Infl uen ce & Ins p irati on Archiprint April 2015 \\ Volume 04 \ Issue 01
Foto: Filip Dujardin
Editorial
architecture is the most elementary issue this journal has ever devoted itself to. John Locke (1632-1704) once said about nature: ‘I conclude that there is no thing constantly observable in nature, which will not always bring some light with it, and lead us farther into the knowledge of her ways of working.’ The same applies to architecture; a work of architecture that is not
To what extent can a title be self-evident?
the product of influence or inspiration in any kind whatsoever is very unlikely to exist, and
This seventh issue of Archiprint goes under
as unlikely to ever be achieved. Professionally,
the name ‘Influence & Inspiration’, which at
we are influenced and inspired every single
first may seem rather remarkable to serve as
day. Deliberately and out of free will, or even
a singular theme. Yes, it consists of two words.
by compulsion and unconsciously. Consider
And yes, both phenomena are so relevant to
it as the course of an architect’s everyday life.
architecture as a discipline that they could
The chicken and the egg, so to speak. It’s an
possibly be approached individually, and
infinite loop. Something that happens to all of
suffice as themes for two separate issues. In
us. A vicious circle embedded so deeply in the
that context, this issue’s title may actually
very heart of our discipline that it constitutes a
require some explanation.
permeating and essential factor in the viability and progression of architecture.
Let us first recognize that we are not in any sense denying the singularity of both
So in fact, this issue may be the most
phenomena. In fact, they are substantially
ambitious of all of our past inquiries. How
different. However, even when we briefly allow
do you approach the notion of such an all-
ourselves to omit any level of nuance in our
encompassing theme? How do you grasp
perception, and consider the Oxford dictionary
something that has to do so much, with so
as an absolute truth, we have to admit to the
much? And the question most relevant to this
evident interference of both phenomena.
journal’s pursuit of a literary constructive
Influence is described as ‘the capacity to have
and objective contribution to the controversy:
an effect’, whereas inspiration is characterized
How can this theme successfully be addressed
as ‘the process of being mentally stimulated’.
without the issue becoming a mere collection
In other words, the one cannot practice its
of utterly arbitrary articles?
quintessential nature without the existence of the other. Joined, they become so compelling
We began with something close to our hearts:
that our editorial team chose to perceive,
the current changes in Dutch regulations
approach and elaborate the theme as a two-
that aim to exacerbate the requirements for
word totality.
eligibility to use the preserved title of architect. From 2015 onwards, graduated students of
This could induce the impression that the
architecture have to complete an additional
dilemma of influence and inspiration in
two year programme under the supervision of
a registered architect in order to apply for the
theories by Semper, Von Meiss and the latest
influence and inspiration on knowledge. By
official title.
Venice Biennale curated by Koolhaas, Van der
addressing the common misinterpretations
Westerlaken examines the influence of the
of theories by mid-nineteenth-century Italian
More than ever, a critical awareness prevails
digital era on architecture, and concludes that
architecture historian Manfredo Tafuri, van
among students, regarding the influence that
the physical elements our buildings consist
Bergeijk critiques – almost in the shape of a
all master-apprentice principles entrenched
of allow change over time, yet that in a most
manifesto – our ways of incorporating history,
in our educational system have on inspiring
general sense our profession consists of a
and translating it into specific but doubtful
the new generation. We discussed this issue
constant set of principles.
knowledge and awareness. Nearly counter
with Barbara Kuit and Mark Hemel, who have
to Vervoort’s inquiry into a level of restricted
both worked for architectural ‘masterminds’
However, despite this infinitely fixed set of
ignorance, van Bergeijk questions the frequent
and contributed to education at institutes for
principles, it does seem that occurrences in
desire among architects to use historical
architecture around the world. They argue
time on a more fundamental level contribute
theories as a kind of all-embracing source of
that in general, ‘friction’ during the design
to the way we are susceptive to actually being
inspiration or even as a means of influence.
processes is key to being sufficiently influenced
influenced and inspired. This is illustrated
and effectively inspired, and the master-
by Omayra Mingels when she uses today’s
Awareness thus becomes the more appropriate
apprentice orientated structure of architecture
prevailing
limited
should facilitate this friction.
possibilities
to
behaviour
of
architectural
identify
the
career
answer, if there even is one. In the interview
professional
with Chris van Duijn of the Office for
post-economic-recession
Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), this is
For Dekkers, friction lies in the general aim
graduated architects, of which she herself is
clearly empathized. Generally, van Duijn
towards a balance between ratio and intuition,
one. An event that ‘provokes and activates an
argues that for OMA: ‘Only the methods of
which merely results in what she describes as
extraordinary new input for creativity’, so she
our design and research processes can be
‘poetic engineering’ – a method that considers
argues.
considered generic,’ and clearly OMA has
buildings as the accomplished influences
excelled in these research processes to gain
deriving from a certain location, and coherent
All of the viewpoints so far have in common
influence and inspiration by the establishment
to that the inspiration at a specific moment in
their dependence on knowledge and awareness
of their counterpart AMO.
time.
as key elements for being influenced and inspired, and it seems plausible that they are
Basically, what influence and inspiration means
It is no secret that architecture is not an
somewhat related. Anneke Vervoort attempted
– whether in architecture or in general – cannot
autonomous discipline. The notion of time as a
to designate the actual value of knowledge in
be self-evident. It cannot have an obvious
general phenomenon and all its adverse effects
the process of being influenced, by means of
answer. This issue of Archiprint attempts
have clearly been recurring throughout the
awareness. She organized a 24-hour design
to internalize these phenomena within the
entire theme. To what extent could influence
experiment with no other objective than
discipline of architecture. It is awareness of
and inspiration over time be univocally
that of an end product without restrictions.
the phenomenon that can change it from an
operating phenomena? And if they cannot –
Remarkably, the lack of influence incorporated
unobtrusive event into a notable and crucial
if the ways we are influenced and inspired as
in the brief transformed into a general influence
contribution to a future of better architecture.
creative individuals change over time – then
on the participants, and became a source of
what does that say about the qualities we
inspiration itself. Vervoort’s reportage of the
claim that architecture possesses? Max van
course of the experiment shows the strength of
der Westerlaken provides an unambiguous
ignorance opposed to knowledge.
statement in his essay ‘Persistence and
But Vervoort is not the only one with
Flux’; there is no one accurate answer. Using
legitimate concerns about the dependence of
Teije Hartman
Scaffolds A first Grasp at Influence and Inspiration
Architects
‘
are the most frustrated
people in the world’
[1]
[2]
Most of the design projects I did ‘You imagine what you desire . . .’
I
‘ nfluence
is
a
very
unpleasant
– that is what
subject and I deal with it in a maybe
Herman van Bergeijk told us in his
irresponsible way, which is to really
lecture, and as I reflected on my
ignore it. It would be a nightmare if
own design practice, I had to agree
we started to really think about it;
with him. I’m never as frustrated
it would tie our hands, it would tie
as when I am designing, and it’s
everyone else’s hands.’
even worse when I’ve not yet
Rem Koolhaas, undoubtedly one
3
4
A quote by
at the university were powerfully
This was the title of the Biennale
found inspiration. For me, to find
of the most influential architects
inspired by texts. For example
of Sydney 2014, which already
inspiration is not to receive a vision
of our time. Architecture students
‘Mnemonia or Rhetoric’ by Ignasi
suggests a connection between what
that tells me what to do, or a sudden
admire him, his office and his
de Solà-Morales (1982) had a huge
influences us and what inspires us.
gaze at something that makes me
books, looking for inspiration. A
influence on my design project
The Museum of Contemporary Art
know what my design must be
large number of current and rising
‘Buckets and the Bandstand’, as ‘In
exhibited James Angus’s Orange
like. And it never means checking
‘starchitects’ have worked at OMA,
the Bubble’ by John Thackara (2006)
Beam Knot. A refractory piece of
out the world’s greatest designs so
resulting in an entire so-called
had on my undergraduate project
steel transformed into a composition
that I can start imitating them. No,
‘OMA-offspring’ generation, which
‘Architecture of Adoption’. After
of elegant curves; a knot. Influenced
to me, finding inspiration usually
includes names like Bjarke Ingles,
reading these texts many times,
by the natural character of the used
just means giving up the struggle of
Zaha Hadid and Winy Maas. In fact,
their meaning completely changed
material, the artist was inspired
finding ‘it’, taking a step back and
by continuously surprising us with
and it was at such moments that
toward image that contradicted this
looking at what is already there.
new refreshing ideas, Koolhaas
they became the breeding ground
character. In this context, the beam
Letting this struggle go makes me
and his office have an immense
for another design.
knot is more then an ambiguous
able to discover the hidden qualities
influence on architecture.
conception of material. It becomes a
in what is right in front of me.
representation of how influence and inspiration are themselves knotted. Paul Kersten
Teije Hartman
Margit van Schaik
Luuk van den Elzen
[1]
Buckets and the Bandstand [photo: Paul Kersten]
[2]
Orange Beam Knot. By James Angus. [photo: Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery] Retrieved from http://www. roslynoxley9.com.au/images/galleries/ANGUS_BOS19_2014/048A1705.jpg
[3]
Herman van Bergeijk, Lecture at TU\e 6th of January 2015.
[4]
Rem Koolhaas - Retrieved from http://www.inspirationalstories.com/quotes/t/rem-koolhaas/
Contents
Archiprint April 2015 \\ Volume 04 \ Issue 01 Eindhoven Free publication ISSN 2213-5588 Journal for Architecture, created by students and graduates of the Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology and architecture study association AnArchi. anarchi@bwk.tue.nl www.anarchi.cc/archiprint facebook.com/pages/AnArchi issuu.com/anarchi Editor-in-chief Luuk van den Elzen
Final editor Teije Hartman
Editors Julie Bosch, Paul Kersten, Gregor Roovers, Margit van Schaik, Kavitha Varathan, Max van der Westerlaken, Peyvand Yavari Guest editors Herman van Bergeijk, Jeanne Dekkers, Chris van Duijn, Daniëlle Gras, Mark Hemel, Barbara Kuit, Omayra Mingels, Anneke Vervoort Advisory committee Bernard Colenbrander, Jacob Voorthuis, Gijs Wallis de Vries, Maarten Willems Layout design Luuk van den Elzen
Cover Design Margit van Schaik
Translation and language correction D’Laine Camp Printing Meesterdrukkers, Eindhoven www.meesterdrukkers.nl Publisher AnArchi Eindhoven University of Technology Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning Vertigo Building Groene loper 6 5612 AZ Eindhoven The Netherlands Back issues Archiprint1 — Archiprint2 The Research Issue Archiprint3 It’s All About Competition Archiprint4 Show Us What You’ve Got! Archiprint5 Movement in Architecture Archiprint6 Creating & Experiencing Identity This magazine cannot be republished or reproduced without the permission of the publisher.
8
Inspiration? The Influence of Frition! An Interview with Barbara Kuit & Mark Hemel Luuk van den Elzen & Max van der Westerlaken
12
Observing and Listening
15
How Architecture Grows
18
Percistence and Flux
22
Chance, Time and Teamplay
27
History as an Intentional or Unintentional Counter Model
32
The Nexus of Research and Design; the OMA Approach
36
AnArchi
A Balance of Poetics and Engineering Jeanne Dekkers
The Post Recession Generation of Architects Omayra Mingels
The Core of Architecture Explored in the Digital Era Max van der Westerlaken
A 24 hours of Self-Organized Chaos Daniëlle Gras & Anneke Vervoort
An Interview with dr. Herman van Bergeijk Margit van Schaik
An Interview with Chris van Duijn Teije Hartman & Paul Kersten
An Objective of Influencing and Inspiring Students 6th board of AnArchi
8
Inspiration? The Influence of Friction! An interview with Barbara Kuit and Mark Hemel Luuk van den Elzen & Max van der Westerlaken
Background:
From January 2015, the Dutch Register
BK – On the other hand, the pun already hints
Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit both graduated
of Architects introduced the Professional
at the fact that the process is very important
from Delft University of Technology. Mark
Traineeship, a two-year programme that
to us. During a project, you’ll dispose of more
Hemel went on to study at the Architectural
must be completed in order to obtain the
information if you’ve conducted research.
