2016 Architecture Innovator: Snøhetta
Summary
TLDRThe speaker discusses the role of architecture in society, emphasizing its potential to create meaningful spaces that foster a sense of community and civility. They highlight the importance of designing with the community in mind rather than solely for the architect's vision. The talk covers various projects, including Times Square, the National September 11th Memorial Museum, and the SF MOMA, showcasing how architecture can address social issues, enhance cultural experiences, and create spaces that resonate with people on a deeper level. The speaker also touches on the challenges of maintaining innovation and avoiding the pitfalls of overbearing leadership as a company matures.
Takeaways
- 🏙️ The built environment plays a significant role in societal issues, and architecture with authentic meaning can foster a more civilized society.
- 🛠️ Architecture should be utilized for human development and serve communities, not just the architect's vision.
- 🏗️ The speaker's firm has a diverse portfolio with 14 projects under construction and 60 on the drawing board, including high-profile projects like the Times Square renovation and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
- 🎨 The firm is working on projects with cultural significance, such as a library in Philadelphia, an opera house in Busan, and a winery with Francis Ford Coppola.
- 🌍 International work includes the first project in Beirut and collaborations in Saudi Arabia and Toronto.
- 👴 Aging can bring both positive and negative aspects to a design-focused company, with experience potentially leading to over-reliance on past successes.
- 🔄 The firm values regenerating new types of thinking and integrating fresh perspectives to avoid stagnation.
- 🤝 Collaboration is key in complex projects like Times Square, requiring coordination among various stakeholders.
- 🚶♂️ The Times Square project aimed to improve safety and reduce crime by creating more pedestrian space and reducing air pollution.
- 🏛️ The National September 11th Memorial Museum was designed to embed culture and provide a sense of presence, aiming to evoke positive emotions.
- 🎨 The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's redesign focused on expanding audience engagement and creating communal experiences.
- 🔍 The firm pays close attention to the psychological context and invisible elements like acoustics and light that significantly affect people.
- 📚 The Alexandria Library project exemplifies the firm's socially engaged approach, with the building becoming a symbol of community ownership and protection.
Q & A
What role does the built environment play in today's society with its sensitivity and polarity?
-The built environment plays a crucial role in shaping society's behavior and attitudes. By creating spaces with authentic meaning and value, it can foster a more civilized existence within the communities it serves.
How does architecture contribute to human development according to the transcript?
-Architecture, when used to its full potential, serves as a tool for human development. It should be designed not just for the architect's glory but in the service of the communities it is meant to benefit.
What is the significance of creating an authentic memory through architecture?
-Creating an authentic memory through architecture means designing spaces that hold personal and collective significance, which can potentially make people feel more connected and responsible towards their environment.
How many projects are currently under construction and on the drawing table according to the speaker?
-There are 14 projects under construction and 60 projects on the drawing table.
What is the philosophy behind the design approach of the company mentioned in the transcript?
-The company's design philosophy revolves around integrating fresh perspectives and new types of thinking, valuing the input of each person and ensuring their relevance is part of the design process.
What was the primary goal in designing the Times Square project?
-The primary goal was to create a safer, more people-friendly space by reducing vehicle traffic, improving air quality, and lowering crime rates while maintaining the street's character.
How did the speaker describe the impact of the National September 11th Memorial Museum on visitors?
-The speaker aimed to create a sense of presence rather than absence, hoping to make at least one person feel good about themselves in a different way than through solitude.
What is the significance of the stairs in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA)?
-The stairs in SF MoMA are designed to be a seamless transition between floors, creating a horizontal museum feel despite its vertical structure, and encouraging social interaction among visitors.
How does the speaker address the challenge of balancing experience and innovation in a design-focused company?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of regenerating new types of thinking with fresh eyes and being open to it, to avoid overdoing one or two types of thinking that might limit the company's growth and innovation.
What does the speaker mean when they say their work has been focused on the subconscious?
-The speaker refers to designing spaces and experiences that impact people on a deeper, often unacknowledged level, influencing their feelings and behaviors without necessarily being at the forefront of their conscious thoughts.
How did the Alexandria Library become a symbol of social engagement for the company?
-The Alexandria Library became a symbol of social engagement when the public of Alexandria protected the building during the Arab uprising, demonstrating a strong sense of ownership and connection to the space.
Outlines
🏙️ Architecture's Role in Society and Community Development
The speaker emphasizes the importance of architecture in shaping society, suggesting that buildings with authentic meaning can foster a more civilized society. They discuss the role of architecture in human development and community service, rather than just serving the architect's vision. The speaker outlines numerous ongoing projects, including those in Times Square, Philadelphia, Busan, and Beirut, highlighting the firm's commitment to diverse and significant architectural endeavors. They also touch on the challenges of maintaining creativity and avoiding stagnation as a company matures, advocating for the integration of fresh perspectives to keep the design process innovative.
🌟 Design Philosophy and the Impact of Spaces on People
This paragraph delves into the speaker's design philosophy, focusing on creating spaces that have a positive psychological impact and respond to the subtler aspects of human experience, such as acoustics and light. They discuss the importance of designing spaces that are not only functional but also resonate with people on a deeper level. Specific projects are mentioned, such as the National September 11th Memorial Museum, where the goal was to create a sense of presence rather than absence, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which was redesigned to be more inclusive and engaging. The speaker also reflects on the evolution of their company, emphasizing the importance of social engagement and the desire for their work to have enduring value beyond the architects themselves.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Built Environment
💡Authentic Meaning
💡Architecture
💡Polarity
💡Anxiety
💡Community Service
💡Cultural Integration
💡Pedestrian Safety
💡Urban Settings
💡Social Engagement
💡Branding and Graphic Design
Highlights
The built environment plays a crucial role in society's sensitivity and polarity by creating spaces with authentic meaning, potentially fostering a more civilized existence.
