LECTURES
BOOK REVIEW
Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession by Reinier de Graaf
Gent Shehu, Erazmia Gjikopulli [Universiteti POLIS] Tirana / Albania
“It is life that is right and the architect who is wrong”. The opening sentence of the book quoting Le Corbusier introduces the common grounds on which the following 44 essays meet. De Graaf’s purpose is to debunk several so called “myths” in architecture by reflecting on his own experiences as well as interpreting certain situations or particular project outcomes. These myths that are the focus of this writing, are particles that complete the figure of the architect as a hero whose megalomaniacal ambitions don’t always reach the real world as intended by the former. The book is divided in seven parts each of which addresses one on the following myths aiming to demystify them: authority, inspiration, good causes, control , independence, mastery, progress.
Vi House, the view is created balancing ISO and shutter speed within a physical Camera
116
When the book was first presented in London, Reiner de Graaf was interviewed by Patrick Schumacher whose first question pointed out that the author’s attempt to debunk these ideologies left him questioning if de Graaf himself had one. Arguably, that’s what makes this book so interesting. The author on the other hand, elegantly explained that his purpose was to raise questions and challenge the readers into making their own interpretations while also being propositional. However, even by disputing all the pillars of the profession of the architect, the book does not aim to encourage the reader to do anything differently, but it leaves him with a lot to think about. The first four essays of the book question authority. As a young architecture graduate faced with the work environment