Association in London, Barbara Kuit to work
title of (interior) architect, urban designer
Next, we look for ways to inform our design.
for, among others, Philippe Starck and Zaha
or landscape architect. This Professional
To remain focused on the core of the project,
Hadid. In 1998, they founded IBA (Information
Traineeship strongly reminded us of the pupil-
we try to always look for feedback rather than
Based Architecture) together. In addition to
master relationship, a time-honoured tradition
just select a certain idea and develop it. This
their work as architects, Mark and Barbara
in architecture. In light of the theme ‘influence
approach offers opportunities to break ground
taught at various schools of architecture,
and inspiration’, we talked to Mark Hemel and
you wouldn’t have thought of beforehand. So
for instance at the universities of London,
Barbara Kuit about the influences of the pupil-
we use information to adjust the project.
Guangzhou, Delft and Eindhoven.
master principle, their teaching experiences,
MH – That information can be anything. In an
inspiring learning environments and the way
era of truly unlimited possibilities, you need
these informed their own work.
something to lead you through the design process and during the creation of architecture.
The
name
Architecture
Information literally
implies
Based
The quest for that ‘something’ makes you go
that
back to the basics of what architecture means
architecture is information-based. Why
to you.
did you choose that name? The theme of this issue – influence and MH – Looking for a name for our office, we
inspiration – has partly sprung from the
wanted it to express the things we base our
recent introduction of the compulsory
architecture on. On the one hand, you want
professional experience period (‘Beroep
to take the liberty to choose as you please,
Ervaringsperiode’,
on the other you want a name to make sense
revives a time-honoured architectural
and call up the right associations. The name
tradition: the pupil-master principle. As
resonates with current times. This resonance
experienced teachers, how do you see
is with computer science, which uses the term
you own roles in this phenomenon?
or
BEP),
which
‘architecture’ to describe how software works. The name Information Based Architecture is in
BK – The professional experience period is
that sense a pun. It refers to both software and
something you have to go through one way
hardware.
or another once you’ve finished your studies,
whether it is compulsory or not. The period
be free in every respect, which would make
thinks ‘through other people’, so to speak.
is very valuable. The pupil-master principle
things a lot easier? ‘New learning’, for example.
BK – She doesn’t always conceive the best idea
reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright. The way he
I believe in the strength of individual coaching,
to subsequently hand out tasks.
set up his office, with everyone there working
but I also strongly believe in showing your
MH – We worked at Architecture Studio
according to a particular vision, shows that
vulnerability and demonstrating how you as a
Herman Hertzberger for a while as well.
it’s an important principle in architecture. The
teacher would do things. In that sense, you’re
What they all have in common is that a single
context within which the principle is adhered
an example to students and they can emulate
conversation of a couple of minutes every
to today is very different – with regard to the
you. So this is not about pure coaching, but
three month yields enough material to keep
available amount of time and commissions –
about making yourself totally available to the
you thinking and rehashing for quite some
but I don’t think the pupil-teacher principle is
students,
time.
less useful.
BK – and not the other way around, of course.
BK – Working with Zaha Hadid is very intense.
That you, as a coach, have your own views and
At times there’s a lot of friction or even rows
So despite the changed times, the pupil-
impose them on the students. This actually
within the firm, but often – especially when I
master principle remains useful and
goes back to your first question about the name
didn’t talk to Zaha in person, but by phone – we
valuable. Does your teaching, therefore,
we chose for our office. Our response to the fact
had the best of conversations. She would say
stem from a sense of responsibility?
that everything is possible is to always look
things like: ‘Barbara, sometimes you’re nothing
for a certain amount of structure, even when
but a Dutch hippy, but sometimes you’re so
BK – On the one hand, it’s disseminating
we teach. Within that structure, students must
right!’ ‘Thinking through other people’ is
values...
have a certain degree of freedom, otherwise
what happens when the team generates ideas
MH – ...but on the other, it’s of value to us, too.
the communication would be one-way: from
and Zaha subsequently chooses the best. That
While you are teaching, you become especially
teachers to students. We have to engage in a
is not necessary an idea that she thought she
aware of the thought processes and theoretical
dialogue, that’s what makes it interesting,
would go for initially: it might just as easily
aspects involved in architecture. You have to
because dialogue involves unexpected factors.
be a completely different one. Other than one-
know exactly which ingredients can result in
way communication from master to pupil, this
a good project. Plotting and testing different
Where you’re concerned, we can also
relationship is mutually inspiring. That’s how
variants are therefore essential. Individual
turn the last question around. Mark
it works, which is as it should be. This way, as a
abilities and students’ preferences aside, you
graduated with Zaha Hadid and Barbara
pupil you’re in a position to develop and steer
gain insight in how certain combinations of
worked there for a number of years. Did
a course that you believe in . . .
ingredients result in certain values in a design.
you experience that relation as a pupil-
In addition, we are very interested in
master relationship at the time?
educational
systems.
They
develop
and
change. For instance, should design challenges
MH – The same thing happened, really. Zaha
10
Europe. Can you tell us more about the
BK – The cross connections between the
way educational climate can inspire or
different units are very inspiring as well. At
influence students?
presentations or interim evaluations, teachers from other units also come to watch and give
“Other than one-way communication from master to pupil, this relationship is mutually inspiring. That’s how it works, which is as it should be. This way, as a pupil you’re in a position to develop and steer a course that you believe in...”
BK – China is an exceptional case. From
advice. This way you know what is going
primary school on, teachers tend to approach
on in all other units of the school as well as
pupils and students top down. Students have
facilitating cross fertilization with respect to
very little freedom of interpretation, which is
content. I’d strongly recommend students to
why their development is profoundly different
visit presentations by fellow students of other
from that of European students.
disciplines. They are hugely informative.
MH – Of course there are differences between cultures, and your own point of view predisposes you to a certain method or way of teaching. In the end, this is about the definition of a successful education. If you judge success by the level of someone’s income in relation to the number of years they have studied, then creativity is not a major contributor at all. If, as a society, you want to educate people to be flexible enough to
“If, as a society, you want to educate people to be flexible enough to solve the problems of the future, the resulting educational climate is totally different...”
solve the problems of the future, the resulting
MH – My primary teacher, Jeffrey Kipniss,
educational climate is totally different. In
always said: ‘Good architecture should be
MH – A one-sided relationship between pupil
terms of the above-mentioned time-money
made in a place where there’s nothing at all
and master reminds me of how things are
ratio, this might yield unsuccessful people,
to do, an incredibly boring place.’ I think he
done in China: it’s something you don’t see
however a small percentage of these will
was right. He always used Italy as an example:
anywhere else anymore. In China, pupils try
eventually be able to actually solve problems.
you can’t build anything in Italy, because the
to equal the master. Imitation in that sense is
Considering all the schools we have taught
moment you start digging you’ll hit a ruin,
considered good; breaking the rules is not
at, I’m totally clear on which one I like best:
which’ll bring the project to a standstill because
appreciated at all. This is one of the reasons
the Architectural Association in London.
you’ll first have to find out what exactly
that the notion of ‘creativity’ is subjected
AA students are strongly motivated and AA
you’ve found. Now, turn that around. Building
to criticism. Disagreements or frictions are
is a hugely competitive environment, for
in a very trendy place – places like Amsterdam
not addressed, whereas these are important
both students and teachers, which makes
and New York come to mind – also makes it
ingredients of the innovative design process.
people quite individualistic. You really feel
very hard to do something interesting. So
This is precisely why teaching is of such value
like history is looking over your shoulder,
your learning environment does influence the
to us. It allows us to seek out friction; it gives
so there’s a great sense of expectation. All of
level of your work. The context in which you
us food for thought. That’s very inspiring.
this takes place, almost paradoxically, in the
learn influences the criteria you set yourself,
Friction is the key word.
rather informal, homely environment typical
the minimum standards you set yourself, the
of the AA. The combination of atmospheric
expectations you have of yourself. When your
You have taught at a lot of different
aspects and, simultaneously, the competitive
environment is really boring, that’ll help you
schools of architecture. Just now, we
and motivated character of the students and
focus on finding out what’s really important
spoke about the differences between
teachers creates a tremendously inspiring and
to you.
the educational climates in China and
successful learning environment.
BK – It’ll give you the freedom to develop
yourself. Everyone around you producing the
in a way: if I want to put up a poster on that
means you can skip the initial phase. As a
most wonderful stuff can really lead you astray.
glass, I have to push really hard. The result is
result, the strength of the connection between
The AA end-of-year show that facilitates cross
that everything is done – hands-off – using a
our teaching and architectural work has
connections between the different units is very
pre-programmed beamer. As a student, you
decreased. In addition, you’re bound by time
inspiring. The fact that universities organize
can’t present your work the way you would
and money in your work, while you have more
such events stimulates both teachers and
want to, simply because the facilities won’t
time to extensively explore and address things
students to make the most of their work.
allow it. You are losing control; it creates a
in teaching. In education, you try to stimulate
MH – Besides, the AA is not committed to a
distance. Working on a computer is similar:
the development of students and you will
single, ‘best’ teaching method. Everyone does
you type something on a keyboard, and as a
discuss every reasonable variety with students
it in their own, by definition individual, way.
result, something changes on the screen. The
whereas in your work, you’ll always want
information has to cover quite the distance
to elaborate on what you have done before
So context influences students. How
between you and the screen and you can’t
(for a client or otherwise). Which is why you
is this this expressed spatially? Can
control what happens en route. I believe that
sometimes skip something.
we draw parallels between different
as an architect, you have to able to work with
BK – To get it right anyway, we don’t see every
universities?
your material in a very direct way. Drawing,
project as separate, but we try to find a certain
for instance, works like that, though the
structure. You touch upon themes that you
MH – I believe that architecture can influence
same thing applies here: drawing something
find interesting, but turn out to work not so
your life. Intimacy and atmosphere are highly
digitally and projecting it at a certain size is
good in a certain project. We don’t throw away
influential and can have a stimulating and
not the same as drawing something at a certain
such themes, but keep them in mind to maybe
inspiring influence. One aspect of that is
size.
develop them further in another project.
dimension, but it is connected with many other things as well. BK – You really ought to organize a student competition to design a learning environment in Vertigo, perhaps per floor, which would facilitate the road to inspiration that is so important in our profession. That’s putting it simply, but it does denote a very fundamental
“So the combination of atmosphere and practicalities creates the possibilities to bring out the best in the students... “
question.
Finally the relationship between teaching
MH – At the AA, there’s this characteristic,
and architectural work: how do they
rough, purple carpet, the slightly angled
influence each other?
walls and next to them a bay window, which is entirely covered in boarding. That way, you
MH – I think that depends on the phase
can hang things everywhere. In a sense, it’s
your office is in. There used to be a more
very classic and outdated, but it does convey
direct connection between our teaching and
character and the spaces are very practical
architectural work. I think that connection is
and useful to architecture students at the same
weaker today. When you teach, you’re always
time. So the combination of atmosphere and
starting over: you begin designing again, meet
practicalities creates the possibilities to bring
a group of new students you have to get to
out the best in the students. Compared to
know again, and so on. At work, you develop
Vertigo, modernism dominates the AA: a lot of
a wide knowledge base and you know the
glass and austerity. This does create a distance
people that you work with on a project, which
12
Observing and Listening A Balance of Poetics and Engineering Jeanne Dekkers
Background:
While images or theories can in a sense
and unusual aspects of life are the basis of the
Jeanne Dekkers graduated from Eindhoven
provide us with inspiration for some or even
seeing and making.
