#437 - DAVID’S THREE FAVORITE BUILDINGS
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss David’s 3 favorite buildings. The two touched on the Ronchamp Chapel; the emotional impact of architecture; Le Corbusier’s architecture; The Eiffel Tower; the difference between a building, sculpture, and monument; the Taliesin West Building; the Bird Nest; craftsmanship and experimentation in architecture; and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
(01:29) 1st favorite: Ronchamp Chapel.
“I think one of the downsides of modern architects is that they become too confined to thinking that everything must have a geometric alignment… which is the result of being too calculated. The Ronchamp Chapel is not that. It feels and looks more like a sculpture. When I’m there, I just enjoy the raw visual experience of the building, the place, and all the moments and rooms…” (14:28)
(13:29) Emotional impact of architecture.
“The spiritual aspect of architecture and the emotions it helps people feel are the first baby steps an architect takes when they learn architecture. In those first exercises, students design spaces. You always call it a space, which suggests that it is divorced from any preconception about what a building is. It's just a space. You're not thinking about structure, sustainability, program, or budget. It's just the fundamentals. The funny thing is, as you go on as an architect, it becomes harder and harder to produce work that is expressive of those initial baby steps and early projects that we all did. It’s a struggle for architects to do work like that in their career.” (16:15)
(19:13) Le Corbusier's architecture.
“What I like about Le Corbusier's work is that he also thinks about his designs theoretically. The Unité d'Habitation, for example, is the concept of an urban ecosystem within a building and developing internal streets in the building; down to the cabinet detail, the handle, the hinges, and glass partitions between spaces.” (20:18)
(23:07) Why Ronchamp Chapel is David's favorite.
“Sometimes it feels like we are controlled and restrained by the tools we use. We have computers, keyboards, mice, and VR, all these peripheral things that get in the way. They're great tools, they make drawing construction documents and producing renderings a lot easier. But sometimes I feel like…it's just a bunch of string around my hands, and I want them to get away…Get away!” (28:17)
(29:50) David's 2nd favorite building: The Eiffel Tower
(46:29) Building vs Sculpture vs Monument.
(55:05) David's 3rd favorite building & bonus.
(58:51) Taliesin West building.
(01:04:33) Craftsmanship & Experimentation in architecture.
“The Ronchamp Chapel felt like it was crafted with somebody’s hands. It's the same thing with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is about craftsmanship and making everything that the building needs to be. People are working with their hands, stones are being carved, little details are made from pieces of wood assembled, and a window is being cut around the shape of a vase. I think we've lost that.” (01:04:37)
“There are only so many minutes in a day. And if you have to spend X percentage of your time now dedicated toward troubleshooting stuff, working around, or learning these complex tools, it's time away from being able to think freely. Then, with the remaining time you have, do you feel emotionally, as an architect and creative, in a headspace to think, “Let me be free and think about crazy stuff now.” Or do you feel, “Okay, I only have half of my day now, and I need to complete some work.” (01:05:32)
(01:09:24) Bird's Nest building.
(01:16:09) David's other favorite buildings.
(01:17:53) Summary of favorite buildings.
