February 2005 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Employees at the European Airbus factory celebrate while unveiling the new A380 super-jumbo jetliner. This illustrates how poorly our whole society understands the obvious trends staring them in the face -- from the lumpen-workers on the factory floor to the burnished CEOs in the executive suites. As the world descends down the flight path of oil depletion, aviation will become far less of a mass consumer activity than it has been in recent decades. Soon, in fact, flying will once again become the preserve of the ultra-wealthy elite. The 'legacy' airlines are within a few years of going out of business. The last thing the world needs now are mega-gigantic airplanes designed for a hyper-mass market.