University of Technology in 1978, where she
all of our work, inspiration drawn from places
returned years later as a professor. After
or programmes never fails to result in a unique
Observing and Listening
working for EGM Architecten she founded
design. Architect Jeanne Dekkers, who likes to
As a child in Zuid-Limburg, I learned to look
her own office Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur in
be inspired by travel and experience, explains...
and to think on the basis of place and culture. My family encouraged me to sketch, to paint
Delft. For architects to come up with new ideas,
and to build. During the holidays we went
observing
most
outdoors, crossing borders. Sketching the
important. Day after day, they face reality
different landscapes, buildings and people, I
and
intuitively
learned to observe. I noticed that a different
discover the essence inherent in the exterior.
landscape also implied different buildings and
Repeated observing and listening is essential
different people. Each landscape has its own
to philosophers, scientists, artists, writers,
material, architectural style and way of life.
try
and to
listening
analytically
are and
the
designers and architects who want to create the world of tomorrow. The process unites reason
By travelling, I continue to increase my
and intuition, analysis and emotion to create
experience as an architect: by observing,
an optimal image of reality. I call this fusion
analysing and memorizing large and small
of the intuitive and analytic aspects of the
moments and monuments. Making travel
architectural discipline ‘poetic engineering’.
sketches ensures that all those moments touch my head, my heart and my hands. More than
The Sublime and the Ordinary
anything else, travelling makes me aware that
Observing and listening are the starting point
the buildings that I create are documents of an
of every creation. Observing the ordinary
era. Although perspectives on design progress,
repeatedly enables you to discover the sublime
a building is a static monument of the culture
behind everyday reality. While exploring and
and society of a certain time. A building is
designing, by contrast, it is often difficult to
subservient to the specifications of the client,
find the ordinary, because it is so self-evident.
yet at the same time it is autonomous. I want
Logical solutions are often found only through
my buildings to be powerful statements that
detours, though the best results are close,
contribute to the environment in which they
obvious and simultaneously harbour the
stand.
sublime. Observing and listening to usual
“Although perspectives on design progress, a building is a static monument of the culture and society of a certain time...”
I completed my first commissions: the building for Applied Educational Theory and Computer Science of the University of Twente and a post office in Breda. I sketched the details on the basis of a main concept. Mine was a total design: I designed both the interior and the outdoor spaces; I painted murals inside the buildings; I explored and drew
Art or Science
every proportion. The floor plan and the angular displacement of the
After finishing secondary school, I hesitated between enrolling at the Art
educational building for the University of Twente had a ratio of 1:2:√5.
Academy and studying Physics. I chose architecture. Being an architect,
The entire building, the floor plans, the façades and the environment,
I thought, would give me the opportunity to combine my passion for the
were composed of multiples of this basic size.
creative with my passion for invention and discovery. As it turned out, this reasoned intuitive choice was the right one, after all, the curiosity
Whereas my first buildings were particularly strictly geometrical, in the
associated with the investigation of each new design challenge is the key
course of time my work became freer under the influence of my free
to the creative process.
work. In my spare time I painted and sketched small and large works, I tried things out and came up with forms, meanings and colours. Though
Studying Architecture in Eindhoven, I developed the basic skills
I initially considered the technical side and the freer side two different
necessary to practice as an architect. I learned about techniques, about
worlds, I decided to connect these two worlds – which was the result
social and psychological processes; about the history of architecture and
of an inner struggle. It enriched my work indeed. I now know they are
about materials. The sketching and travelling that I did kept me looking,
continuous.
discovering and observing. Sketching and painting allowed me to explore space, form, colour and proportions, and to express emotion. In
I always felt that designing and realizing buildings came with a heavy
everything that I did, my own observations led me and I allowed others
responsibility, and I still feel that equally strongly. I realize that a building
to influence me only sparingly.
will stand for a long time and that many people have to deal with it every day. Completing my first building, I was therefore very curious whether
After graduation, I was employed by a large architecture firm that gave
the spatial effect and the effect of colours and materials would be as I
me a thorough advanced training. Amid architects I didn’t feel like an
expected – after all, a sketch is transformed into a building of a hundred
architect initially: I was busy imagining a world, spaces that would make
meters. After completion, I saw that the actual spatial effect equalled
people feel comfortable and that would tempt them to use it for a range
the spatial representation I had made beforehand. And the same thing
of purposes. The people around me, on the other hand, were much more
happened in subsequent buildings. I gained confidence in my abilities,
concerned with technical details, with the use of materials.
so I became firmer and my approach became more confident as well.
14
“Though I initially considered the technical side and the freer side two different worlds, I decided to connect these two worlds...”
Creating a liveable place in the desert, you’d first put up walls. Next, the existing wind and sand would make beautiful patterns in the landscape, and then an oasis would start to form. This way, directly and logically, a natural, fantastic design would emerge . . . Designing this way, close to the commission and the given environmental elements, seems easier
Sketching
than it is. You will only find the most obvious solution after a long
Sketching is an important skill for a designer. Sketching is a means to
search. It seems so far away, but it is often close by. The final solution is
visualize ideas directly and quickly and communicatively. Sketching
so obvious in retrospect.
organizes thought, it explores the mind, it captures experiences and teaches you to observe and remember. Sketches use spatial and visual
Conclusion
experiences from memory to construct a new reality. Sketching enables
Creative though processes based on respect for the location, the use of
the visualization of dreams, the creation of that which does not exist;
existing environmental elements and a focus on the commission ought
it directly connects intuition with ratio. While you are sketching, you
to be the starting points for every design. This approach, in which the
consciously and unconsciously analyse colours, proportions and textures.
design mode and attitude are always the same, renders designs that are
Everything you sketch serves as ready knowledge for designing. Spatial
always unique. Only such designs can specifically address the set task,
experiences, memories of buildings and landscapes and knowledge
the environment and the gift of the place.
of space, mass, material and detail are the ingredients of sketching. Sketches can capture different worlds and show different solutions simultaneously: from an urban planning scale to the smallest detail.
In education, therefore, sketching deserves a lot of attention. Sketching will train you to think spatially. Sketching will enable you to design and visualize different scale levels at the same time. Sketches allow the exploration and expression of the atmosphere that will subsequently be the basis for further development: from broad outlines to the smallest details. Thus, all the ingredients of a building are directly and integrally connected in a sketch. A good sketch is accurate and powerful enough to guide the design process. After all, the exploring lines harbour the essence of the design.
“You will only find the most obvious solution after a long search. It seems so far away, but it is often close by. The final solution is so obvious in retrospect...”
How Architecture Grows The Post Recession Generation of Architects Omayra Mingels
During the glory days of societal prosperity,
The New Generation
the adaptive reuse of historical buildings
The impact of the credit crisis has forced
at SATIJNplus Architecten, and former editor
and contextual thinking were commonly
people to share both risks and benefits. It has
of the Archiprint. In December 2014, during
perceived as a bit nerdy. Instead, architecture
triggered new ways of research and stimulated
a TEDX conference in Roermond, Mingels
imbued
socially distinctive designs. As a result, today’s
presented her vision on the role of architects
and was happily adopted by generations of
architecture
in times of economic crisis, which was food for
architecture students. The breakdown of the
‘carte blanche’ and learn to convince their
thoughts related to influence and inspiration on
economic system came as a surprise to Western
professors of their vision and the motivation
a more fundamental level.
civilization. In the case of the Netherlands,
of their decisions with the final design as a
within two years the amount of practicing
result. Reusing buildings, contextual thinking,
architects decreased by 52 per cent. As a result,
social patterns, craftsmanship and dynamic
architectural offices were compelled to make
atmospheres based on a sustainable concept
rational decisions in order to survive: no plan,
are no longer perceived as nerdy.
Background: Omayra Mingels is a Dutch Junior Architect
with
self-expression
dominated,
students
start
their
projects
no vision. It is a remarkable mindset that most people Today, only 47 per cent of the pre-crisis number
still feel empathy towards young professionals
of architects still practice in the Netherlands. It
these days. From my own experience, I believe
is the beginning of an entirely new situation.
that many people underestimate the versatile
The credit crisis has forced both architects and
qualities of most young professionals. ‘How
students of architecture to think critically and
can this young generation develop if they can
to anticipate changes over time; to rethink
hardly get a job, they probably do not have enough
architecture, to become inspired and to come
money to buy their own house, or a good looking
up with innovative designs that connote the
car. How can they develop themselves if they do not
works of visionary architecture.
get the possibility?’
14.356 architects (NL) 1.6 billion euro turn-over 6.750 architects (NL) 0.725 billion euro turn-over
2
This common perception
of young professionals should be revised. As a matter of fact, most post real-estate-bubbleburst students have no familiarity with the feeling of easily getting a range of career
[1]
Diagram 1 Omayra Mingels, The amount of architects 2009-2014, 2014
[2]
Mingels, O., (2014, December 12), How Architecture GrowsAcquired through https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wet_7ZAbHTo
possibilities. They don’t even have a clue how it felt to lose these possibilities. This generation has been forced to gain knowledge on how [1]
2008
2015
to create everything out of nothing. How to
16
is sometimes a privilege because it forces them
what I then called “context thinking” - that a new
to think outside the box. The current crisis
thing is to be thought through in the context of the
marks architects as designers of our future,
existing patterns. . . . it was taught that a design
not as designers of our building environment.
for a building . . . could not be evolved outside of
Initiating new ideals that result in social
context.”. It became a fashionable topic, and the
designs, this new crisis-raised generation
Smithsons induced that a design could not be
could play an important role in establishing a
evolved outside of context.’ 4
better world.
create a vision with possibilities: how to share, to reduce and to reuse. This is a rather generic perception, so allow me to describe some of my personal student experiences. When I needed furniture, I made it by reusing material leftovers from the workshop at Eindhoven University. Whenever
“As result of the credit crisis, a completely new conceptual framework has emerged, based on ‘more with less’ – more opportunities with fewer existing possibilities...”
The foremost importance of the work and thinking of Alison and Peter Smithson can be found in their reflections on the legacy of the Modern Movement. The Smithsons investigated possible connections between the universal claims of modernism and the singularities of historical experience, part of the contextual story. ‘Historical context’ was made a remedy for the issue of loss of identity and sense of place under the threat
I needed covers for my essays, I designed
This development shows similarities with
of modernisation.5 It was a natural extension
and made them myself, because conventional
the economic collapse in 1973, when the oil
of modern architecture in which context
mass-produced binders could distract the
crisis drew attention to subjects such as over-
thinking was the ‘result of a way of life’.6 The
reader from my hard work. Or for one of my
exploitation and insufficient use of natural
Smithsons believed that the task for architects
projects, I created an impressive architectural
resources. ‘People were forced to minimize
should be the creation of a context-responsive
skin with cheap plastic spoons, collected with
energy consumption which then triggered new
architecture, that a building is only interesting
help from the canteen at the faculty of the Built
researches that stimulated technical developments
if it is more than it self, if it charges the space
Environment. And when my fellow students
of renewable energy sources, and moreover
around it with connective possibilities.7
and I needed a stage in order to spread our
initiated new social experiments; thoughts that
thoughts and critical thinking, we established
today are still trending.’3 It can thus be implied
Their architectural language claims a better
this profession-related journal as a platform for
that the general nature of crisis, uncertainty
world, based on the interaction between the
disciplinary polemics.
and helplessness, provokes and activates
physical and the social context. The physical
an extraordinary new input for creativity. It
context is our building environment, the
As result of the credit crisis, a completely new
opens the field for those who have enough
things we can measure. The social context is a
conceptual framework has emerged, based on
spirit left to innovate. The oil crisis activated
more general approach to the setting in which
‘more with less’ – more opportunities with
an extraordinary flourishing of new creativity
people live, their culture, patterns, ethics and
fewer existing possibilities. In the specific
and more interaction between the building
so on. The Smithsons believed this interaction
case of the current credit crisis, many young
environment and social events. During that
between the physical and social context
professionals use their opportunities to put
time, the architect couple Peter and Alison
constantly changes and develops.
their ideas into practice. They know how to
Smithson introduced an architectural language
create possibilities out of almost nothing. In
in which sense of place and community could
Although the Smithsons built very little,
addition, they often create ideas depending
take place. ‘‘When I was teaching in a school of
their ‘context thinking’ is still inspirational.
only on their imagination or a vision and not
architecture in the mid-fifties the school’s syllabus
Their fruitful ideas on the environment,
on knowledge derived from experience, which
was reorganised in a very simple wayto induce
ecological urbanism and context-responsive
architecture should be extended within an
does not imply that architecture is static. It also
architectural language, a vision, on how to
does not imply that architecture is activated
create architecture in a better world.
by technological interventions. It implies that
Physical context
architecture is a building, part of a conceptual
Social context
framework, a network of social patterns, adaptive towards a moment in time and part of a vision. It leads to an intense, sustainable and flexible relationship between architecture Physical context
Social context
[8]
Creating Architecture That Grows The credit crisis forces us to think critically. To anticipate change. The Smithsons offered a belief on how to generate an architecture
and its context.
