14 minute read
WALTER DE SILVA
Walter de Silva RENESANSNI ČOVJEK RENAISSANCE MAN
Jedan od najuspješnijih automobilskih dizajnera u povijesti tijekom četiri desetljeća velike karijere nacrtao je više od 130 prototipova, natjecateljskih, izložbenih ili proizvodnih modela za Alfa Romeo, Seat, Audi, VW, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati i Maserati, a čak pet modela s njegovim potpisom okitilo se titulom Automobila godine u Europi During his career spanning over four decades, one of the most successful automotive designers in history has designed more than 130 prototype, sports, concept and production cars for Alfa Romeo, Seat, Audi, VW, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati and Maserati, and as many as five of his designs have won the European Car of the Year award
Sa svim tim linijama mogli bismo napraviti najmanje četiri automobila, prokomentirao je Walter de Silva dok smo prolazili pokraj jednog od izloženih automobila na sajmu u Ženevi. Rečenica koju je te 2007. izrekao onako usput dok smo tragali za mjestom na kojem ćemo na miru porazgovarati savršeno je sažela ljudsku i poslovnu stranu dizajnera čija su djela obilježila kraj 20. i početak 21. stoljeća. Uglađen i čist u svojim kreacijama, istodobno izravan i oštar u stavovima, de Silva je uoči švicarske smotre 2007. promoviran u prvog čovjeka dizajnerskog odjela grupacije Volkswagen, dok je pozornost publike plijenio Audi A5, model koji će mu tri godine poslije donijeti Design Award, Oscara u svijetu dizajna. All these lines could make at least four cars, said Walter de Silva as we passed one of the cars on display at the Geneva Fair. The casual comment he made in 2007 as we were looking for a quiet place to talk perfectly summarises the human and business sides of the designer whose works marked the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Refined and clean in his creations, and, at the same time, direct and sharp in his opinions, de Silva was promoted to the first man of Volkswagen Group Design ahead of the Swiss motor show in 2007, where the attention of the audience was captured by the Audi A5, the model that, three years later, would bring de Silva the Design Award – the Oscar of the world of design.
Fotografije / Photos: Alfa Romeo Audi Daniel Nikodem Photography Volkswagen Wdscars Hongqi
Karijeru je započeo 1972. kao pripravnik u dizajnerskom odjelu Fiata, a okončao 43 godine poslije pomalo neočekivanim odlaskom s pozicije glavnog stratega za izgled tada najvećeg proizvođača automobila u svijetu. Tijekom četiri desetljeća nacrtao je više od 130 prototipova, natjecateljskih, izložbenih ili proizvodnih modela za Alfa Romeo, Seat, Audi, VW, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati i Maserati, a čak pet modela s njegovim potpisom okitilo se titulom Automobila godine u Europi. No odlazak u mirovinu nije značio kraj. Ljubav prema estetici i funkcionalnosti s četiri kotača prelila se na visoke potpetice i 2017. lansirao je liniju ženskih cipela pod svojim imenom, a dvije godine poslije pokrenuo dizajnerski studio Wds & Partners kojim se vratio prvoj ljubavi, automobilima. Jedan od posljednjih uradaka jest zapanjujući hibridni supersportski Hongqi S9 iza kojeg stoji ulaganje američkog Silk EV-a i kineskog diva FAW, automobil na kojem je izvješena cijena od dva milijuna eura. Unatoč brojnim komplimentima koji su pratili prezentaciju, de Silva je vrlo kritičan prema dizajnu azijskog diva. - Kinezi dizajnu pridaju važnost samo kao strategiji. Za njih uvijek morate napraviti nešto iznenađujuće, ali to nikada ne odražava vrijednost marke ili proizvoda. Kada He started his career in 1972 as an intern in the design department of Fiat, and 43 years later, somewhat unexpectedly, retired from his position as chief designer of what was then the largest automaker in the world. Over four decades, he had designed more than 130 prototype, sports, concept and production cars for Alfa Romeo, Seat, Audi, VW, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati and Maserati, and as many as five of his designs had won the European Car of the Year award. But the fact that he retired did not mean he stopped working. His love of aesthetics and functionality shifted from four wheels to high heels and, in 2017, he launched a line of women's shoes under his name, followed by the establishment of the WdS & Partners design studio two years later, with which he marked his return to his first love, cars. One of his latest designs is the stunning hybrid super sports Hongqi S9, which is backed by an investment by the US-based Silk EV and the Chinese giant FAW, a car that comes with a price tag of €2 million. Despite the many compliments that accompanied the presentation, de Silva is highly critical of the Asian giant's design. - The Chinese attach importance to design only as a strategy. For them, you always have to do something
Većina automobila koji se danas pojavljuju na tržištu apsolutno su dosadni. Svi izgledaju jednako, a novi modeli kopije su kopija, što primjećuju profesionalci i klijenti. Dio krivnje krije se u pretjeranom utjecaju računala koja mogu sve, ali nemaju moć dodirivati, osjećati i voljeti, pa sve na kraju ispadne samo matematička formula.
