AD Interviews: Steven Holl
Summary
TLDRSteven Hall, an architect based in New York with an office in Beijing, discusses his firm's global reach and recent projects, including a horizontal skyscraper in Shenzhen and a surf museum. He emphasizes the importance of architecture as an art form that can transform lives, focusing on the relationship between concept, form, and experience. Hall also highlights the need for architects to be environmentally responsible, experimental, and to challenge traditional programming. He encourages students to experience architecture firsthand and to remain idealistic, treating every project as an opportunity to create meaningful spaces.
Takeaways
- 🌏 The speaker, Steven Hall, is an architect with an office in New York and Beijing, working globally with a team of 45 people.
- 🏙️ They recently completed a 'horizontal skyscraper' in Shenzhen and are set to open a new museum in Nanen.
- 📅 Steven travels extensively, approximately 150 days a year, and uses a small sketchbook and watercolor pad for concept drawings during his travels.
- 🎨 Architecture is described as a manifold of space, light, material, and time, with a focus on the experience and how it can change the way we live.
- 🌐 The importance of the site in architecture is emphasized, as it provides a 'metaphysical link' and is transformed by the architectural design.
- 💡 The concept of architecture as an 'organic link' between concept and form is highlighted, where the idea drives the design and the experience is in the phenomena.
- 🏛️ The speaker discusses the importance of an architect's role in urban architecture, suggesting the need to rewrite and enrich the program of a project.
- 🌿 There is a strong emphasis on creating the greenest possible architecture and the architect's responsibility to bring sustainable buildings into existence.
- 🤝 Collaboration is key in the architectural process, with networking starting from the initial stages of a project and involving various stakeholders.
- 🌐 The internet plays a significant role in the office's workflow, allowing for 24-hour work cycles and real-time collaboration between offices.
- 🏛️ Physically experiencing buildings is crucial, especially in an era dominated by images, and students are encouraged to travel and see architecture firsthand.
Q & A
Where is Steven Hall's architectural firm based?
-Steven Hall's architectural firm is based in New York, with an additional office in Beijing.
What significant project did Steven Hall's firm recently complete in China?
-Steven Hall's firm recently completed the horizontal skyscraper in Shenzhen, China.
What is the name of the new museum that Steven Hall's firm is opening in Nanen?
-The new museum being opened by Steven Hall's firm in Nanen is called the Museum of Surf in the Ocean.
How often does Steven Hall travel for work?
-Steven Hall travels for work approximately 150 days a year.
What tool does Steven Hall use to work on his concept drawings while traveling?
-Steven Hall uses a small sketchbook and watercolor pad, which he refers to as his 'secret weapon', to make concept drawings while traveling.
What is Steven Hall's view on the importance of architecture?
-Steven Hall views architecture as one of the most important arts that can change the way we live, emphasizing its role in creating a manifold of space, light, material, and time.
What does Steven Hall believe is the architect's role in urban architecture?
-Steven Hall believes that an architect today, especially in urban settings, needs to rewrite the program, adding different functions for living, working, and recreation, essentially creating a city within a city.
How does Steven Hall approach the concept of 'green' architecture?
-Steven Hall believes in inspiring the greenest possible architecture, emphasizing the architect's responsibility to bring the greenest building into existence without letting greenness become the sole focus of the architecture.
What was the unique approach Steven Hall took for the Nelson Atkins Museum project?
-For the Nelson Atkins Museum project, Steven Hall chose to break the competition rules by not building on the north side of the existing building. Instead, he proposed a scheme that merged into the landscape, which ultimately won the competition.
How does Steven Hall describe the experience of architecture?
-Steven Hall describes the experience of architecture as an 'enmeshed experience' that needs to be felt with the body moving through space, engaging all senses and testing the architecture through the quality of material, smell, sound, and light.
What advice does Steven Hall give to architecture students?
-Steven Hall advises architecture students to travel and physically experience buildings, make sketches, and take notes about the buildings' characteristics and how they feel, emphasizing the importance of experiencing architecture in three dimensions.
