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The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

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Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#41

Post by X6S1x6Okd1st »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #32
wrinkl3 wrote: post #22

There's currently a huge push online to make Solarpunk a thing, as a kind of an optimistic counterpart to Cyberpunk, but I'm skeptical about whether it can attain the same level of cultural traction as the other big *punks. Cyberpunk and steampunk both fetishize aesthetics from the past - 80's corporate Japan and the Victorian Britain, respectively, - there's a sort of nostalgic longing that keeps them culturally rel…

Plowpunk anyone? I guess not.

People already fetishize agriculture that eschews "best practices".

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#43

Post by DerDangDerDang »

wrinkl3 wrote: post #22

There's currently a huge push online to make Solarpunk a thing, as a kind of an optimistic counterpart to Cyberpunk, but I'm skeptical about whether it can attain the same level of cultural traction as the other big *punks. Cyberpunk and steampunk both fetishize aesthetics from the past - 80's corporate Japan and the Victorian Britain, respectively, - there's a sort of nostalgic longing that keeps them culturally rel…

This article’s main purpose seems to be to fill the gap you observe:

“ Perhaps you might have also picked up on one of the more discreet but omnipresent characteristics of Schuiten’s work (and thus the Solarpunk aesthetic), which is his undeniable appreciation for Art Nouveau.”

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#44

Post by tomc1985 »

motohagiography wrote: post #18

Solarpunk I suspect is more important that we know, because I think rich subcultures are the seeds of massive growth. It's just some funny drawings and internet fanfic twigging our sense of novelty on HN now, but when you see it as representing the desires and longings of young people for wilderness, and also know people who left cities in the last 10y, they were the thin edge of the wedge, where post-pandemic, young…

First of all, where is the 'punk' aspect? There needs to be an aspect of dystopia to use that word.

This sort of organic-growth-everywhere aesthetic is not new, it has been in utopian urban visions for the last 20 or 30 years. Personally I think it started with SimCity 2000 arcologies, but I am probably wrong.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#45

Post by tomc1985 »

wrinkl3 wrote: post #22

There's currently a huge push online to make Solarpunk a thing, as a kind of an optimistic counterpart to Cyberpunk, but I'm skeptical about whether it can attain the same level of cultural traction as the other big *punks. Cyberpunk and steampunk both fetishize aesthetics from the past - 80's corporate Japan and the Victorian Britain, respectively, - there's a sort of nostalgic longing that keeps them culturally rel…

They need to ditch the 'punk' word if it's not dystopic. Like have these people forgotten what it means to be a punk?

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#46

Post by taylorlapeyre »

tomc1985 wrote: post #44
motohagiography wrote: post #18

Solarpunk I suspect is more important that we know, because I think rich subcultures are the seeds of massive growth. It's just some funny drawings and internet fanfic twigging our sense of novelty on HN now, but when you see it as representing the desires and longings of young people for wilderness, and also know people who left cities in the last 10y, they were the thin edge of the wedge, where post-pandemic, young…

First of all, where is the 'punk' aspect? There needs to be an aspect of dystopia to use that word. This sort of organic-growth-everywhere aesthetic is not new, it has been in utopian urban visions for the last 20 or 30 years. Personally I think it started with SimCity 2000 arcologies, but I am probably wrong.

> There needs to be an aspect of dystopia to use that word

I disagree, "punk" is not about dystopia, it's about rebelling against the status-quo. Solarpunk, at its core, is about rejecting our current way of life. That's where the punk comes from.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#47

Post by munificent »

tomc1985 wrote: post #44
motohagiography wrote: post #18

Solarpunk I suspect is more important that we know, because I think rich subcultures are the seeds of massive growth. It's just some funny drawings and internet fanfic twigging our sense of novelty on HN now, but when you see it as representing the desires and longings of young people for wilderness, and also know people who left cities in the last 10y, they were the thin edge of the wedge, where post-pandemic, young…

First of all, where is the 'punk' aspect? There needs to be an aspect of dystopia to use that word. This sort of organic-growth-everywhere aesthetic is not new, it has been in utopian urban visions for the last 20 or 30 years. Personally I think it started with SimCity 2000 arcologies, but I am probably wrong.

> There needs to be an aspect of dystopia to use that word.

Hard disagree. I think "punk" has always been about an ethos that individuals are empowered to make change from the bottom up. The punk aesthetic stands between dystopian and utopian. The former says those in power have made everything horrible and there's nothing you can do about it. The latter says those in power make everything amazing so there's nothing you need to do. Punk says those in power made everything horrible but you can make things amazing.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#48

Post by jeltz »

asmxyz wrote: post #6
gunfighthacksaw wrote: post #2

Very cool, but I don’t want to dwell on all the bugs one would swallow cycling through one of these cities.

If you're swallowing bugs while cycling that means you're probably mouth breathing. It's pretty challenging to convert to strict nasal breathing, but it's worth it and a side benefit is bugs aren't a big deal if you're wearing something on your eyes.

Or it may just mean he is cycling fast. It is only when cycling st a relatively comfortable pace that you can get enough oxygen through only your nose.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#49

Post by dbish »

gmueckl wrote: post #10

This is the first time I hear the term "solarpunk". So this seems to encompass visions of an optimistic future when exploitation of nature, pollution, climate change etc. And strikingly, looking up the definition made me feel an almost juvenile excitement about an idea again which I haven't experienced in a long time. That made me realize that most contemporary visions of the near(er) future seem so bleak and dreadfu…

I always consider myself a techno-optimist for this reason and wish there were more folks who look at the possibilities of tech that way. I’m very happy to see this new solarpunk idea that has aspects of techno-optimism taking ‘root’

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#50

Post by beeandapenguin »

kamranjon wrote: post #26
parentheses wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the same way. My SOs reaction to VR was so viscerally negative. Once I probed it was clearly driven by trends of dystopian futures.

I have the same reaction to VR, what is the optimistic non-dystopian view? I am generally curious because near complete human absorption in technology is what I see and it's hard for me to picture that in a positive light.

VR has given me a new sense of imagination and creativity, similar to what some might experience with 3D printing.

Being able to perceive a digital space in three dimensions is a significantly different human-computer interface than a 2D screen. It feels like so much more is possible once you break into the extra dimension.

From the outside, VR definitely has a dystopian look to it. But from the inside, it can give a sense of "creativity unlocked" once you start thinking about how to build immersive experiences. This liberating mindset, in some ways, is the opposite of what it appears to be on the outside.

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