Most cars that come on the market today are absolutely boring. They all look the same, and new models are just replicas of one another, which is perceived both by professionals and by clients. Part of the blame can be placed on the excessive impact of computers that can do anything but do not have the power to touch, feel and love, so everything turns out to be just a mathematical formula in the end.
pristupe nekom projektu, jasno vam kažu kako mora izgledati taj automobil, a to se često svodi na kopiranje. Nažalost nisu jedini. Većina automobila koji se danas pojavljuju na tržištu apsolutno su dosadni. Svi izgledaju jednako, a novi modeli kopije su kopija, što primjećuju profesionalci i klijenti. Dio krivnje krije se u pretjeranom utjecaju računala koja mogu sve, ali nemaju moć dodirivati, osjećati i voljeti, pa sve na kraju ispadne samo matematička formula. Kada se tomu pridoda neshvatljiva agresivnost u završnom dotjerivanju i marketingu, nastaju automobili koji nemaju identitet marke. Naravno, postoje i iznimke poput Porschea, čiji su modeli nepogrešivi, bilo da je riječ o 911 ili električnom Taycanu. Dosljedan je Range Rover, Hyundai ulaže velike napore s Genesisom, a pohvale zaslužuje i rad Flavija Manzonija u Ferrariju za otvaranje novim tržištima i proizvodima. Volkswagen se nastavlja kladiti na jednostavne, nekomplicirane automobile, Alfa Romeo unatoč problemima zadržava identitet, no najbolji dizajn trenutačno potpisuje Mercedes. Premda električni pogon otvara potpuno nov pristup dizajnu automobila, većina proizvođača drži se tradicionalnih oblika. that is surprising, but it never reflects the value of the brand or product. When they start a project, they clearly tell you what that car must look like, and this often comes down to copying. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones. Most cars that come on the market today are absolutely boring. They all look the same, and new models are just replicas of one another, which is perceived both by professionals and by clients. Part of the blame can be placed on the excessive impact of computers that can do anything but do not have the power to touch, feel and love, so everything turns out to be just a mathematical formula in the end. Add incomprehensible aggressiveness in the final touch and marketing, and you end up creating cars with no brand identity. Of course, there are exceptions such as Porsche, whose models are infallible, be it the 911 or the electric Taycan. Range Rover is consistent, Hyundai is making great efforts with Genesis, and Flavio Manzoni's work at Ferrari opening new markets and products deserves praise. Volkswagen continues to bet on simple, uncomplicated cars, and Alfa Romeo, despite its problems, has maintained its identity, but it is Mercedes that currently has the best design. Although the electric drive opens up a completely new approach to car design, most manufacturers stick to traditional forms.