“...architecture is a building, part of a conceptual framework, a network of social patterns, adaptive towards a moment in time and part of a vision...”
evolving from these contextual changes.
Unfortunately, the importance of visionary
However, ‘context thinking’ does not consider
thinking is underestimated in turbulent times.
changes within society and even so, it does not
Nowadays, people are often rushed to achieve
give the possibility to anticipate change over
short-term goals; they desire to build fast,
time.
faster, fastest or to make three-dimensional
People [10]
models and images even before creating a ‘At this moment in time, this model is incomplete.
vision or design. I believe that architecture
The model needs a catalyst that is able to activate the
grows in its entire lifetime: capable to develop,
interaction and influence the proportion between
to change, to become more evident and
the physical and social context. In my opinion,
to integrate modern social beliefs within.
people are this catalyst. They activate the relation
It allows reflexivity between people, the
and proportion between our building environment
physical and social context. This architectural
(physical context) and society (social context).
language is constructed by the current crisis
People influence their environment and thus their
and should be proved by the new generation.
environment influences them.’ 9
It should be proved in cities and injected in regions, realizing the potential and making
This architectural language leads towards
the most out of circumstances. Interested in
a more dynamic, intense and sustainable
the completeness, not in contrasts. Creating
environment depending on the moment in
architecture that grows, in our mind, on paper,
time. It leads to architecture that grows. It
during a discussion, within our profession,
breaks down boundaries and creates new
region and eventually in our world.
possibilities in order to realize a fruitful environment. Creating architecture that grows
[3]
Borasi, G., Zardini, M., Sorry, Out of Gas: Architectures response to the 1973 Oil-Crisis, (Corrani Edizioni, CCA, 2007-2008)
[4]
Van den Heuvel, D., ‘Another sensibility - the discovery of context’, OASE 76 (2008), page 22
[5]
Van den Heuvel, D., ‘Editorial, OASE 51 (1999), page 9
[6]
Van den Heuvel, D., ‘Another sensibility - the discovery of context’, OASE 76 (2008), page 35
[7]
Smithson A., Smithson P., the heroic period of modern architecture, New York, Rizzoli Internation publications, 1981’ page 13
[8]
Omayra Mingels, ‘Context-thinking’ the Smithsons’ - Omayra Mingels, 2014
[9]
Mingels, O., (2014, December 12), how architecture grows, http://youtu.be/wet_7ZAbHTo], Acquired through https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=wet_7ZAbHTo
[10] Omayra Mingels, ‘How architecture grows’ - Omayra Mingels, 2014
18
Persistence and Flux The Core of Architecture Explored in the Digital Era Max van der Westerlaken
Background:
Very soon, our house might betray us, or
somehow exists an influence of this digital
Max van der Westerlaken is a Dutch student in
at least announce early bedtime in the
era on the architectural profession. How does
the master Architecture, Building and Planning
name of sustainability. Unless you pay
this influence exist and in what way might it
at the Eindhoven University of Technology. A
more, of course...
change our profession?
visit to the 2014 Venice Biennale di Architettura provided food for thought, which resulted in
- Rem Koolhaas, Elements (2014)
this essay about the current influence on the fundamentals of the architectural discipline.
The 2014 Biennale di Architettura in Venice, Fundamentals, was not – as previous biennales used to be – about architects or their current production of buildings. Instead, it was about history: the history of universal familiar elements and of the modernization of the built
“It is clear that we have surrendered to the comfort and benefits of the digital in our daily lives and cannot imagine a life without it anymore...”
environment and the architectural discipline.
Elements of Architecture
The research and exhibitions demonstrate
In order to answer this question, it is essential
how since the 1990s the digital era has
to explore the core of the architectural
become ubiquitous in our daily lives and
discipline. Looking at the very core of our
fundamentally changed our profession. The
profession would require abstracting it to its
digital era is characterized by technology and
essential, characteristic parts: its elements.
the increased speed and breadth of knowledge
Already in 1851, Gottfried Semper (1803-1879)
and data turnover within society. It can be
describes in his essay The Four Elements of
seen as the development of an evolutionary
Architecture how the essential, characteristic
system in which knowledge turnover is not
elements of the architectural profession and
only very high, but also increasingly out
fine arts can be distilled.2 He concludes that the
of the control of human beings or human
fine arts burst forth from the remnants of older,
interventions.1 It is clear that we have
indigenous and imported motives, divested of
surrendered to the comfort and benefits of the
their roots. Semper sees himself forced to go
digital in our daily lives (consider yourself for
back to primitive conditions to distinguish the
a moment...) and cannot imagine a life without
constituent parts of architecture.
it anymore. With architecture and the built environment providing the spaces in which
More than a century later, AMO (the research
our daily lives take place, this suggests there
counterpart of the Office for Metropolitan
Architecture, OMA), together with students of Harvard University
everything architects put together in a so-called ‘building’ is defined
Graduate School of Design, adopted the same approach to define the
by a small number of ancient categories: the ceiling, the window, the
elemental core of our profession in the 2014 Biennale’s main exhibition:
corridor, the floor, the balcony, the façade, the fireplace, the wall, the
‘Elements of Architecture’. A few years earlier, architecture researcher
toilet, the escalator, the elevator, the stair, the ramp, the roof and the door.
and professor Pierre von Meiss also used this same method of going back
It concludes that, while some of these elements have existed for over
to primitive conditions to define the elements of architecture. In 1990,
5,000 years and others were (re)invented yesterday, the number of these
he published his book Elements of Architecture, from Form to Place. This
elements stubbornly remains the same.4
essay compares both references regarding the influence of the digital era on the core of our profession.
Architecture Digitized? Both Von Meiss and Koolhaas come up with a set of elements every
Constituting Principles
architect will use or work with when designing a building. Although the
Out of the very broad set of references he deals with, Von Meiss distils the
approach in both writers’ research is the same – referring to Gottfried
themes he considers fundamental to architecture, reaching from visual
Semper – their attitude regarding the elements is completely different.
perception to spatial organization, from order to disorder, from city to
Koolhaas describes and investigates the elements of architecture on
object. Furthermore, he discusses space, place, measure and balance.
the scale of the fragments our buildings consist of. According to the
With this book he tries, from his perspective as a professor, to embrace
Oxford English Dictionary, we could call them components: ‘parts or
the whole field of architecture. Instead of a study of typical elements or
elements of a larger whole.’ Von Meiss, on the other hand, investigates
an in-depth analysis of several case studies, Von Meiss constitutes a set of
the fundamental elements in constituting our buildings. Again, the
general themes. He demonstrates the persistence of certain fundamental
Oxford English Dictionary provides a term for that; principles: ‘A general
principles of architecture in 5,000 years of history, his approach
scientific theorem or natural law that has numerous special applications
remaining pragmatic, but nonetheless critical and phenomenological.
across a wide field.’ As these men implicate, both components and
The demonstration with the variedly chosen examples bridges the gap
principles are fundamental to architecture. Their different attitudes,
between history and contemporary work.
however, appear rather interesting regarding the influence of the digital
3
era on the fundamental core of our profession.
Fundamental Components In the ‘Elements of Architecture’ exhibition and catalogue, every element is analysed from the beginning of time to the current moment. The exhibition brings together ancient, past, current and future versions of the elements in separate rooms that are each dedicated to one element. The research examines micro-narratives revealed by focussing on the scale of the fragment, the fundamentals of our buildings, used by any architect, anywhere, anytime. It shows that a surprising percentage of
[1]
OED Online. June 2004. Oxford University Press. 30 April 2007 <http://dictionary.oed.com/>.
[2]
Semper, G. (1851). The four elements of architecture and other writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[3]
Von Meiss, P., Frampton, K. & Oswald, F. (1990). Elements of architecture, from form to place. Edition 2011. London, New York: Routledge.
[4]
Koolhaas, R.L. (2014). Elements of Architecture, la biennale di architettura di Venezia 2014. Rotterdam: NAi booksellers.
20
“Of course many technical and mechanical inventions have played a role in this evolvement over history as well, but the influence of the digital era is strongly present...” Some of Koolhaas’s other components have been mute for thousands of years, which made them somehow trustworthy. Today, besides the ceiling, an increasing number evolved by the digital regime and started to collect information. The floor, façade, fireplace, wall and roof, for instance, have been ‘infiltrated’, so that they record inhabitants or outside
When entering the Central Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale in
world’s data. The door may be the best example of how the digital era
Venice, the location of the ‘Elements of Architecture’ exhibition, the
influences the components of our profession. A traditional element
centrepiece of the exposition is immediately exposed. It consists of a
once invested with physical heft and iconography has turned into a
contemporary suspended ceiling – with the usually concealed ducts,
dematerialized zone, a gradual transition between conditions, which
electronics and machinery all exposed – hanging underneath a restored
is now registered by ephemeral technologies, such as detectors and
dome. This centrepiece shows how the ceiling evolved from a symbolic
scanners rather than physical barriers. Thus, the digital era transformed
plane, expressing beauty and meaning, to a thick volume of machinery,
the door into an element of utmost security, while paradoxically enough
often developed in far away laboratories and of which the architect has
its architectural application experiences aspirations for movement, flow
very little to say. Of course many technical and mechanical inventions
transparency and accessibility.
have played a role in this evolvement over history as well, but the influence of the digital era is strongly present here. In the case of the
A rather remarkable fact is the incorporation of the escalator and the
suspended ceiling, the desire for comfort, control and convenience made
elevator as elements of architecture. The escalator and elevator are the
the ceiling, as a component of architecture, a false, banal, uniform and
particular efficient symbols of the state of our global system, churning
modular surface.
with continuous dynamism. Therefore, they can be seen as the ‘most modern’ elements of the exhibition. In 1977, Charles Jencks published the Language of Postmodern Architecture, which focussed purely on the ‘traditional’ elements of architecture and ignored the more ‘modern’ elements like the elevator and escalator.6 They have never really been incorporated in either the ideology or the theory of architecture before, although they have become significantly important elements in our buildings nowadays. By incorporating these modern elements, Koolhaas states that architecture theory has not developed simultaneously with the evolution of the elements; it is lagging behind by at least two centuries. The principles of Von Meiss, on the contrary, are constant factors in architecture. This means that his set of elements does not change over time. As the word ‘constant’ infers, the digital era does not influence the constituting principles of our profession. Von Meiss explains this with a broad set of examples and references, often jumping through history. The best explanation of this minimal influence is probably given in the
[5]
chapter about space. Ancient treatises hardly talk directly about space.
