Above is the Blur Building by Diller + Scofido whirling above Lake Neuchatel , Switzerland and Below is an interesting interview of Brian Massumi by Thomas Markussen.

Thomas Markussen

A few years ago, architects were almost obsessed with the question of how cyberspace and virtual reality are changing basic ideas about architectural space. But events like the Neuroaesthetics conference here in London , along with the increasing impact of neuroscience on contemporary architectural theory, marks a clear change of interests — if not a paradigm shift. Significantly, the then almost ubiquitous word “virtual” is now being replaced by “neuro.” What is happening?

Brian Massumi

The introduction of digital techniques into architecture, and the preoccupation with the virtual that came with it, brought up some very old questions with a new intensity. The change came at a time when the idea of “virtual reality” was very current in popular culture and had a major presence in the mass media. “Virtual reality” was used as a synonym for “artificial reality.” There was something of an apocalyptic tone to many commentaries, to the effect that the new generation of digital technology was creating a technological cocoon around human beings that would separate them from any direct access to the world, and would denature human relations.

The old questions that took on new urgency had to do with the relation between nature and culture. Digital techniques in architecture added a new twist that changed the terms in which this question could be asked… Read Article Here

via turbulence also check out their recent post ‘…and more thoughts on the End of Cyberspace‘