Act 4 - Scene 3 - .... After the Rain

I have been reading an AD architectural magazine called 'Architectures of the Near Future' published in 2009. The entire journal is a tribute to the author JG Ballard.  Bleak, stark, uncompromising Architectural landscapes are the sets in his writings. However there is faith in the social ability to endure hardship and prosper.  To quote directly from the introduction:

"Like Ballard, let us not despair; though the future may be uncertain, uncertainty is not without its attractions".
"The current economic situation offers great potential for developing a new agenda in architecture. The fact that the discipline of architecture has become synonymous with the architectural profession is something that will no doubt become contested as unemployment rises through the building industry - those of us who can remember previous recession can also remember them as highly creative periods" (Architecture of the Near Future, 2009, pg 9)


One article suggest that we are already seeing the city model slipping out of control.  The city becomes a site of military conflict a petri dish for political, economic and social decay.  We have seen the warfare throughout the Middle East, SARS in China and New Orleans destroyed by a hurricane.  Is our Utopian vision of cities slipping away from us where slums, and crime dominate the social fabric?


Another article provides some insight on how we could present our own future scenario.  This student has used collage and motion-graphic technique to portray how life would emerge from a destroyed city.  This short film is entitled London After the Rain.  It is reference to surrealist Max Ernst's painting Europe after the rain which was a reflection on the effects of World War II.

London after the rain by Ben Olszyna-Marzys

Again, this is a grim outlook on the future, but I think this is necessary to present our fresh start of a future, as we move towards a decentralised and low-impact lifestyle.  This type of setting could be the beginning of our character's journey, minus the warfare. But emphasising the shift in the way cities, and regional areas can function with high unemployment and low resources.