“You see, the first goal in this place was to deliver something beautiful where such an ugliness was there before,” says Calatrava in the film. “To deliver something optimistic looking to the future where so much sadness and depression was there.”
via Nowness
via Nowness
Private View: Santiago Calatrava originally aired as a part of the DOCNYC film festival. Watch it above, or at Nowness.
Throughout the 60-year career of Álvaro Siza, his work has continuously defied categorization–having variously been described as “critical regionalism” and “poetic modernism,” with neither quite capturing the true essence of Siza’s intuitive architecture. In this interview, the latest in Vladimir Belogolovsky’s “City of Ideas” series, Siza discusses those attempts to categorize his work, his design approach and the role of beauty in his designs.
Vladimir Belogolovsky:Your student, Eduardo Souto de Moura said, “Siza’s houses are just like cats sleeping in the sun.”
Álvaro Siza: [Laughs.] Yes, he meant that my buildings assume the most natural postures on the site. There is also a reference in that to the human body.
VB:Do you think it is important or even possible for an architect to explain his or her work and process in a conversation such as we are having now?
AS: I think so. Maybe in the wrong way [Laughs.] I like explaining my work. When I am asked to present a lecture, I always choose to talk about one particular project because I like to explain how ideas come about.
VB:I have seen a number of your projects in Portugal and Spain, and just yesterday, I went to see your Restaurant Boa Nova here in Porto, which is a kind of project that is impossible to understand through photographs. It is not about an image, but something else, which does not translate into pictures. What do you think that is?
AS: Well, that is true for most buildings, not just mine. Photographs can’t convey space.
VB:Except that most buildings look better in photos and with your work, the opposite is true.
AS: There is such a thing as a sensation of understanding and feeling space. I had this realization when I first visited Fallingwater by Wright. First, there is a density of the atmosphere there; then the scale can never be accurately understood. Wright’s house is actually much smaller than what you would expect from just looking at photos. He reduced such dimensions as parapets or ceiling heights.
VB:I want to talk about your architecture as an approach. Kenneth Frampton said that you are a part of the “Critical regionalist” movement. And by “Critical regionalism” he understands “an approach to architecture that strives to counter the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style,” and an approach that “also rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of Postmodern architecture.” What do you think about being placed into this category, “Critical regionalism?” Do you agree? Because you also have a very strong individualistic character, so it is a mixture of things.
AS: Yes, I agree with being categorized as such. When critics talk about critical regionalism the word that is overlooked is critical. What Frampton meant, I think, was not that architecture should go in the direction of closing its global discourse, but that such discourse should encourage continuity of local cultural traditions, as opposed to celebrating the International Style, which was becoming placeless.
VB:And so you see your work as a continuation of the local traditions.
AS: Yes. But don’t forget that all traditions either change and transform or they die.
VB:You said, “Tradition is important when it contains moments of change.”
AS: Yes, tradition does not mean closure, immobility. Quite the opposite, the value of traditions is in being open to innovations. Tradition is not the opposite of innovation, it is complementary.Tradition comes from successive interchanges. Isolated cultures that try to preserve their traditions without being open to new ideas collapse. Every traditional culture is influenced by outside cultures. When I was growing up there were very few centers of global culture – Paris, London, New York, and the rest was a periphery. Portugal was in the periphery and it was closed until the 1974 revolution, after which the country was rediscovered. Frampton was one of the first critics who came here and he traveled to other parts of Europe, including Spain, Greece, and Scandinavian countries. It was the time when architects were interested in rediscovering non-mainstream architecture. In this context, he was perhaps the first critic who insisted on the importance of identity.
VB:You often say, “Nothing is invented. There is a past for everything.” You are not interested in making something entirely new, right? Your work is based on what was done before. Could you talk about your position?
