Archive for December 8th, 2008

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Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles.

Embedded in this post is the 1972 BBC documentary, “Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles”. I found this via things magazine.

Reyner professes his love for the ” unspeakable sprawling mess” which is L.A. and takes the viewer on a tour using the Baede-Kar tape deck guide. The tape deck guide is a play on words relating to Karl Baedeker , 19th century travel book writer/publisher/extraordinaire.

[Baede-Kar - Computer font cool]

A notable highlight is the editing and stylistic flair that encapsulates this documentary. The slightly yellowed patina of the film, the slow cut editing and the sublime early 70’s L.A. urban condition. One who hasn’t been (myself) can only imagine that this condition remains the same, it has just got bigger.

[Freeway culture - It ain't so bad.]

For those with a short attention span jump forward to 23 minutes 18 seconds, where Banham tackles the Californian Bungalow, notably the Gamble House in Pasadena by Charles and Henry Greene built in 1910. Banham gets to hang out there.

At 25 minutes and 10 seconds, we visit Charles and Ray Eames’ House, “the house that taught Architects to love LA”.

[Eames House - High Standard.]


[Hot Dog Stand - High Standard also]

At 37:50 Banham tackles “Pimp my ride” circa 72, a personal favourite is the Piano van. Very fitting for the mobile private lifestyle the freeway makes available.

At 46:30 we get an L.A Woman (Doors song) montage of the strip and some titty bars. Very Tarantino. Watching this documentary and reflecting on Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown makes those films all the more enjoyable.

[Titty Bars. Every city has them.]

[This is the video]

Banham encapsulates all the good in a city thats planning decisions historically (and to this day) were frowned upon. It is a city for the car as an everlasting vessel. Doomsdayers could argue that it is architecture of demise, an architecture that will collapse without access to speeds above walking pace. Though there is always a reaction. As Banham reacts in a positive way, another could argue positively that the reaction to inevitably expensive gasoline is cars that can run without reliance on fossil fuel energy. The city always finds a way. It is an organism just like any other waste-producing thing on this planet. It may retract in the medium term, and that will be interesting to see.
Car culture and the immediacy and impermanence of standardised “fuel and foodstops” , the city as a series of drive in events, scarce public monuments, billboard art galleries as tourist attractions, private architecture being the best the city can offer, fumigated sunsets…hmmm.
It sounds like Perth…doesn’t it?