What is the significance of teamwork in architecture according to Steven Hall?
-According to Steven Hall, teamwork is crucial in architecture as it involves a group of people working together towards a common ideal or goal, which is key to the success of any architectural project.
Outlines
🏙️ Global Architectural Practice Insights
Steven Hall, based in New York with an office in Beijing, leads a team of 45 people working on projects worldwide, particularly in China. They recently completed a horizontal skyscraper in Shenzhen and are set to open the Museum of Surf in Nantong. Hall travels extensively for work, utilizing a sketchbook and watercolor pad to create concept drawings on the go. He emphasizes the importance of architecture as an art form that can transform lives and the significance of the site in shaping a building's design. Hall's approach to architecture is rooted in the relationship between concept and form, with the idea driving the design and the experience being the true test. He discusses the importance of the physical experience of architecture, moving through space, and engaging with the material, light, and sounds that create a 'meshed experience.'
🌿 Embracing Green Architecture and Innovation
Hall discusses the responsibility architects have to create the greenest possible buildings, especially in China where there is a strong client interest in sustainability. He believes that green architecture should not just be about sustainability but also about creating a poetic and subjective experience. Hall encourages architects to rethink and enrich the given program of a project, using the example of the Nelson Atkins Museum where he broke competition rules to propose a design that merged with the landscape. He stresses the importance of taking an idealistic approach, transforming the program, and questioning the site. Hall also highlights the need for architects to remain experimental, exploring new materials and formal possibilities, and the importance of networking with collaborators, artists, and critics to enrich the design process.
🌐 The Power of Global Collaboration and Idealism
Hall talks about the benefits of global collaboration, using the internet to work around the clock with his team in Beijing and New York. This allows for continuous work and the ability to complete projects much faster. He also emphasizes the importance of physically experiencing buildings, especially in a world saturated with images that may not accurately represent the true essence of architecture. Hall advises students to travel and see great works of architecture firsthand, to sketch and take notes, and to understand the importance of experiencing architecture in three dimensions. He encourages remaining idealistic in all architectural endeavors, regardless of the project's scale, and stresses the importance of teamwork and having trusted collaborators in achieving architectural success.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Horizontal Skyscraper
💡Architecture
💡Concept Drawings
💡Metaphysical Link
💡Program
💡Green Architecture
💡Networking
💡Experiential Architecture
💡Idea and Phenomena
💡Experimental
💡Teamwork
Highlights
Steven Hall discusses the global reach of his architectural practice with offices in New York and Beijing and a team of 45 people.
Completion of the horizontal skyscraper in Shenzhen and the upcoming opening of a new museum in Nanen.
The importance of being on the move and the use of a small sketchbook and watercolor pad for concept drawings during travel.
Architecture's role as a manifold of space, light, material, and time, and its potential to change the way we live.
The significance of the site in architecture and its metaphysical and poetic link to a building's potential.
Architecture as an organic link between concept and form, with the idea driving the design and experience in the phenomena.
The concept of 'idea and phenomena' used to summarize their work at the Architecture Zentrum in Vienna.
The test of architecture lies in the experience, including moving through space and the overlapping perspectives.
The film 'The Body in Space' highlighting the body as the measure of architecture through sensory experiences.
The potential of architecture to bring essences back into existence through the control of every aspect of a building.
The need for architects to write and rewrite the program, especially in urban architecture, to create a city within a city.
The role of architects in inspiring the greenest possible architecture and the difference in approach between China and America.
The importance of not letting greenness become the sole focus of architecture, but rather a part of a more poetic and subjective approach.
The process of rethinking the program and imagining new concepts and programs to enrich the architectural experience.
The story of the Nelson Atkins Museum competition and the unconventional approach that led to winning the project.
The importance of taking an idealistic approach and being disobedient in the beginning to achieve the highest level of a project.
