defensive design + medieval modern

it seems that architecture has suddenly shifted post-9/11… a shift away from the notion of a “more fluid, transparent landscape in which walls would simply begin to melt away.” instead, we have become a society obsessed with security and our architecture is beginning to reflect that with its solidarity of walls and defensive facades. our buildings are barricaded by concrete walls and bollards that begin to disrupt that once worshiped concept of transparency, continuity and interaction across the urban landscape. one of the better-known examples of this if the design for the freedom tower in new york. once seen as a transparent symbol of enlightenment, the design now places it upon a “20-story, windowless fortified concrete base decorated in prismatic glass panels in a grotesque attempt to disguise its underlying paranoia.” rather than exuding a sense of freedom, the obelisk-like form rising above the base is more an expression of “american hubris.” however, there are innovative solutions to deal with this new shift in architecture, seamlessly integrating security into the design as thom mayne had done in the caltrans district 7 headquarters in los angeles. thus, this has become a new problem for architecture to solve among a society ruled by fear, terror and defense.