- Nekad su nas prevozili konji, a zatim su stigle kočije opremljene motorima. Bilo je to prije više od 130 godina i aktualni dizajn automobila polako je dobio formu. Sada treba ponovno pronaći arhitekturu, odnosno vanjske i unutarnje dimenzije za nove oblike pogona. Treba vremena, ali zahvaljujući inovacijama i tehnologijama i dizajneri će pronaći nova rješenja. Električni automobil tek trebaju pronaći vlastitu morfologiju i tipologiju koja će se razlikovati od automobila s termičkim motorima. Tri su elementa koji će definirati automobile budućnosti. Prvi su komponente poput motora i baterija, koje će biti sve manjih dimenzija, kao u mobitelima. To će nam dati više prostora iznutra. Drugi je aerodinamika koja mora postati prvi formalni aspekt vozila s obzirom na to da je ključna za potrošnju, a potom moramo poraditi na identitetu marke, odnosno na dizajnu kao jednom od njegovih glavnih obilježja. Želimo li privući mlade ljude, potreban je nov pristup mobilnosti koji mora biti digitalan, povezan i atraktivan. Ključ je, kao što je Steve Jobs učinio s Appleom, stvoriti želju, ponuditi ono što kupac nije mislio da bi mu moglo trebati i generirati novitete koji proizlaze iz promjene, za što je primjer Citroen DS iz 1955. koji je bio poput svemirskog broda. Svi se sjećamo dominacije telefona Nokia na tržištu, dok danas svi pametni telefoni dolaze iz Kine. Može li se isto dogoditi s električnim automobilima? - Na to pitanje ne znam odgovor. Sigurno je da će svaka tehnološka inovacija biti pokrenuta i podržana financijama i resursima različitih zemalja. Kineske automobilske tvrtke postaju jaka konkurencija prije svega zbog vrlo napredne industrijske i ekonomske politike. Priča s telefonima neće se ponoviti ako mi Europljani ostavimo po strani svoje borbe, promijenimo način razmišljanja, prestanemo proizvoditi agresivne automobile i tražimo nove koncepte. Tada ih možemo izbaciti iz igre. Europska kultura temeljno je bogatstvo i oružje za suočavanje s onima koji samo žele kopirati. Potreban je iskorak koji će javnost prihvatiti ili odbiti, ali mislim da je spremna za nešto drugačije. 'We started with horses, which were followed by engine-powered carriages. That was more than 130 years ago, and cars' current design has slowly taken its forms. Now it is necessary to find the architecture again, that is, the external and internal dimensions for the new forms of drive. This takes time, but thanks to innovation and technologies, designers will find new solutions. The electric car has yet to find its own morphology and typology, which will differ from cars powered by heat engines. There are three elements that will define the cars of the future. The first are components such as engines and batteries, which will get smaller and smaller, in the same way that the batteries in mobile phones did. That will give us more space on the inside. The second is aerodynamics, which must become the first formal aspect of a vehicle, since it is crucial for fuel consumption, and then we need to work on the identity of the brand, that is, the design as one of its main features. A new approach to mobility is needed if we are to attract young people, an approach that has to be digital, connected and attractive. The key is to do as Steve Jobs did with Apple, to create a desire, to offer what the customer didn't think they might need and to generate novelties arising from a change, like the 1955 Citroen DS, which was like a spaceship. We all remember the dominance of Nokia phones in the market, while today all smartphones come from China. Can the same happen with electric cars? - I don't know the answer to that question. It is certain that any technological innovation will be backed and driven by finances and resources of different countries. Chinese automotive companies are becoming a major competitor, primarily due to their highly advanced industrial and economic policies. The phone story will not happen again if we Europeans put aside our quarrels, change our way of thinking, stop producing aggressive cars and look for new concepts. Then we can take the Chinese out of the game. European culture is our greatest treasure and a weapon to deal with those who just want to produce replicas. It takes a step for-