AS: It is impossible to make something entirely new. Look at the Villa Savoye in Poissy by Le Corbusier. When you see it, the sensation is that it is entirely new. It is clearly new architecture for a new kind of man. But the reality is that nothing is new but modified or transformed. There were horizontal “slit windows” in ancient structures in pre-Columbian America or in Portuguese vernacular; there are pilotis in the old market of Venice; you can even find examples of open plan in ancient structures where there was just a roof and perimeter walls with no interior partitions. The new only comes from new combinations and materials, but nothing is completely new. We, architects are constantly being influenced by what is around us. For example, I remember when my Bonjour Tristesse social housing was being built in Berlin. I was in that neighborhood and I saw a building that I thought was under construction; it had a similar roof profile as mine. So I told my contractor – look I haven’t finished my building yet and it is already being copied. Then the contractor said, “If anyone is copying that’s you because that building is being demolished.” [Laughs.] And the truth is that I probably saw it before I did my design and it influenced me subconsciously.
VB:Kenneth Frampton said: “Like Aalto’s, all of Siza’s buildings are delicately laid into the topography of their sites. His approach is patently tactile and tectonic, rather than visual and graphic. Even his smallest buildings are topographically structured.” At the same time you said, “Even before I have complete knowledge, or good knowledge of every single problem, I begin sketching possible solutions with the little information I have. I feel I need to begin immediately with an idea – although then it can be completely changed.” Could you talk about your process of drawing and design?
AS: I start drawing from the very beginning. I don’t worry about analyzing the problem, the site conditions, or even the program. Because if I first do all the analysis there would be too much information and little architecture… So first, I sketch, sometimes before I go to the site. This is because I immediately start working and searching for an idea, even if I only have a photo of the place. And most of the time the first sketches are good for nothing. But I use them to construct an idea that comes out of many sketches. Gradually, with more information, a real thing emerges. I always work with collaborators who feed me with information. I work with models directly and at some point, there’s a cross between rigor that comes from precise information and complete freedom of my intuition, they meet.
VB:You said that a drawing establishes a dialogue with the mind. You called a drawing hand not just thinking but provocative.
AS: It often happens that in the very beginning of a project it is not clear how to develop it. In those moments, I try to distract myself. I take a break, do many sketches and drawings, and suddenly a spark comes. So there is a relationship between the hand and the mind. One complements the other. Aalto too spoke of this.
VB:Your work is very intuitive. You said, “I don’t work within any theoretical framework nor do I offer a key as to how you should understand my work.” Your work is intuitive but also very particular and you have a very controlled repertoire. For example, most of your buildings are white, some have red brick. They are solid-looking, faceted or with curved profiles and convex and concave facades. Do you intentionally discipline yourself or is it about developing your particular and recognizable language?
AS: I don’t think I have a unified language. I worked in Portugal and Spain, in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, China… These are very different circumstances. Building techniques are different. Materials are different. Climatic conditions are different. Histories and cultures are different. The atmospheres are different. My decisions are based on what I observe and absorb. When I worked on the art museum in Santiago de Compostela, I did not want to use local granite (gris); I wanted to use white material in the interior. I chose Greek marble because at the time it was cheaper. I also wanted to use the same marble on the facades but that provoked opposition from the locals. I wanted the museum to be white for two reasons – to distinguish its civic importance and also because in the past, the whole city was painted white. Throughout history, Santiago was white. Only in recent times, stucco was removed to reveal stone and granite. So every building is a response to specific circumstance and I don’t have a strict theory. Of course, I do have a theory, otherwise how could I have a practice? But this theory does not limit my work.
VB:You once said, “Beauty does not interest me.” Yet, your work is very beautiful. What is the main intention then?
AS: Did I really say that?
VB:Do you think you were misquoted?
AS: I could only say that if I was drunk. [Laughs.] Of course, I am interested in beauty. Beauty is the peak of functionality! If something is beautiful, it is functional. I don’t separate beauty and functionality. Beauty is the key functionality for architects… I wonder how I could say that beauty was not of interest to me… Perhaps someone provoked me by saying that I am an aestheticist. I am not that. But a search for beauty should be the number one preoccupation of any architect.
VB:Nowadays many younger generation architects pride themselves on the fact that they don’t personally initiate projects with a sketch. They developed a team approach with multiple contributions. But I read that you like to design your projects alone sitting in a cafe. What do you think about the collaborative approach to architecture?