The necessity for architecture to remain experimental, exploring new materials and formal possibilities.
The value of networking with collaborators, artists, and critics from the beginning of a project to foster dialogue and innovation.
The impact of the internet on their ability to work 24 hours a day with their China office, accelerating project development.
The belief in the importance of physically experiencing buildings to truly understand their impact and design.
Advice for students to travel, see architecture in person, and make notes about the experience and feelings evoked.
The importance of remaining idealistic in every project, avoiding a double standard, and treating all work as architecture.
The value of having trusted collaborators and the significance of teamwork in achieving architectural success.
Transcripts
[Music]
I'm Steven Hall here in New York where
we're based we have an office in Beijing
and together we're 45 people we're
working uh sort of all over the world in
uh in China uh we just completed the
horizontal skyscraper in
Shenzhen and uh we're excited to be
opening the new Museum in nanen um we're
opening a new building in beitz on the
25th of June the Museum of surf in the
ocean it's an exciting moment for
architecture I think and uh for our
practice with many sites but that
requires me to be on the plane often
going over the North Pole traveling
let's say 150 days a year which is that
means I must work when I travel and uh I
I work with a small Sketchbook uh a
watercolor pad which is kind of my
secret weapon because I can make concept
drawings and photograph them with my
iPhone and send them back in midair so
it's a wonderful uh way of
working the architecture is a manifold
of space light and material and time
this sort of phenomenal relation of
architecture really can change the way
we live I think it's one of the most
important Arts that in that way and for
me architecture is about a universal in
the specific the site uh is really
important architecture is bound to
situation and I feel like the site is a
metaphysical link a poetic link to what
a building can be architecture isn't so
much bound to situation as it transforms
the situation for me architecture is an
organic link between concept and form
the idea drives the design but the
experience is in the phenomena once I
had an exhibition try to summarize our
work with the with the term idea and
phenomena that was at the architecture
zentrum in in Vienna and the the idea
drives the design but the real test of
Architecture is in the experience
the the moving through space the
overlapping perspectives the incomplete
perception and how a building can draw
you through the the quality of material
the qu the the smell the sound the
quality of the light the these things
are all interacting in what I call and
meshed experience and that kind of and
meshed experience is is something that
really needs to be felt uh with the body
moving through space another time there
was a film about my work and our work
our collaborative work and it was titled
the body in space so the body becomes
the measure of architecture As you move
through spaces with all your senses uh
acute you really are testing the
architecture so for me it's always this
uh let's say this dialogue between the
idea that drives the design but the
experience the experience of the
architecture really is the
test
I think the architecture has has the
potential to put Essences back into
existence and and that's when the
architect is in control of everything
and every part of a building the
material the light the spaces that's
really something I think is is the
highest let's say
aspiration but on an urban level I think
an architect today especially now now
now that we've been working in China for
let's say 8
years an architect needs to write the
program rewrite the program in other
words in urban uh uh uh architecture uh
often there's a kind of bereft set of
programs and like in in our case of the
linked hybrid we added many different
functions for living working recreation
in a in a sort of city within a city
circumstance and all these programmatic
parts we invented and and you know
suggested to the client so today I think
more than ever an architect has to
really be writing the programs as well
as just receiving the brief another
thing I
think we have to do is to let's
say Inspire the greenest possible uh
architecture and I I think that we come
to clients and especially in China they
want the projects to be green but in
America we have to sort of twist arms
and convince them to do do certain
things but I think in every situation an
architect has it has the sort of let's
say responsibility to bring the greenest
possible building into existence I think
this is especially important but I think
it's also important that that greenness
is not architecture in and of itself
something more subjective and more
poetic that brings all the manifold
parts and pieces
[Music]
together
I always felt that the the the brief the
program that you're given is just so
many bananas you know that you really
need to rethink the program so in
starting a project we we you know read
the brief study the site but then put it
aside and try to
imagine you know whatever concept that
we're working on imagine how to enrich
that experience and imagine other
