Critics on the basis of article “Editorial-Form Follows Failure”

The article describes of how often, we are amazed with the masterpieces of architecture without
knowing the facts that lead to that construction, the failure one faces. The buildings that failed are often
set as an example of bad architecture, but because of the mistakes we learn and get aware of what
could be the solution. Failure is the stepping stone to success. We all learn from mistakes.

The article describes building of famous architect, Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth house. The building
was located near the shore, he calculated the flooding level, raised the building accordingly. But the
flood level increased and it was taken along with water. That is the building failed. The solution of
keeping the building safe didn’t worked. The building is not recognized by many of us as it is not a
wonder in architecture. From sketches to site visits to building-in-function or post-occupied, “The story
of architecture is the catalogue of errors that need to be studied, challenged and revisited”.

The history of architecture focuses and highlights the buildings that stood as an example of masterpiece
and innovative experiments, blinding the failures that led to these records. Failure according to many of
us is a negative term, it has negative associations, translate as embarrassment, and have no utility. But it
is a kind of force that pushes us forward and making results better in future.

We are humans, we make mistakes, we fail. Learning from mistakes and correcting them, can turn
failure to success. The buildings that are recently constructed are published and uploaded on digital
platforms. The real value of building is decided when it comes to function. One should not make
premature judgements. The buildings once constructed are often forgotten. Mistakes, flaws and
accidents if recognized in early stages of design, can help a lot. The architectural failures help us to
explore more and it shapes the world around us. The buildings that are considered as masterpieces are
often concealed with thorny backstories like Sydney opera house. The original cost of building the
Sydney opera house was $7 million and the final cost was $102 million. The construction was expected
to take four years and it took 14 years.

Peter Buchman argues that there is no failure, only feedback. According to him, failure implies finality.
It’s like a dead end, the impossibility of turning back, game over. Instead failure doesn’t means your
game is over, it can be taken as an opportunity for better results in future.