AS: This is partially true but it was years ago. I no longer draw in cafes. I used to do that to get out of the ambiance of my studio. This used to happen on daily basis. A coffee house in Porto was an institution. You could see students studying in cafes or meetings would take place there. Now coffee is something that you drink quickly and move on; it is no longer an authentic experience. I even saw a sign at one café that said, “No studying.” But I have another reason for not going to cafes. After certain projects, here in Portugal I became known, so when people see me they come to say hello and when they see that I am drawing they ask if I could draw something for them. So I had to resist. [Laughs.] Now I do sketches in the studio because my collaborators don’t demand sketches from me. [Laughs.]
VB:Nevertheless, you start projects with sketches and for a while, you stay one on one with the project, right?
AS: Yes, but at the same time I involve my team from the very beginning. Engineers, for example, start right away. What I don’t like now is when younger architects start working on projects immediately on the computer. This does not give them a chance to start the project freely with free thinking and freehand drawings. Fresh ideas come from thinking and drawing, not from the computer. Sketching is important for thinking.
VB:You also said, “I am a functionalist.” Then you added that “the form, spaces, and atmosphere don’t arise from solving functions. Every architect is forced to provide answers to functional problems. But architecture with a capital A begins when a project obtains freedom, free of all constraints, able to take flight and develop in other directions.” What does that mean for you – architecture with a capital A?
AS: Very difficult… Architecture is a service. When a client asks for something architects have an ethical responsibility to deliver a project that responds to a particular set of objectives as rigorously as possible. But we should still remember that architecture should remain free. Architecture should strive to become another thing, not just be a solution for pragmatics. As an architect, I don’t just want to be preoccupied with solving problems. There are other issues at stake. The real issue is to keep a good balance. Functionality should never suffer, but architecture should be much more than that and achieving beauty is the top priority of any architecture.
VB:“Architects do not invent anything, they just transform reality” is one of your favorite expressions. Kenneth Frampton said that this aphorism of yours should be engraved at the entrance of every architecture school. He also said that many of our leading architects can’t accept this idea even as a joke.
AS: Bad for them because this is true. [Laughs.]
VB:There is a very strong belief among leading architects in this notion that “here is my work” and “there is everyone else.”
AS: Well I would agree with that. My architecture is also different. But at the same time I know that I am not an inventor. I am the transformer. That’s all.
VB:You said, “Rationality is not enough. I want to go around the problem.”
AS: [Laughs.]
VB:I want to finish our conversation with another one of your phrases, “A good architect works slowly.”
AS: Computers made it possible to design and build architecture much quicker. But thinking still takes as much time. Architecture is about a debate and provocation; that can’t happen without thinking. Computers can enhance thinking, but architecture is a slow art.
Belogolovsky’s column, City of Ideas, introduces ArchDaily’s readers to his latest and ongoing conversations with the most innovative architects from around the world. These intimate discussions are a part of the curator’s upcoming exhibition with the same title which premiered at the University of Sydney in June 2016. The City of Ideas exhibition will travel to venues around the world to explore ever-evolving content and design.
You’re a freelancer. You work day in and out, Mondays to Fridays, and sometimes even during the weekends. You spend more than 8 hours a day sitting in front of your computer with occasional coffee and TV breaks. Your inbox is always full, you never run out of deadlines, and your unfinished work is piling up on your desk.
The question is: How do you survive?
Stay on Schedule
Stress is a feeling brought by lack of control of a situation. And it happens to me whenever I break my schedule. One of the ways you can combat the feeling of stress brought about by being overwhelmed by the number of jobs you have to do is to create a doable schedule that works for you.
I personally have an excel file which I name “work calendar” and here I list every project I need to do every month. Sometimes my calendar will have work booked for more than 3 weeks. Sometimes when I’m running low, I only have work for the next three days. That’s the time I know I have to hustle.
Having a schedule helps you control the flow of work. It creates order in your work life.
Tаke Brеаkѕ
It may seem counterproductive to take frequent breaks while working but believe me when I say breaks are the only thing that will probably keep you sane while working freelance.
There will be times when you simply don’t feel like sitting any longer in front of your computer because your eyes hurt or your brain isn’t working anymore. Don’t ignore it. Follow your body cues and take short breaks for no more than 30 minutes to refresh your mind and body.
I used to worry and feel stressed when my clients are not 100% happy. But then I realized that I can’t please every client I have. And this is perfectly normal.
Most freelancers encounter difficult clients more than once in their freelance careers. Sometimes freelancers will encounter clients that are hard to understand, clients who don’t pay on time, or those that rush you for results even if it’s just a day after you started the contract.
