for our culture today, but it is really hindered by the delivery.