Their theories bear more on the physical elements of the buildings than
of certain constant factors; the principles, with which our buildings are
on the hollow space they define. At the beginning of the nineteenth
constituted, remain constant over time.
century, the debate on architecture as ‘spatial art’ started to develop with historians such as Riegl, Wölfflin and Schmarzow. They shared the
What could this mean to the future of our discipline? Will our house
opinion that spatial composition is not, in the first place, a question of
indeed betray us like Koolhaas’s quote at the beginning of this essay
materials.
predicts? It is very likely that the digital era has only just begun to reveal some of its essences. According to Koolhaas, what is most insidious about
Although this debate started in the nineteenth century, Von Meiss shows
the digital regime is the fact that, once programmed and wired, there is
that the definition of space is a fundamental principle in architecture
no limit to quantity, duration and multiplication. The digital is essentially
at any time, no matter what era or influence is going on. Classic
robotic and therefore effortless, ‘beyond exhaustion’. What he is trying to
architecture, for example, intends to accentuate deep perspectives for
say by this is that the influence of this era is not likely to fade away in a
important interiors, urban squares and avenues when it comes to the
few decades. The fact that our lives have already fundamentally changed
constitution of space. Not only by it’s vanishing lines, but also by the
due to all benefits provided by the digital, supports his point of view.
profile of mouldings of the components constructing the space, which adds a gradient of texture. In the fifteenth century, Filippo Brunelleschi
How should we act upon this? The ‘Elements of Architecture’ exhibition
showed in his design for the Pazzi Chapel (Santa Croce, Florence)
aims to modernize the core of architecture and architectural thinking
that in the constitution of space the modulation of the floor, walls and
itself, because the discipline has not yet done so in order to adapt to
ceiling increase the density of the space by subdividing its depth. A few
changing times. As the components evolve, but the principles remain
centuries later, spatial constitution is taken to another level by modern
constant, the danger of architectural theory lagging behind is that we
architecture. Spatial continuity, even between interior and exterior space,
will be incapable of theorizing and thinking of the entire architectural
is achieved by continuous articulation of the floor, walls and ceiling. As
repertoire. Otherwise, like the example of the door shows, paradoxes
we can see, the components with which a spatial composition is created
might exist between the component and constituting principles of the
and (therefore) the space itself evolve over time. But the composition of
discipline. We have to maintain a critical spirit in order to constantly
space in architecture is always there and will always be there, no matter
modernize architectural thinking. Writing this essay made me, as a
what influence or era is taking place. The same goes for principles like
future architect, aware of this need and will definitely influence my
‘measure and balance’ and ‘order and disorder’, explained with many
thinking and future work.
more examples in different chapters.
“As we can see, the components with which a spatial composition is created and (therefore) the space itself evolve over time. But the composition of space in architecture is always there and will always be there, no matter what influence or era is taking place...” A Critical Mind towards the Future As we can conclude from the exhibition ‘Elements of Architecture’, the digital era influences the components of which our buildings consist. The components change, new ones are invented and some may disappear over time. However, Von Meiss proves that our discipline also consists
[5]
Jencks, C.A. (1977). The language of post-modern architecture. 6th edition, 1991. New York: Rizzoli.
[6]
Ceiling. Elements of Architecture. Image [photo: Sergio Pirrone] Retrieved from: http://archrecord. construction.com/news/2014/06/140618-Critique-Rem8217s-Rules.asp?WT.mc_id=rss_archrecord
22
Chance, Time and Teamplay 24 Hours of Self-Organizing Chaos Daniëlle Gras & Anneke Vervoort
Background:
At night, 04:10, sitting down with the film
would have to represent different disciplines;
On 14 and 15 October 2014, an unusual design
team:
young and old; male and female. They would
experiment was carried out in the context of
“How are you doing?” – “Fine”
need working space, food and drink; finally
the exhibition ‘Tilburg ontwerp+Eindhoven
- “What are you doing?” – “We have an
pens, paper and cardboard, music and for
design’, which showcased the diversity of
idea and now we’re going to implement
the adherents of a couple of hours of sleep, a
Tilburg and Eindhoven design practices. Central
it”
number of camp beds.
to the experiment was the question of what
- “What’s the idea?” – “We’ll start with
would happen if 13 enthusiastic designers from
a lovely baby and have it gradually
different disciplines were to be isolated in a
transform into a hamburger . . .”’
building for 24 hours with the aim of producing
“The participants would have no other goal than to conceive a ‘product’ within 24 hours...”
‘something’ in the broadest sense of the word.
Like many architects, Anneke Vervoort of
The group of designers’ only point of departure
Tilburg-based PANplus architecture is familiar
would be that after the experiment, a number
with design marathons: in a limited amount
of invitees would come to look at the ‘end
of time, a team of designers has to conceive a
What Might It Yield?
product’. The end result would perhaps also be
design on the basis of a specific assignment.
Anneke Vervoort: ‘I had no idea what the
included in the Designhuis exhibition during the
‘But what would happen if the goal that was to be
experiment might result in. A solution for
DDW 2014.
achieved was chiefly determined by the variety of
overpopulation or a new musical composition
disciplines and characters composing the team?
based on the brick positions of the Designhuis:
Would providing that much freedom yield an
anything was possible. However, I was sure that
interesting end result? How would the process
it would yield insights in the way people conceive
develop?,’ she wondered. There was only one
and develop ideas. How they divide tasks, manifest
way to find out. Just do it.
themselves and organize. I am interested in the way design processes work and wanted to go back to their
Points of Departure
most basic form to optimally facilitate creativity
The experiment would take place in the
(and chaos) during the process. I’m intrigued by
Designhuis in Eindhoven. The participants
the interaction between people during and after the
would have no other goal than to conceive
design process.’
a ‘product’ within 24 hours. What would that take? First, a group of people that could spare 24 hours of their time, people curious about an unpredictable experience and the role of chance. In addition, these makers
18:00 Launch
prior to the exhibition. ‘So much for our reset . . .’
People trickle in, a little late due to traffic jams and diversions. The
Product: disappointment, a growing visual report.
launch is not very sharply delineated – coffee, tea and an introduction.
Process: whole group.
The illustrator that will capture the entire process in a visual report sticks a piece of paper measuring approximately 1.5 x 2.5 m onto the wall and starts to draw.
23:00
The first fragmentation
This is somewhat daunting and the first steps towards group
19
:00
fragmentation are taken. Doers get to work by themselves to further
Getting started
an individual creative experience, though willing to consider whether
We have to begin. Someone suggests having short brainstorm sessions
initiatives can be combined afterwards. Others take a more cautious
in twos to conceive fictitious companies and their business plan/
approach.
corporate philosophies. This works well and after an hour, each team
Product: individual design processes based on the central theme.
presents its idea. One story stands out.
Process: individual or small groups.
Product: the idea to reject contemporary society including all restricting rules: ‘We get off the grid and take a fresh look at the world.’
Process: whole group.
02:00 Individual fusion Overall, the group process is on the back burner. Some of the
21:00 Context
individually initiated processes come together. Some group members voice disappointment: is the project failing because some people are
At this stage, we would like to begin working together. This is what we
taking an individual approach? But things are also beginning to move,
come up with: the visitors of the exhibition should also have a reset-
because everybody can now do as they please. We’re going into the
like experience before they get to view the exhibition.
night.
Product: the reset experience is combined with the context.
Product: two people are working on a reset film, people are working
Process: whole group.
on a table; on a large, three-dimensional object; people are thinking and writing.
22
:00
Process: individuals are beginning to grow closer, some people seem Reset the building!
to find it quite hard to join in.
Inspired by the building we design new routing, new spaces. How can we reset the experience of this building? A separate cardboard entrance; something with cardboard and the prominently present (and
05:00
Nightly collaboration
absent) stairs. These ideas are axed owing to pragmatic considerations.
Some people have gone to sleep, the space is dark, cold and
In connection with fire safety, we would have to remove the cardboard
appears larger. Almost surreal, especially when you’re tired. The
24
in capturing this. Good to see that most people (those who want to) continue to actively explore possible connections.
Product: reset film, three-dimensional object with film projection, stair parts.
Process: two main groups and some individuals.
12:00
Action and relief
New ideas are consistent with the existing processes. Everyone is busy. At this stage, the atmosphere mostly resembles that of a normal day. filmmakers work on unperturbed, the writer listens to their humorous
The participants are being themselves. Nearly everyone seems to have
conversation.
found a place for themselves and their disciplines.
Product: the film progresses. The three-dimensional object, an
Product: reset film, three-dimensional object with projection, the stair
arrangement of upright white cardboard panels, is positioned on the
parts that are being expanded, people conceiving the idea to create a
table. Someone thinks of using the object as a projection screen for a
herbal drink.
second film that directly refers to a previous, personal reset experience
Process: three subgroups.
of one of the participants.
Process: two main groups, some individuals and some sleepers.
08:00
16:00
The deadline approaches
Rush hour, required skills are activated in the right places.
Slow awakening
Product: local herbs are used to make lemonade concentrate at the
Gradually, participants wake up in every nook and cranny of the
last minute. People produce a digital template that will ensure that the
building and re-join the group. It’s like joining the traffic driving onto
projected images and text will fall precisely within the contours of the
the motorway: it takes time to get used to driving at a single speed.
projection screen. The stair parts are being mounted.
Product: the subprojects still have to come together. More work is
Process: three subgroups.
done on the building by an animated individual who adds separate stair parts.
Process: two main groups and some individuals.
17:00
Finishing touches
Product: someone writes a text that could perhaps be read at the
09:00 Concern There’s a short period of concern. The deadline approaches and doubt
opening of the exhibition. The last of the stair parts are mounted, things are tidied up a bit.
Process: one group
strikes. Will this be a group effort; have I had sufficient opportunity to contribute? More personal stories come out; some disciplines seem to get overlooked. People are feverishly looking for solutions.
18:00
The end
Product: reset film, table and three-dimensional object progresses;
The experiment is officially over. The atmosphere is genuinely cheerful
projection film progresses, the visual report is expanding further.
and we are pleased with what we’ve accomplished.
Process: two main groups and some individuals.
Product: a film, a fragmented projection object, a film with text projected upon the object, by extension, a table with designer food
11
:00
from the surrounding area and a number of stair parts that are literally
Visual reflection
It remains difficult for some to connect. The visual report succeeds
linked directly to the building. A single drawing that is a visual report of the whole experiment.
The Results Described in Greater Detail The film Reset Call: A huge amount of images from the Internet edited into a stop motion film. Occasionally a discernible word of text flashes by. The inventor of the main theme, ‘Out of the Grid’, is one of the two makers of the film. Using the technical knowledge of a third participant, Reset Call has become a confrontational animation about sustainability: What are we doing to the planet, what are we feeding our children? 1 A projection screen on a table and a film with a short text: The screen consists of a three-dimensional object made of pieces of white cardboard. This section follows the other project components: it serves to carry the main
[2]
theme. Here, several ideas have come together. A table has been built; a cardboard object made; a text written. A fourth participant had brought a personal film that had a special ‘out-of-the-grid’ meaning to him. The digital template that ensures that the film with text is projected exactly onto the cardboard object and not on the wall behind it is a technical tour de force. Local food: Here, the ‘Out of the Grid’-theme – the idea of the ‘prep’-bag that was part of the business plan from the brainstorming phase – has been implemented literally. Leave the system, society, the grid and find your own food. The product consists of lemonade from a concentrate made from plants growing in the immediate vicinity of the building
[3]
(mint, rose hip and so on). The lemonade is ready-made, presented in cups on the table, for the visitors of the exhibition. The herbs used to prepare the concentrate are shown in wooden frames next to the cups. This subproject was realized in the last few hours of the experiment. The stair parts represent the theme ‘Out of the Grid’ in relation to the building: its striking features have been further magnified. The cardboard stair parts are meticulously made and give the illusion of a continuation of the stairs, to scale. Impossible structures that end in a vacuum. Some stair parts are accessible (passable), others are out of reach (mounted on a higher floor, suspended in a void). The project was initiated by a one of the participants and implemented with the support of other participants.
[4]
The visual report shows the entire process we have gone through. With the participants, which each have the symbol of a chemical element assigned
[1]
The film Reset Call and stills of the experiment can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgB1_avxf74&feature=youtu.be https://www.facebook.com/pages/Het-ontwerpexperiment/1510324202540107?ref=hl
the group, the night, the coming together of the different products and
[2]
Final design result projection screen [photo by Anneke Vervoort] 2014
the final sprint to the presentation.
