The Man in Black…whats up with that?
Why do architects wear black ?
Is it because they’re in mourning for their many unrealised projects or because it makes them look thin, or dangerous, or both? The thoughts of architects from Will Alsop to Peter Zumthor on why black clothes are the preferred choice for three quarters of respondents are gathered in a little (black) book by architect Cordula Rau published this week by Springer. more
I haven’t read the book yet but lets speculate on why..
elsewhere Jonny Cash renowned for his black clothing put it in this way:
“Well you wonder why I always dress in black.
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to take a somber tone
Well there’s a reason for the things I have on
I wear the black for the poor and beaten down, living on the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime but is there because he is a victim of the time
I wear the black for those who never read or listened to the words that Jesus said about the road to happiness through love and charity
Why you would think he is talking straight to you and me
Well we’re doing mighty fine I do suppose
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes
But just so we’re reminded of those who are held back
Up front there ought to be a man in black
I wear it for the sick and lonely old..more‘
but why do architects seem to collectively wear black most of the time? Fashion enthusiast think of black as touch of elegance…
“Think class, elegance, suave, and comfort. you want to do something special, but you don’t want to look out of your skin. deapthought’s pick: classic three-button single-breasted black suit with classic white shirt, no tie..more”
But there is still no coherent reason or theory I could find anywhere about this obsession of black with architects. Any ideas?
9 Responses to “The Man in Black…whats up with that?”
Leave a Reply
Robert on November 3rd, 2008
It is because when you are drawing with a pen you cannot see the stains on your jumper.
killion on November 3rd, 2008
HAHAHAAHA….That can’t be right…? Architects wear black because of ink on their shirts…? We should move on from the days of ink since we no longer ink our drawings anymore…
Mark Ellery on November 3rd, 2008
hope you dont mind i moved this article to visual category
Mark Ellery on November 3rd, 2008
RE
“We should move on from the days of ink since we no longer ink our drawings anymore…”
LOL speak for yourself, I will continue to use ink (and pens and pencils) as often as possible (and at every given oppurtunity!)
killion on November 3rd, 2008
Mark: Lets leave this under ‘Practice’.
…and yes we have moved on from the days of ink and pencil..however ofcourse that dosen’t mean you can’t use your pen and pencil to sketch and work out ideas…
What you wouldn’t be doing tho in this day and age is still mass producing your 1:20 construction drawings using INK. surely thts the only way you would have been scared of ink on your shirts…
Mark Ellery on November 4th, 2008
as for getting ink on your shirt when doing a 1:20 – i really dont think thats why architects wore black ha ha ha
i think th type of person that wears black all th time is understated. they dont have anything to scream and shout about, they dont need whacky big collars or designer labels – they are confident without th need to hide behind a mask of clothing
just a question-
a book has been published about black clothing, so then surely the article should go in both categories? ha ha ha
Tom on November 4th, 2008
I think architects wear black coz they collectively have bad taste esp.when it comes to colour! Just look outside your window t any nearest building if you think otherwise…
Mark Ellery on November 5th, 2008
very well said , most of the buildings i see are fake mock victorian/tudor/georgian/edwardian…..
why is a “NEW” building built in a style from one hundred years ago? because that is what PEOPLE (not architects) want. the people feel comfortable in a brick house. they trust it, but more importantly they UNDERSTAND it….
modernism thrust too many new ideas on people in too short a time. at first they embraced the principals, but very soon (10 years) it became hated…. if a architecture is to be developed it has to get the approval of the masses (most of which are NOT architects!)…. without “joe public’s” approval every design will fail to catch on and we will keep building brick clad fakes
Robert Pike on November 5th, 2008
Hence the collective of thick framed glasses LOL!