programs coming to coming into being
coming into play
and as much as possible transforming uh
the existing situation and I think
especially in the work in China we've
been amazed at how receptive the client
was to changing the program and often I
change the site like in the case of the
Nelson Atkins
Museum uh it was a competition and all
the six competitors were required to
build on the north side of the building
and I went to the site and I said that's
not the way to do this you shouldn't
even touch the existing building and we
made a scheme which went down the side
merged into the
landscape and basically Breaking All the
Rules of the competition and I I
apologized when I made a presentation to
the trustees I said you know I got the
courage to break all your rules because
in your stone facade it says the soul
has greater need for the ideal than for
the real and they laughed and uh we won
W the competition and you know I mean in
in fact we won the competition with a
unanimous vote from the trustees so
that's just an example of what I say is
to take always take the idealistic
approach and and and try to transform
the program add to it make enrich the
program but also question the site to to
in a way to be as disobedient as
possible in the beginning in order to
get to the highest level of of of a of a
project I think it's very
important I think architecture has to
remain experimental we always uh in our
office every time we start a project
we're experimenting with materials we're
experimenting with different formal
possibilities I think that's a key to
the life of architecture that it can't
rely on you know sort of the already
proven the already built the already
thought it has to in in a way explore
the not yet felt in that sense it's
always in a way in touch with the latest
possible developments in materials and
in
techniques you know first of all we're
always uh networking when we're working
with our collaborators like Matia
Schuler and trans solar uh in terms of
the green aspects that starts right in
the beginning of a project working with
G nordenson in terms of structure that
starts right in the beginning uh when
we're just tentatively beginning a
project
but I think also networking with artists
with critics we have pin-ups in our
studio where we'll have two or three
versions of a design and we'll bring
artists and critics in and have
incredible uh dialogues that might
change the design could go in One
Direction or another and I think that's
an exciting aspect we're in the internet
is very important uh we have a Facebook
page which is updated every week uh
telling news and uh the our website uh
which I think is updated every week gets
something like 22,000 hits a week so I'm
sure that that's a communicating link
that that has really uh uh Advanced our
office in in a way but I think more
important is the way we can work
together with our our China office we
can work back and forth in such an inter
inter interlocked networking that we can
work 24 hours a day so when we're doing
a competition we'll put four people in
Beijing and four people in New York and
we'll just send the files back and forth
every 12 hours so we can continuously
work uh in 24 hours so we can basically
do the work of 6 months and 3 months
it's kind of an exciting uh possibility
with the
internet well I believe you really must
go and physically experience buildings
especially today when we're bombarded
with images uh some of which aren't Act
actually true to the experience of the
building as a student I think the most
important thing is to travel and to see
great works of architecture in the flesh
and and take note and and and make
sketches and and make notes about what
these buildings are about and how they
feel I think some of the greatest
architecture uh in history can't be
photographed it needs to be felt in
three dimensions and to move through it
in a sequence of spaces which never
comes over in a single image so this is
for a student I think the most important
thing really is to to go out to travel
to see buildings in the
flesh I would say remain
idealistic that's the most important
thing remain idealistic and that means
not I mean to make every single thing
you do a work of architecture whether
it's a a bedroom uh renovation or a or a
garage or a carport whatever project you
work on make it the to the most extent
you can make it a work of architecture
and that is not to work on a double
standard not to work with some projects
bringing in money and other projects you
say are going to be architecture I think
being idealistic was the key to the
success of our office and uh I guess
perhaps because I had worked in San
Francisco in an office where they did
projects that they said said these
projects aren't architecture there to
support the office and the problem is
with a double
standard your whole value system starts
to collapse so I think it's really
important it's very important to make to
remain idealistic uh in and also it's
important to have collaborators that you
can trust I mean architecture is about
teamwork it's really about a group of
people who who see something an aim an
ideal and they're working on it to
achieve it together and I think that's
that's a key uh aspect of any success of
any office is
[Music]
teamwork
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