Learn tо say NO
Being a freelancer means you have to go look for jobs yourself. And while the competition is fierce, that doesn’t mean you have to say “Yes” to every job offer that comes your way.
Don’t accept jobs if you’re already over-scheduled. Don’t write for free for a test job. Don’t slave away for work with little pay. Be honest if you aren’t comfortable in writing a subject far from your niche, and politely decline.
Set Rules Before Starting any Job/Project
Clarify everything before starting the project. This includes project due dates and pays schedules which will save everyone a huge headache later on. If a сlіеnt is ореnlу rudе tо you, drор thеm. Bе сlеаr аbоut уоur hours. If your client resides on the other side of the world, let them know the time to contact you. You don’t want to be answering client calls at 3 am in the morning.
Outsource
Now that you’re earning more than you can handle. It’s time to delegate tasks so you could accomplish more during the day.
If you don’t want to do your admin tasks, you can hire a virtual assistant to do it for you. If you’re a web designer, you can outsource web content to a writer who can do the job better than you. Sites like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and EssayPro.Club have available workers to help with tasks and projects for every kind of freelancer.
Write on your niche
I found that when I’m passionate about what I’m writing, I tend to write more smoothly and quickly. In freelancing, it’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses. If you excel at writing humor pieces, don’t spend all your time writing boring tech pieces. Figure out what sets your writing apart and focus on the stuff that only you could write.
Bе рrераrеd tо defend уоur lifestyle tо ѕtrаngеrѕ
Sоmе реорlе wіll think you’re living an enviable life as a freelancer while others will look at you with fаіnt panic because іt dіѕtrеѕѕеѕ thеm thаt уоu’vе chosen such аn uncertain саrееr раth. Don’t let them get to you. Go to workshops аnd seminars, find your соmmunіtу of artistic ѕuрроrt, аnd trу tо lооk worldly and knowing in front of judgmental strangers.
Manage Time Wisely
Set work hours every day and stick to it. It will help if you set timers or batch your day for certain projects. For example, you can focus all morning to work on your website, the afternoon to edit your content, and the evenings to answer client calls. Make it work for you. Remember that you control your time as a freelancer.
Most visitors to the Galapagos Islands point their cameras towards the exotic animals and away from the local people. They direct their full attention to the natural landscape, as if to intentionally deny the existence of the urban space of the city, since the presence of any form of architecture would seem in logical conflict with the islands’ identity as a protected wildlife reserve.
The architecture of the Galapagos is both a conceptual and physical contradiction. Like a Piranesian joke, the San Cristobal typology of the proto-ruin falls somewhere on a spectrum between construction and dismantlement. With their “permanently unfinished” construction state seemingly in flux, it is unclear whether many of these buildings display a common optimism for vertical expansion or are instead symptoms of a process of urban decay.
The unique shapes of these pseudo-informal constructions are the product of a tax loophole found in many South American and even Southern European countries that allows residents and landlords to defer property taxes on buildings in the process of construction. (Another contributing factor to this practice is their residents’ existence in a liminal state of poverty.) The result is a strange, unintentional aesthetic of the purposefully incomplete that has a tendency to dominate many lower income neighborhoods. An especially large concentration of these building types can be found in the capital of the Galapagos, San Cristobal.
In leaving open the possibility of future construction, these semi-shelters invite the casual observer to imagine divergent possibilities for the completed construction that reflect an imagined future direction for the Galapagos Islands as a whole. Will the roofs of these homes become the penthouses of the wealthy Ecuadorians seeking a vacation home on the islands, high rise hotel towers to house the increasing flood of international tourists, or aviaries for accommodating the world-famous Galapagos finches, so as to integrate these birds into the matrix of human development?
Mapping the urban area of Puerto Baquerzio Moreno allows us to quantify the percentage of inhabitants that are actively taking advantage of this tax loophole. 1,800 buildings can be counted in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno from satellite photos. 1,253 buildings were surveyed from the ground in total: of those 960 appear to be mostly completed, 207 appear to be in a state of incomplete habitation, and 86 are apparently currently in construction. From that data, 76.5% are “completed,” 16.5% are “incomplete,” and 7% are “under construction.”
