Seona Reid Building, addition to Glasgow School of Art (photo by Iwan Baan)

Steven Holl’s addition to the Glasgow School of Art, whose 1909 original by the Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh is an icon of architects of every school, expresses the most profound disrespect for its neighbor. It eats one building and then trashes the old dear by mere proximity. The new building has been called “criminal” by commenters on the TradArch list, and my outrage only begins with that word.

Hugh Pearman’s review of the addition is the sheerest tripe.

The thing should be pilloried by locals who understand that this form of architecture is designed to belittle them and make their lives worse. Yes, designed to do so. Modern architects have so internalized wearing the dislike of the public as a feather in their caps that they go out of their way to disoblige what Roger Scruton called the “disenfranchised majority of building users,” who walk by it, look in its direction, and pray for their eyes to be plucked out.

So I say yes, Glaswegians, pillory the building literally with stones. You will be heroes. I say this with considerable chagrin, having not heaved a stone at the GTECH Building in Providence, which deserves the same treatment. Words apparently have no effect on the reprobates who design this sort of criminal architecture. They are proud to be bastards. If their actions were denominated by society in blood or treasure, they would already be in jail.

I’ve subsequently posted an addendum on “tripe.”