Discussion: Industrial Building
In the 19th century, the image of industrial building was dominated by huge factory structures in which the process of mass production was combined with a concentration of mechanical power. Today, our economic system is changing dramatically, with many of the actual production processes now taking place in Asia. Innovative concerns expect architects to provide holistic strategies rather than design details, and organizational structures based on communication and cultural needs rather than constructional refinements. More and more virtual concerns like Nike are dispensing with the actual production process to concentrate on product planning and marketing. The classical unity of time and place in which industrial activities were carried out in the past, and the kind of construction in which form reflected function are disappearing; but the transition to structures dominated by communications and intelligence is not reflected in the architecture.