[3]
Final design result local food [photo by Anneke Vervoort] 2014
[4]
Final design result stairs [photo by Anneke Vervoort] 2014
to them. The introduction, the phase of confusion, the fragmentation of
26
What Did It Yield?
wonder whether the experiment would have been more satisfactory had
A 24-hour marathon design is by definition a step out of one’s comfort
it been more guided, or taken place in a clearer context.
zone. The fact that this experiment gave complete freedom made that step significantly bigger. Add to that the constant awareness of group processes and individual processes. A creative process involves moments of making, reflecting, despair, exchange and consideration. In a group process, these moments sometimes coincide, but just as often they don’t. This kind of laissez faire requires surrender and confidence in one’s own abilities and pace, and one’s position in the whole.
“...due to the experimental nature of the gathering, failure is not a problem. That’s precisely what yields the most interesting insights...” According to Anneke Vervoort, the next edition will be more contextualized to better guide the group process, but the formula
The experience, inquiry among the participants teaches, has yielded self-
involving the absence of a specific design brief and barely any external
knowledge about their own performance within a group and about the
control will remain intact: the group remains at the mercy of itself. And
use of their own discipline within a multidisciplinary project.
due to the experimental nature of the gathering, failure is not a problem.
“A creative process involves moments of making, reflecting, despair, exchange and consideration. In a group process, these moments sometimes coincide, but just as often they don’t...” Finally, it is interesting that a kind of small economy developed within the group. There were thinkers, doers, supporters, and so on. Skills are attributed a value and are used specifically. There were people who could easily get things going again and enthuse people or even save things by fast action just before the deadline.
Conclusion ‘It’s always good to try working within the framework of a design marathon by way of “pressure cooker for design”. ‘Under pressure, everything becomes liquid,’ says Jan Doms, organizer of the exhibition and co-organizer/ participant in the experiment. Most participants concur with this. Some
That’s precisely what yields the most interesting insights.
History as an Intentional or Unintentional Counter Model An interview with dr. Herman van Bergeijk Margit van Schaik
On
6th of January 2015, Dr. Herman van
carries fewer memories. History as a model for
Bergeijk’s class on Manfredo Tafuri sent a
the future has already served its turn.1 That’s
historian and writer. He studied in both
clear message. The influence of theorists isn’t
a good thing, for the past is far less certain
Groningen and Venice, has been teaching in
always all that desirable or justified. The use
than we want to admit and therefore it has
different countries and now works for the
of history and theory to impress or inspire isn’t
no use or value as a dependable model. The
architecture department of Delft University
necessarily a good thing: in many cases it can
past is constantly being changed and adjusted
of Technology. In January 2015, he was a guest
even be seen as misuse, to justify the design. In
from the present. Pieces of it are removed or
lecturer in ‘Architectural Theory’ at Eindhoven
the shape of an interview, Bergeijk explains his
disappear from view while there is no univocal
University of Technology and talked about the
perspectives at length.
reason why they would. Creases are ironed out
Background: Dr. Herman van Bergeijk is an architecture
and adjusted to whatever people think they
various interpretations of theories written by the mid-nineteenth century Italian architecture
What do you think is happening in the
have to say at a certain historical place and
historian Manfredo Tafuri.
fields of architecture history and general
time. The violent denial of history – similar to
history? How would you describe your
the denial of negative events or experiences
discontent with them?
from history – has led to monstrosities and deformities that may be ushered into the
The place and importance of history within
city triumphantly under the banner of ‘new
the curriculum of architecture students has
urbanism’ today.
changed quite a bit over the last 20 years.
[1]
On the use of models in historical science, see Kees Bertels and Doede Nauta, Inleiding tot het modelbegrip (Amsterdam,1974), 86-89. On the use of models in architecture, especially the most recent, see Antonino Saggio, ‘Modello’, in: A. Saggio, Introduzione alla rivoluzione informatica in architettura (Rome, 2007), 78-90. On the use of models as design tools, see Christian Gänshirt, ‘The Model’, in: Chr. Gänshirt, Tools for Ideas. An Introduction to Architectural Design (Basel/Boston/Berlin, 2007), 149-159. In recent years, a lot has been written on models that is hardly worth reading. However Rassegna magazine number 32 from 1987 (‘Maquette’) is a useful introduction.
It’s common knowledge that no one is really
On the whole, architects respectfully talking
restrained by their history, but those who
about history usually amounts to their brutally
don’t know their history have no past. History
and unintentionally assaulting it. This is
is merely more or less useless baggage that
undoubtedly part and parcel of the profession.
restricts our freedom to develop. This may
Architecture and science make a troubled pair,
sound extreme, but there is undoubtedly an
especially since 1900. The one has to support
element of truth in it. And even more than
the other, which has distorted the relationship.
that. We may well wonder why anyone would
Again and again, the almost proverbial
attempt to present themselves as a tabula rasa
short-sightedness of architects results in the
and deny their own memory in the process. The
operationalization of the now and the then on
more the future explodes, the more the sense
behalf of visions of a future. The urge to update
of the past seems to implode. Nevertheless, it’s
everything prevails. Personal memories and
also a fact that ultimately, everyone cares about
forced interpretations are more important
the past. The future remains less certain and
than the philological study of historical facts.
28
Fantasy and history do not go well together,
Kubler wanted to draw attention to the things
whom various ‘religions’ see as the pope of
however. And yet, architects often present
themselves. By now, history has taught us that
architecture history, theory and criticism.
themselves as amateur historians. They need
we always need more heroes. They are the
But the subversive and disruptive character
history – as Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in
role models that help us get our bearings and
of Tafuri’s studies is hardly recognized.
Jenseits von Gut und Böse – for their costume
guarantee future consumption.
In the Netherlands and the USA, Tafuri is
storeroom. Architects expect historians to legitimize or affirm their work. Things get even worse when historians get involved in designing because they believe they somehow need to take some responsibility. This often results in transdisciplinary studies that are neither here nor there, yet find appreciation in official circles. History as a construction knows or knew
“By now, history has taught us that we always need more heroes. They are the role models that help us get our bearings and guarantee future consumption...”
misunderstood the most by a group of pseudoleftist intellectuals who thought they could administer his ideas, but were poor judges of the kind of complications Tafuri was dealing with.4 His architecture criticism was separated from his historiographic interest (naturally, Tafuri knew Kubler’s book) and celebrated as exemplary, but nobody could follow him and explain what was specific to his method. Frampton (to some extent), Hays and more
various laws and guidelines. Witness the
How do the misinterpretations of Tafuri’s
recently Vidler are wholly or partly exponents
many historiographical studies, an abundance
texts fit into this picture?
of a typically American machinery for the processing of Tafuri and other European
of which have been debated for centuries. One of them was: go back to the source, to
Until postmodernism destroyed the balance,
celebrities, but the element of crisis that Tafuri
the original material. This healthy principle
architecture history was characterized by
himself incorporated and reformulated again
was often abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s.
compromise
knowledge,
and again totally escapes them.5 Their use of
The debate was dominated by the fascination
methodology and ideology. The collapse of the
Tafuri – as a model – was accompanied by a
for methodical and methodological issues on
grand narrative was announced... and the time
dash for ‘intellectual’ power in a country where
the one hand and supported by ideological
of the even greater narratives commenced.
in the eyes of many, the status of an intellectual
positions on the other. In art history, George
Perhaps with different accents, as Richard
is no higher than that of a McDonalds’
Kubler’s The Shape of Time rocked the boat.
Kearney argues, or from plural perspectives.3
employee. Though they are prospering, their
The writer tried to come to terms with the way
In that respect, postmodernism is completely
positions are – in a completely different way
art history classified itself. Time and change
in line with modernism; both illustrate the
than Trafuri’s – tragic and traumatic.6 They are
were central to his study, which is still worth
same mentality. We talk and therefore we are:
also less involved in resource analysis, they just
reading.2 Kubler’s provocation amounted to
it’s true now more than ever. In retrospettivo,
love to come up with new interpretations and
his offering an alternative for a history on the
one of the biggest casualties was and is the
insights and they are much more dependent on
basis of a chronological sequence of ‘heroes’.
Italian architecture historian Manfredo Tafuri,
the information drip that is the Internet.
between
factual
Many people still think Tafuri too politically
Crucial of course is that the extraordinary
history, we must also realize that we have to
explicit – the fact that he was exploring what
narrativity of Tafuri is unique and personal
continue to question both ourselves and the
actually constitutes the contemporary polis
and that he went out of his way to emphasize
reliability of the historical material available to
and what the role of architects, planners and
the complexity of history and the fact that the
us and that we have to refrain from any kind of
urban designers in the social system is and can
sources conveyed mixed messages. ‘Things
schematic processing. This doesn’t imply that
be eludes them. It’s the only perspective that
aren’t as simple as they seem’ was a motto
we can only address an architecture history
makes his studies on Alberti, Giulio Romano,
close to his heart.
à la dérive, but rather that we will have to
Borromini
and
sixteenth-century
Venice
acknowledge that the power of history over
understandable. However, these are seen as
This is one of the reasons why Tafuri cannot
us is greater than we think and that every
less provocative than his book Progetto e Utopia
be counted among the narrative historians:
theoretical statement will be incorporated by
(Design and Utopia), in which he denounces
his writing style is too rich, to emotionally
time and therefore by history, its as yet unclear
the architecture of twentieth-century capitalist
charged and too concentrated. He wants to
society. It should be noted that precisely these
create rifts. Narrativity determines the delicate
studies haven’t been held up to the light in
balance of ‘storytelling’ and discovering,
a critical manner yet. Those who have the
dissecting an analysing facts. It separates the
knowledge to do so lack the necessary courage
subjective from the more objective approach
and don’t see the need for it. All Tafuri’s texts
and shifts the emphasis from ‘me-time’ to
are cryptic, which makes linear interpretation
history as a bigger occasion with a longer
difficult at least. Rather than having a
duration. Narrativity can compensate for a
beginning and an end, they’re cyclical. He’s
lack of topicality; however this shouldn’t be
been pulling out all the stops to increase their
necessary in the case of scientific contributions.
complexity.
Nevertheless, architecture history as the art of
Remarkably,
‘contextualizing’
7
with
storytelling is increasingly valued.8 The stories
‘monographic’ interpretations from the very
get more and more exciting and tailored to
beginning of his career. Tafuri had an eye for
‘effectiveness’, which increases their market
both the big picture and the small details. As
value. We are making ever stronger appeals
far as he was concerned these were mutually
to history to help us get to know the time we
competitive, yet had equal rights to exist. A
live in: that’s food for thought and betrays the
detail could be the key to a world and a world
uneasiness we live with. There are currently
could provide clues for finding a key. This
too many problems and too many definitions
aspect is deserving of deeper analysis, which
of problems. If we acknowledge that we work
has never been carried out.
with history and are simultaneously part of
studies
have
been
interspersed
[2]
For the discussion, see George Kubler, ‘The Shape of Time Reconsidered’, Perspecta. The Yale Architectural Journal 19 (1982), 112-121.
[3]
See Richard Kearney, On stories (London/New York, 2002), 141ff.
[4]
For a more positive view, see Diane Y. Ghirardo, ‘Manfredo Tafuri and Architectural Theory in the US, 1970-2000’, Perspecta 33 (2002), 38-47.
[5]
A possible exception being Hélène Lipstadt and Harvey Mendelsohn, ‘Philosophy, History and Autobiography: Manfredo Tafuri and the “unsurpassed Lesson” of Le Corbusier’, Assemblage 22 (1994), 59-103. They also focus on the Tafuri of the 1980s.
[6]
For an attempt to see the influence of thinkers such as Derrida, Lyotard, Deleuze and Guattari in a different light and save, as it were, their critical content so it won’t lead to ‘escapism, blindness, or endless deferral’, see Sande Cohen, History Out of Joint. Essays on the Use and Abuse of History (Baltimore, 2005). However, Cohen is too much of an active player in the game. His book is a biased response to Keith Windschuttle, The Killing of History. How Literary Critics and Social Theorists are Murdering Our Past (New York/London, 1997). Cohen, an expert in French theory, falls into the pit he has dug and continues to cling to ‘schematic’ thinking that is separate from the object.
