3048 - Everything Is Broken I


Herbert is dead. You didn’t know him, I hardly did. He was the requirements manager who wrote the requirements document for the program that I currently build, alongside a group of other programmers.

As requirement docs go, it’s not bad at all, but like all requirement docs it is universally hated. What a strange and sad legacy to leave. And then, it does not matter at all.

Herbert may have enjoyed his work, at least he certainly seemed to set pride in perfection, and whatever the facts were, whether he liked his work or hated it, he’s dead regardless.

I don’t know how old he was, but I suppose slightly younger than I.

The building in these images is the famous Wotruba church in Vienna. You’ll see more of it in the next posts.

The Song of the Day is the Dylan classic “Everything Is Broken”, interpreted by Bettye LaVette. Hear it on YouTube.


There are 6 comments

John   (2015-02-22)

That first image is disorienting and requires a bit of study to understand. I think this architecture would be considered Brutalism? Somewhat hard to love yet fascinating at the same time. Herbert, RIP.

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andreas   (2015-02-22)

Actually I've rotated it until disorientation reached a maximum 🙂

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Cedric Canard   (2015-02-22)

"And then, it does not matter at all." This rings true to me for any legacy, given enough time. Fascinating piece of architecture this Wotruba Church. It looks like Stonehenge on steroids 🙂

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andreas   (2015-02-22)

It's also interesting that this architecture is really used. Downstairs is a kindergarten and while I was there, people were hanging pictures for an exhibition.

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Juha Haataja   (2015-02-22)

There seems to be in architecture a renewal of interest in brutalism. I read a mention of neo-brutalism in a novel and thought that this is a joke, but apparently not. But the neo-brutalist style might fit the current trend towards open offices at work. And sloppy construction would crown the achievement. But I like the photographs nevertheless.

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andreas   (2015-02-22)

It's more brutalism than neo-brutalism. The church has been built 40 years ago.

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