This building would fall into a category known as a "duck." This term is actually coined by an American Architect named Robert Venturi. It was in his book that was meant to serve as "stinging rebuke to orthodox modernism and elite architectural tastes" (as wikipedia puts it). The term "duck" means to design a building that looks exactly like what it is trying to embody. There are tons of examples of this. (I.E. type in "longaberger store" in google images and it is a huge basket-shaped building).

As someone with a degree in architecture, my opinion (which means no more than anyone else's) on the design is this: I think it's fun. I know a lot of designers would call it corny and lacking depth. But quite honestly, I get tired of artists and designers who constantly argue about "art." It is 100% subjective and wherever you look you can find a famous architect or artist claiming a different stance. Mies Van der Rohe coined "Less is more." Robert Venturi coined "Less is bore." I cannot explain enough my love for architecture and design as a whole, but I spent four years learning/arguing over such issues (and I met a ton of great kids). The fact that there ARE so many stances on something is what makes art AWESOME. Design school is a bounce-house of amazing ideas from some of the most creative people I've ever met that need to start working more with scientists!

Quite honestly though, I think too many artists as a whole approach design with a little too much pretension. I honestly have learned to look at design like this: "I appreciate it." There are so many ideas embodied in every single thing that we use. That architect didn't just say "Hey, let's make a piano!" He thinks about a concept, how people will circulate throughout the structure, building codes, material choices, how it will interact with the landscape, the weather patterns of the area, etc. And then you have the engineers. They have to make that piano top not blow away with an updraft of wind. They have to calculate an entire structural system, a mechanical heating and cooling system, etc. Then you have construction workers who labor for months and know the "in's and out's" of ACTUALLY building that thing! So whenever people make fun of anything tangible at all, it kind of saddens me. And this is just a building folks! Televisions, computers, refrigerators, cars, lamps, toasters, coffee-makers..! I could go on for days. Creativity, Calculations, Scientific Studies, Good Hard Labor - The idea is that before I try to bash any idea, I try to appreciate the teamwork that even made it exist.

• Grew up in a family of construction workers/Just graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Architecture/Back in school for a Masters of Mech. Engineering