[7]
See with regard to the crucial problem of narrativity, initially: Jörn Rüsen, ‘Narrativität und Modernität in der Geschichtswissenschaft’, in: Pietro Rossi (ed.), Theorie der modernen Geschichtsschreibung (Frankfurt am Main,1987), 230-237.
[8]
See, for instance D.Arnold e.a., Rethinking Architectural Historiography (London/New York, 2006), xvi.
30
narrative style.11 And neither do we believe
politically engaged and historically oriented
in the usefulness of ‘processing’ most recent
Tafuris didn’t mesh. He was quite aware of
history. History is a reflective discipline that
this. Over the years, his interest in politics
cannot and must not have an explicit goal and
waned, perhaps because he was disappointed
that cannot underpin the present. It is time to
in it, and he increasingly focused on historical
read Tafuri from the perspective he revealed in
research, on the building of bridges between
his last books, which emphasized his work as
superficially divergent matters. Overall, he
a historian rather than a spectator of his own
considered his work that of a detective, of a
time. This avoids a dogmatic interpretation
Sherlock Holmes, trying to solve mysteries
of Tafuri and turns the usual interpretations
on the basis of small, seemingly insignificant
purposes assessed. We must remain critical of
upside
clues. The history of mentality was a point of
our own actions.
‘interpretations’ have been operational by
“If we acknowledge that we work with history and are simultaneously part of history, we must also realize that we have to continue to question both ourselves and the reliability of the historical material available to us and that we have to refrain from any kind of schematic processing...”
down.
Up
to
today,
all
Tafuri
nature. No-one has ever explored the reasons why his insights changed. This also explains why attention has been fixed on Tafuri’s works of contemporary criticism, which usually don’t attach much value to the creation of a broader context in which things are being interpreted and words are being said. Tafuri’s reputation
departure.
“The dissection of history merely served to explain its various viewpoints and complexity....”
as a leftist or even Marxist critic and historian
The book La sfera e il labirinto (The Sphere
has stood in the way of a proper appraisal.
and the Labyrinth) marks the shift in Tafuri’s
Only a dogmatist would highlight this political
interests. The obvious rift between the
and hardly professional moment of the Italian
‘contemporary’ Tafuri and the ‘historical’ Tafuri
architecture historian. Tafuri himself was not
is fundamental. The context in which this took
a proponent of any kind of dogma. He never
place has to be explored and historicized. This
committed to a specific methodology: to
requires more than a sociological or purely
connect the facts, he used everything that came
architecture-theoretical perspective. Chiefly, it
in handy.
requires historiographic precision. More than
Many of Tafuri’s words are lost on architects and
ever, Tafuri realized that he was under threat of
architecture critics. They need something solid
An important point was that Tafuri turned
being instrumentalized by architects fascinated
to guide them as they scrutinize the present
against ‘operative criticism’, which is currently
by his way of looking. The superficiality with
and use what looks interesting. However,
being questioned. He opposed the direct,
which he was read had nothing to do with
reading his more historiographic texts can
precipitate
of
the thorough study of history anymore. In
provide bearing and enlightenment to those
history; he found the use of history in design
this light, his explosive 1968 book Teorie e
looking for a way out of the unilateral, future-
practices an abomination. He was averse to
storia dell’architettura (Theories and History
oriented education of the architect, and put its
developing particular visions of the future on
of Architecture) also gains a surplus value,
enormous pretensions into perspective. The
the basis of his own research. The dissection
which was and is hardly noticed.12 In his last
many recent Tafuri studies seem to confirm
of history merely served to explain its various
book, Ricerca del rinascimento: Principi, città,
this, even though the focus is once more on
viewpoints and complexity. This did harbour
architettura
his ideas on twentieth-century architecture.
a certain contradiction, for Tafuri did see
Princes, Cities, Architecture), Tafuri warned
This doesn’t mean we contemplate a revival of
himself as a ‘left-wing’ historian who wanted
us that it is not up to history to mend what is
Tafuri’s historiography or his specific, cryptic
to contribute to social change. However, the
broken or identify with victors and heroes,13
9
10
or
rash
operationalization
(Interpreting
the
Renaissance:
but to report on the shock waves of exploding
A first, but important step towards a more
knowledge. Some people find this hard to
comprehensive and insightful perspective
digest.
on Tafuri is taken by Carla Keyvanian. She rightly notes, at the end of her fascinating
Was Tafuri influential in areas other than
article: ‘. . . returning to a more careful reading
architecture history and theory?
of his writings might help us to construct a frame of reference, useful in understanding
I wouldn’t like to say. It wasn’t his goal,
his work and its significance, in light of the
even though he was interested in more than
various labels that have been heaped on him
architectonic objects or existing studies on
(Marxist, nihilist, etc.).’18 Unfortunately, as
architecture. But he never lost sight of the
many ‘studies’ show, her advice is largely
fact that the study of architecture was the
ignored and the perspective of Tafuri mostly
point of departure. His historiographic eye
narrowed by fashionable questions. Both the
had been sharpened by a comprehensive yet
knowledge and will are lacking. Perhaps we
professional study so that he could unravel
should ask ourselves whether architects, as
and
historical
she optimistically thinks, still benefit from
reconstruction with zest. From the very
reading Tafuri at all. The gap between doing
beginning of his career, he illustrated how
and thinking cannot be filled by all the words
history, religion, philosophy and architecture
in the world.
interpret
could
be
the
nuances
connected
to
in
understand
the
problems and issues of an era. Unfortunately, 14
this aspect is little addressed in the latest Italian reflections on Tafuri, most of them by friends and coworkers.15 His knowledge of theology, for instance, goes unnoticed. Sadly, most contributions aren’t more than reverent and subjective contributions that hardly add any profile to the image of Tafuri and don’t address the way he confronted fields of knowledge.16 At the Tafuri conference in 2006, not much was said about the influence of the Italian historian outside the architecture scene. Jon Goodbun mentioned this in the magazine Radical
Philosophy.
He
writes:
‘Almost
entirely ignored by the event, however, were questions concerning Tafuriʼs reception in bodies of thought not entirely situated within architectural culture – a reception marked in Radical Philosophy by recent contributions from David Cunningham and Gail Day.’17
[9]
Notably, Andrew Leach also tries to update and operationalize Tafuri in an article by scrutinizing his work from the 1980s. This means he both ignores the position Tafuri himself will later occupy with respect to his previous work and once again emphasizes the Marxist background of the Italian historian. Leach fails in his duty towards Tafuri when he portrays him as a historian who wants to enter into a dialogue with architects. See Andrew Leach, ‘The Conditional Autonomy of Tafuri’s Historian’ in: OASE 69 (2006), 14-29. A complicated operationalization of Tafuri, which we won’t discuss here, can be found in Felicity D. Scott, Architecture or Techno-utopia. Politics after Modernism (Cambridge, MA/London, 2007).
[10] We don’t mean his provocative study Progetto e utopia, but Manfredo Tafuri, ‘Architettura e storiografia: una proposta di metodo’, Arte Veneta (1975), 276-282; the enigmatic and turbulent ‘Il “progetto” storico’, first published in Casabella 429 (1977), 11-18, which was meant to clarify a previous contribution to Casabella 423 (1977); however especially the introduction to his books about the Renaissance since 1983. That the pretensions of architects are still excessive in the ‘post-ideological era’ needs no clarification; architects see themselves as ‘global players’ capable of creating identity. The sociological focus of the 1960s and 1970s has been replaced by a philosophical focus. Architecture is no longer explained by outsiders, but is supposed to explain itself. Phenomenology has replaced statistics. Architects’ delusions of grandeur and political urges are humorously censured in Jörg Mauthe, Der Weltuntergang zu Wien und wie man ihn überlebt (Vienna, 1989), especially 124-127. [11] Although it was a relief that Tafuri rarely used the word ‘critical’. This in contrast with many ‘theorists’ that can’t stop using the word ‘critical’ and, partly mistakenly, rely on the ‘Kritische Theorie’ of the Frankfurter Schule. By now, the word ‘critical’ is so devalued in the Anglo-Saxon world that the word ‘criticability’ was recently introduced to salvage something at least. [12] It is remarkable that though the importance of this book has been recognized – there have been several translations – its resonance remains negligible. However, today’s architecture theorists – who have no sense of time and place – have counted Tafuri among themselves: probably on the basis of the title. [13] The fact that the English translation of this book had an introduction by Michael Hays is a both ironic and outrageous sign of the universal power of the American theoretical discipline. Though Hays is interested in the narrative characteristics of theoretical writing, he lacks Tafuri’s profundity. He’s like a cook that only heats up TV dinners and certainly doesn’t know the first thing about the Renaissance. [14] A case in point is, for instance M. Tafuri, ‘L’ambiguità del Guarini’, 5-18. [15] See O. di Marino, Manfredo Tafuri. Oltre la storia (Naples, 2009). This book contains contributions by M. Cacciari, F. Dal Co, M. Morresi, T. Stoppani, M. Biraghi and others. [16] Tafuri recently received ample attention in the American magazine Log, however here, too, the contributions get stuck in superficial contextualization, see for instance Pier Vittorio Aureli in his sketchy text ‘Recontextualizing Tafuri’s Critique of Ideology’, Log 18 (2010). The text focuses on Tafuri’s idea of ‘intellectual work’ and discusses the work of ‘leftist’ intellectuals like Tronti, Fortini and others. [17] See John Goodbun, ‘2006 The Assassin: The Critical Legacies of Manfredo Tafuri’, Radical Philosophy 138 (July/August 2006), http://jongoodbun.wordpress.com/papers-andpublication/2006-the-assassin-the-critical-legacies-of-manfredotafuri/, first published in Radical Philosophy (July-August 2006), 62-64. [18] C. Keyvanian, ‘From the Critique of Ideology to Microhistories’, Design Issues 1 (2000), 15.
32
The Nexus of Research and Design; the OMA Approach An interview with Chris van Duijn Teije Hartman & Paul Kersten
Background:
Nowadays, it is difficult to think about
these two commissions differ in nearly every
Chris van Duijn is one of ten partners at the
influence and inspiration without considering
possible aspect. Their scale, location, function
Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Van
some of the world’s leading global practices.
and client seem to have nothing in common,
Duijn, based in Rotterdam, joined OMA in
In the context of understanding the correlation
and in that sense it is interesting to see how the
2000 and holds a Master of Architecture from
between the two, one globally-oriented office
inspiration for one could be derived from the
the University of Technology Delft. During his
tends to stand out; one that has excelled in its
other.
many years at OMA van Duijn has worked
efforts to fluctuate between what influences
on projects such as Universal studio’s, several
and what inspires them to the extent of setting
‘It’s not our usual way of designing,’ Van Duijn
Prada stores, Casa da Musica in Porto and
up a complete corporate counterpart that
emphasizes in an interview with our editors,
China’s CCTV headquarters. During the 2014
specializes in research. Indeed, we are referring
‘but most of our projects do tend to capture
Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven van Duijn
to OMA and its renowned research counterpart
some sort of an invention or discovery that
held a lecture on Architectural accoustics at
AMO that emerged from the office in the
intrigues us. Over time, we try to elaborate
the Eindhoven Music Hall, in which our editorial
late 1990s. Celebrating its fortieth birthday
these findings. Not in every case, and not on
board discovered an understanding on the
this year, OMA has evolved into a well-oiled
every occasion, but only when we acquire
connection between influence and inspiration.
machine employing about 350 people that
evolution by bringing relevant ideas to the
adheres to its research-based design methods
next level.’ In the case of Casa da Musica in
to the tiniest detail. Archiprint was happy to be
Porto and the Y2K house in Rotterdam, this
welcomed at OMA’s Rotterdam office, and had
finding occurred in the form of a scheme. The
the opportunity to interview Chris van Duijn,
Y2K house dealt with an overly orderly client
who was promoted to the position of partner
who requested a design of strictly ordered
in September 2014.
space in which his family could live together, as well as apart. This resulted in what OMA
During Van Duijn’s lecture in the Eindhoven
describes as ‘a house where everything that
Music Hall in the middle of October 2014,
is necessary in a house (kitchen, bathroom,
some aspects of the phenomena of influence
etc) surrounds a single space, resulting in a
and inspiration seemingly came together. Van
tunnel-like design with a central space where
Duijn explained how the requirements of the
the family could get together if and when they
design brief for Casa da Musica in Porto led the
wanted to’.1 Y2K was never built, but the main
architects on the team to be inspired by their
discovery of the project was revived during
findings from an earlier residential project in
the design competition for Casa da Musica.