The somewhat larger and more developed Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz suggests one possible path in which Puerto Baquerzio Moreno may develop. The survey of site statistics shows 2,925 buildings in the main city: of those 2,633 appear to be mostly completed, 233 appear to be in a state of incomplete habitation, and 59 are apparently currently in construction. From that data, 90% are “completed,” 8% are “incomplete,” and 2% are “under construction.”
Joseph Kennedy is a Fulbright grantee conducting research and teaching at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. He graduated with a B. Arch from Cornell University in 2015.
Everyone, of course, wants to be happy. The question is: how? How can we be happy? For many people, the answer is to havemore: more money, more fame, more achievements.
I don’t think that’s the right answer, though. Why? Because having more is a never-ending journey. Yes, you might be happy for a while when you get what you want. But then the cycle repeats itself. After a while, you want even more to be happy.
No, having more is not the way to happiness. Instead, I believe that the way to happiness is the opposite of wanting more. The way to happiness is being content.
What does being content mean?
Being content means being happy now with what you already have. You don’t need this or that before you can be happy. You don’t say to yourself, “If only I have that, I will be happy.” No. You already have all you need to be happy.
If you are content, you will be happy even if you don’t have much. But if you aren’t, you won’t be happy even if you have much. Benjamin Franklin put it well: “Contentment makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.”
Contentment is powerful because it gives you the space to do things that fulfill you. Instead of spending your time on chasing more stuff, you can now spend your time on realizing your potential and contributing. These will give you inner fulfillment.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs describes this concept well. Those who want to have more will spend their time on the lower parts of the hierarchy, especially the physiological (material stuff) and esteem (reputation) parts. Those who are content, on the other hand, will spend their time on the higher parts of the hierarchy: the self-actualization and self-transcendence parts. Self-actualization corresponds to realizing your potential, while self-transcendence corresponds to contributing to a cause that matters to you. Both are how you can live a fulfilling life.
One thing to remember: being content doesn’t mean just staying where you are. In fact, it’s the opposite: you will still get better at what you do. But what’s different here is your motivation. Your motivation is not to get more stuff (physiological) or reputation (esteem). Instead, your motivation is to realize your potential (self-actualization) and contribute (self-transcendence). Because you want to realize your potential and contribute, you will get better at what you do. You will achieve more. But the motivation is different.
Being content is essential for living a full life. It allows you to be happy now, not later in a distant future. It also gives you the space to realize your potential and contribute. These will lead you to live a fulfilling life.
Based in the old Knorr Braking Systems factory, Friedrichshain – a protected historical site, is one of three of the online retailer Zalando’s locations in Berlin, employing around 2000 people. Bruzkus Batek architects have designed and conceptualised a multi-use “fashion hub” at the site, including a modern, fully featured canteen and terrace onto the interior courtyard.
The space-efficient design of the wooden framed seating units with OSB surfaces, blends inviting warmth with the austere, industrial design of the host building in a truly exciting way. Up to 300 Personnel gather daily in this canteen to enjoy a selection of meals, or simply coffee. Outside of break time, the space is used for informal meetings and associated activities.
Out on the terrace, two adjoining huts and a large area of wooden decking, with a bright yellow “garden hut” nestled in the courtyard, provide a great space for sunny weather eating and is the ideal space for parties and functions.
The Hub itself is a central event space of approx. 650 square metres, serving as an incubator for creative projects, and an event space. Showboxes – freestanding cubes made of either aluminium, copper, tiling or layered plastic sheeting – provide a space for the dynamic presentation of new fashion collections. The materially varied, precise construction of these cubes stands in contrast to the open, industrial atmosphere of the surrounding building, where the framework and substructures remain visible. Multi-use exhibition platforms and a catwalk are also provided, constructed from OSB.
The windows facing onto the vibrant Neue Bahnhof Strasse are equipped with individual, boutique-like showcases behind each one. Individual doors give access and they are used to show a selection of fashion displays, reflecting the company’s currently sold lines to this busy, upmarket Berlin street. Inside the room they also form an interesting design feature.
Stark, bright neon lighting lights the main space, creating the character of a gallery, while individual exhibits and points of interest have their own, subtle light design as an offset and accent.
Sig Nordal 