Vaše ime u javnosti se uvijek veže uz Alfu 156, ali jedno od vaših ključnih djela jest i Audi A5. Koji od ta dva automobila najbolje izražava vaš stil dizajniranja i koliko se on promijenio tijekom godina? - Za Alfa Romeo 156 i Audi A5 osjećam posebnu povezanost. U pozadini obaju modela kriju se dvije slične priče. Zajednička im je složenost razdoblja u kojem su nastali, a povezuje ih i apsolutni prioritet koji je stavljen na njihovu ljepotu. 156 je imao zadatak ponovno pokrenuti povijest Alfa Romea, kako za sam modela, tako i identitet marke. Njegova je misija bez sumnje bila izvanredna i uz svesrdnu suradnju svih u Centro SAtile Alfa Romeo uspjeli smo spojiti povijest i budućnost. Audi A5 imao je dvostruku misiju. Trebao je najaviti povratak GT klase u Ingolstadt, ali i potvrditi snagu single frame maske na cestovnim modelima. Okušali ste se u oživljavanju legendarnih modela iz prošlosti poput Lamborghinija Miure i Volkswagen Bube. Kakvo je vaše mišljenje o retro dizajnu? - Miura i VW Buba dva su projekta koja su dio moje karijere. Prvi je konceptni automobil koji nas je podsjetio na izvanrednu ideju i projekt koji su realizirali Ferruccio Lamborghini i Giampaolo Dallara. Priznajem da sam razmišljao kako oživiti te godine i dizajnirao svoju verziju Miure bez imalo želje da iznevjerim originalni dizajn. Buba je u startu zamišljena kao serijski proizvod, a tehnička evolucija snažno je utjecala na izgled. No priznajem da me retro dizajn nimalo ne očarava, ali me veoma intrigira. Gordon Murray voli reći da je lakše dizajnirati sportski nego mali gradski automobil koji će se prodavati u velikom broju. Što vi mislite o tome? - Bez ikakve sumnje slažem se s Gordonom Murrayom. Najveća teškoća pri dizajniranju malih automobila za široku publiku dolazi iz dva aspekta. Prvi je vezan za dimenzije koje moraju biti malene te ergonomiju i aerodinamiku, dok se drugi povezuje uz troškove proizvodnje koji dizajneru moraju biti u svakom trenutku prioritet. ward, which the public will accept or reject, but I think it's ready for something different. Your name is always associated with the Alfa 156, but one of your key designs is also the Audi A5. Which of these two cars best expresses your design style and how much has it changed over the years? - I feel a special connection to the Alfa Romeo 156 and Audi A5. Both models have similar background stories. They share the complexity of the period in which they were created, and they are also connected by the absolute priority placed on their beauty. The 156 was designed in order to reboot the history of Alfa Romeo, both for the model itself and for the brand identity. Its mission was undoubtedly extraordinary and, with the wholehearted cooperation of everyone in Alfa Romeo's Centro Stile, we were able to combine the past and the future. The Audi A5 had a dual mission: to announce the return of the GT class to Ingolstadt, but also to confirm the strength of the single-frame grille on road cars. You've tried your hand at reviving legendary models from the past such as Lamborghini Miura and Volkswagen Beetle. What is your opinion of retro design? - The Miura and the VW Beetle projects have been part of my career. The first was a concept car that reminded us of an extraordinary idea and project realised by Ferruccio Lamborghini and Giampaolo Dallara. I did think about how to bring those years back, and I designed my version of Miura without any desire to let down the original design. The Beetle was initially conceived as a serial product, and technical evolution strongly influenced its appearance. But I have to admit that retro design doesn't fascinate me at all; however, it intrigues me a lot. Gordon Murray likes to say that it is easier to design a sports car than a small city car that will be sold in large numbers. What is your opinion? - I entirely agree with Gordon Murray. The greatest difficulty when designing small cars for the general public arises from two aspects. The first has to do with small dimensions, and ergonomics and aerodynamics, while the second is related to production costs that must be a priority for the designer at all times.