Rotterdam. A remarkable course of design,
Looking back on the evolution of this idea Van
as from a generally rational point of view
Duijn concludes that: ‘It was at least rather
consistent. At a certain moment we became aware that this clean living room surrounded by necessary functions is quite comparable to what we tried to achieve with the concert hall.’ Ironically, the connection between the commissions did not rely on a similarity of rational context, but on how OMA’s hyper-rational approach translated this context into similar disciplinary aspirations. Van Duijn seems to refer to these aspirations as the ‘main theme’ of the commission. ‘In the most basic and general sense,’ he explains, ‘commissions are never that different from each other. There is always
[2]
a client, always a location and always a programme. Designing and building the requested amount of weatherproof floor space is not that hard to achieve.’ Clearly, OMA aims for higher goals in its architecture.
“Most of our projects do tend to capture some sort of an invention or discovery that intrigues us. Over time, we try to elaborate these findings. Not in every case, and not on every occasion, but only when we acquire evolution by bringing relevant ideas to the next level...”
[3]
Around the time Van Duijn joined OMA, the office started its long (and still ongoing) collaboration with Prada. In 2000, the Italian luxury brand commissioned OMA to research proposals for three new stores in New
[1]
Werlemann, H. (1998, January 1). Y2K HOUSE, NETHERLANDS, ROTTERDAM, 1998; a Private Residence. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.oma.eu/projects/1998/y2k-house/.
[2]
Prada store New York by OMA [photo: image courtesy of OMA]
[3]
Prada store Los Angeles by OMA [photo by Phil Meech, image courtesy of OMA]
[4]
Prada store San Francisco by OMA [photo: image courtesy of OMA]
[4]
34
USA, and discovered most of them approach the theme of flexibility as the designing of space that can function as anything. Most of them even use the same grid. Everything becomes the same and hence this kind of flexibility loses its value. We questioned whether this kind of solution can even be perceived as truly flexible. It became our main theme, and the dilemma to solve. As a result, we ended up using a tiny detail in the numeric book regulation system.’ Here, Van Duijn refers to the US library numeric ordination. Books are numbered 000 to 999, and for growing collections, books on the same topic are found in different sections. ‘Fair and well when initiated,’ Van Duijn argues, ‘but a system like that tends to evolve over time. It either grows or shrinks out of its own logic, and the space that is reserved for it.’ As a solution to that specific type of desired
York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. For this brief, rather than being
flexibility, OMA invented ‘the Book Spiral’, which is a continuous ramp
just one of the commissions’ traditional force fields, the three locations
of shelving through the middle section of the building that, as OMA
became the origin for OMA/AMO’s research. ‘Location, of course, can
describes it: ‘forms a co-existence between categories that approaches the
comprise specific preconditions of the plot, the city or even the country,
organic: each evolves relative to the others, occupying more or less space
but it can also consider the cultural contexts of that location. That is why
on the Spiral, but never forcing the ruptures within sections that bedevil
we have approached these commissions individually and why each
traditional library plans.’ 5
of the three designs responds to the characteristics of the city where it is built. In New York, for instance, we designed what we think of as a representation of the easy, approachable character of the city, as the curve in the floor either functions as a pedestal for mannequins and shoes during the day, or as a podium for fashion shows at night. In Los Angeles we designed ceremonial stairs with a far more Hollywood-like theatrical
“So before finding the solution to a dilemma, OMA makes it its priority to discover the right dilemma to actually respond to...”
experience to them and a roof terrace with a glass roof to respond to the
However, architecture as a profession is highly reliant on its ongoing
local weather. And San Francisco was the most urban project of the three,
polemic in numerous disciplines. Finding the right dilemma within
but sadly was not built.’
a commission is no humdrum task. ‘Sometimes, the most potential is hidden within a popular “side-theme”. It may seem like there is not
So before finding the solution to a dilemma, OMA makes it its priority to
much to contribute anymore, but in fact it just needs better research. If
discover the right dilemma to actually respond to. ‘The right inducements
you think about a popular theme like the modern-day workplace for
need to be defined,’ Van Duijn resumes. ‘You need to develop the
instance, a myth that exists is that there are a lot of developments and
capability of sensing the right dilemma. The hard thing is, it can be in
changes taking place. Numerous researches are conducted, initiated by
the tiniest detail.’ In 1998, for instance, when OMA was commissioned
corporate stakeholders, from architects to real-estate and IT consultants.
to design the new Seattle Central Library, scepticism prevailed on the
Mostly they use case studies as their methodology. Of course all of them
right of this building typology to even exist. ‘Today, nearly everything
pick from the same projects and surprisingly they are usually projects
can be reached through the Internet, and we couldn’t be sure whether
finished within the last two to three years. There is a serious lack of
book collections would grow or shrink over time,’ Van Duijn explains.
awareness of the typologies that really have been ground-breaking
‘It imposed the theme of flexibility. And though that doesn’t seem like
throughout history. That is something which isn’t referenced anymore
a very sexy theme, once researching it, we could not help but notice
and as a result we are stuck in a conversation about a large list of clichés,
that a somewhat generic perception of modern flexibility prevails in
such as “the workplace has changed” and “the current offices are boring”.
our discipline. We felt flexibility should be case-specific. To learn more,
Nine out of ten boxes these researches tick are the same. They repeat
we decided to visit the ten biggest, most recently built libraries in the
each other. So what is new then? As a result, our clients have a desire for
“the new future workplace”. So we ask them: What exactly is that new
York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Doha and Dubai and has, on average, between
future workplace? Through conversation we try to select the appropriate
30 and 40 different nationalities working for it. ‘We consciously attempt
typology. We attempt to work with those elements within the brief that
never to have a majority of one nationality working on one project,’
are specific and to find the right balance with the generic elements of the
Van Duijn explains. ‘We long for this kind of interaction, in order to
project. We are influenced by the programme, but our procedure is to
shed local conventions. To guarantee a combination of both local and
place the programme in a wider context.’
global. To achieve a sort of balance in autonomy. That is also why we do not operate as the classic architect who puts a final sketch on paper.
It is common knowledge that this research-based design is what has
We need sufficient know-how within our contexts, which is why we try
put OMA on the map as a world-leading architecture office, but in
to bring together interests and curiosity by acquiring the right experts
the context of the phenomena ‘influence’ and ‘inspiration’, it seems
early on in the design and research processes. This kind of openness
that OMA possesses the Rosetta Stone for translating one into the
and cooperation is what we stand for.’ And then of course there is the
other. ‘Only the methods of our design and research processes can be
influential and inspiring personality of the founding partner, who has
considered generic for our projects,’ Van Duijn explains. ‘We begin by
been involved in most of the office’s projects during its 40-year existence.
putting aside the traditional aspects of client, location and programme
Van Duijn describes Rem Koolhaas as an embodiment of most of OMA’s
for a while. By doing so, we take a step back in order to define the
and AMO’s projects and their findings. ‘All our desired diversity in the
essence of it all. The main question then becomes: What is the project
office comes together in one person. He is an incredibly valuable, uniting
really about? We strongly value the research that we do in the context of
force in the office that brings together many of the themes and solutions
that question. It reminds us to be critical within our disciplinary bubble
that we work on.’
and to ask ourselves as architects whether we still have a clue of what our architecture is really about. In answering that, we allow ourselves to
OMA’s approach inextricably links design and research, no matter the
discover what we find significant. Without this basic fundament, there
complexity or circumstances. As seen in the relation between the Y2K
is nothing we can respond to. Research can be done for each and every
house and Casa da Musica, the knowledge gained by both OMA and
project individually, but at a certain point you start to notice significant
AMO is subjected to an ongoing evolution, stimulated but never limited
similarities between the different researches. It creates a sort of database
by different projects. As in the case with the Prada commissions, rational
of valuable ideas and findings. That is why we established AMO. To
contexts are used as generators for inspiration. The hidden dilemmas
give both architecture and research their own dynamics, yet to generate
within this rationality, such as the theme of flexibility at the Seattle
input and inspiration for each other.’ While OMA practices within
Central Library, when revealed, can function as inspiration. Moreover,
the traditional field of architecture, AMO works in areas beyond that
rather than responding to the obvious within architecture’s chaotic
traditional boundary, such as media, culture, energy, policy and fashion.
polemics, OMA finds inspiration by taking a step back and elaborate
“The main question then becomes: What is the project really about? We strongly value the research that we do in the context of that question. It reminds us to be critical within our disciplinary bubble and to ask ourselves as architects whether we still have a clue of what our architecture is really about...” It is not only AMO that helps the office bridge the gap between influence and inspiration. The firm is currently represented in Rotterdam, New
on less defined issues, for instance within the research on the modernday workplace. ‘Our solutions are always specific. They’re different for each and every commission. It is always the hidden contexts within the traditional force fields of architecture that have to be discovered and revealed.’ Evidently, this is a clear representation of how the phenomena of influence and inspiration are linked, as far as they can even be perceived as individual phenomena within the discipline of architecture. The one, it seems, cannot exist without the other. ‘Both have their own dynamics,’ Van Duijn concludes. ‘OMA influences and inspires AMO, and vice versa...’ [5]
OMA. (n.d.). SEATTLE CENTRAL LIBRARY, USA, SEATTLE, 2004; New public library with welcoming, intuitive public spaces and uniquely flexible shelving system. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http:// www.oma.eu/projects/2004/seattle-central-library/
36
AnArchi An Objective of Influencing and Inspiring Students 6th board of AnArchi
The theme of this edition of Archiprint is
first, but in addition it appears to be a chance
influence and inspiration: two words that
for the commencing architect. As the board of
define the daily experiences in different
AnArchi, our role is to inform students and
situations all around us at the university.
answer their questions. To monitor the quality
As a study association, our main goal is to
of this period we have been actively involved
organize inspiring activities for our members.
in the process of shaping this professional
The values of influence and inspiration can
traineeship period.
be found in our excursions, lectures and workshops.
Also, this issue’s theme can clearly be seen in our new event: the AnArchi Architecture
ReView is a good example of such an activity.
Awards. These were created with the purpose
During these excursions, students visit projects
of presenting and collecting material made by
and discuss the design with the project’s
students so that their work is not forgotten (or
architect. Another example is the expert
even worse: thrown away) and it can inspire
meeting at which the experts of Reynaers give
other students. By organizing the AnArchi
advice to students experiencing problems in
Architecture Awards, AnArchi emphasizes
their projects. Architectural professionals share
that you can learn most from your fellow
their stories and ideas with us to educate and
students.
invigorate us. Archiprint is another example of the way This year, two developments clearly illustrate
AnArchi tries to help students in the world
the theme influence and inspiration. The first
of architecture. By addressing several themes
is the professional traineeship period, in which
throughout the issues over the past four
all of us who are graduating after 1 January
years, Archiprint aims to show students a
2015 have to participate in order to receive the
critical point of view on current topics, and by
title of architect. During this period, graduates
doing so help students develop themselves as
will acquire additional relevant skills as an
architects and architecture critics.
apprentice under supervision of a mentor. These are skills that enable you to function
All of AnArchi’s activities focus on influencing
within an architecture office and that you
and inspiring our members. By organizing
need to start your own (architecture) firm. The
these activities, we hope to inspire the next
prospects of this period can seem daunting at
generation of architecture students.
Would you like to respond to an article? Or are you interested in writing your own? Do you have other talents we could use? Let us know: anarchi@bwk.tue.nl
coming soon
www.bouwkundebedrijvendagen.nl