Architecture should serve communities rather than merely the architect, emphasizing the importance of community-focused design.
The firm currently has 14 projects under construction and 60 on the drawing board, showcasing their extensive and ongoing work.
Projects like Times Square and Lasco are nearing completion, highlighting the firm's diverse and significant portfolio.
A new kitchen for Thomas Keller's French Laundry is being developed, indicating a blend of culinary and architectural expertise.
A significant library in Philadelphia is under construction, emphasizing the cultural importance of such projects.
The firm is working on the opera house in Busan, South Korea, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, showcasing international reach.
A collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola to recreate a historic winery in Napa reflects the integration of art and architecture.
The firm has won their first project in Beirut, expanding their global footprint.
Working with Penn Station and Penn Plaza represents a commitment to urban revitalization and improvement.
As the firm ages, they focus on maintaining freshness in their thinking to avoid becoming limited by past experiences.
The firm values the input of every team member, ensuring diverse perspectives are integrated into their process.
Times Square project involved complex coordination among multiple stakeholders, demonstrating the firm's ability to navigate complex urban environments.
The redesign of Times Square aimed to improve safety and reduce crime while maintaining the area's character.
The National September 11th Memorial Museum project aimed to embed culture into a memorial, providing a unique space for reflection and respect.
The firm is not preoccupied with style but rather with solving design issues within a psychological context, emphasizing the importance of user experience.
The SF MOMA project focused on creating a sense of community and shared experience through innovative stair design.
The firm's work on the Alexandria Library during significant historical events highlights the building's role in community identity and engagement.
The goal of the firm is to create architecture and design that holds more value to people than its creators, emphasizing user-centric design.
Transcripts
[Music]
we live in a society that's very
sensitive today
[Music]
there's a great deal of polarity
a great deal of anguish
what is the role of the built
environment
in these issues
if you can create something that has
value and authentic meaning to people
it's not just a postcard photograph of a
building but it's actually an authentic
memory something meaningful that
happened to them it will allow them to
be perhaps more civilized in the world
that they exist within
if you don't use architecture to the
best of human development
[Music]
why would you do architecture
so that
then becomes the tool how to develop the
architecture that is in the service
of their communities
and not in the service of necessarily
the architect alone
right now we have 14 projects under
construction
60 projects on the drawing table
lasco is finishing soon
times square is finishing off a new
kitchen for thomas keller's french
laundry we have a library in
philadelphia that is rather significant
under construction we're doing the opera
house in busan south korea the san
francisco museum of modern art we opened
a library in toronto center for world
culture in saudi arabia working together
with francis ford coppola to recreate
this great winery that existed for
several centuries around his home in
napa we've just won our first project in
beirut and now we're working with penn
station and penn plaza
[Music]
[Applause]
it's getting harder to not rely on the
things you have done
out of all buildings
when you're finished you learn at least
that you've become older yes
i don't think i have any more hair left
to lose
and
in effect
that has a positive and a negative side
the positive side is you're more
experienced
the negative side you're more
experienced
is that you're more experienced with the
things that you might not want to be
experienced within
because it might limit you and the
challenge with many design focused
companies is that the elder states
people
as they get older in traditionally
speaking tend to take on more and more
control and you see the work kind of
wane because there there's almost an
overdoing of one or two types of
thinking in our office we're
regenerating new types of thinking with
fresh eyes and we're open to it
[Music]
we recognize the value that each person
brings to the table and we make sure
that
that their relevance is integrated into
the process
[Music]
times square extremely complex
you have to work with multiple city
state public agencies private
individuals business operatives
all of these things they all have to
come together
where we enjoy working with these
projects is getting everybody to sit at
the same table
broadway and 7th avenue have created a
condition because of the increases of
pedestrian traffic
it's very unsafe very dangerous to be
there
you had a great number of pedestrian
fatalities high crime rate murder
by removing the vehicles creating more
space for people we were able to reduce
air pollutants
reduce crime reduce pedestrian injuries
and fatalities
instead of wiping everything out and
making something fresh and new we
decided to keep the streetness
so we chose a darker material so that
you really felt that you were taking
over the street and not just creating a
new disconnected plaza space
[Music]
we began work in new york city with the
national september 11th memorial museum
as an american i felt that if we could
really embed culture
into a memorial
this would be unique and give people
something to respect
so we knew that in itself
would be a challenge
because quite obviously the content of
the culture
could work against the memorial effect
our work was primarily to bring a sense
of presence
as opposed to absence
we see people
smiling which was one of the things we
thought we would we would we could be
our yeah that was our goal our job was
to get you know at least one person to
feel good about themselves in a
different way than through solitude
[Music]
we're not preoccupied by let's say style
but we're definitely preoccupied with
how we solve the issue at hunt
psychological context is very important
too people think in certain ways
in different climates in different urban
settings
we're trying very much to respond to
these invisible things acoustics
light the things that you cannot see but
have such an enormous effect on on who
you are
[Music]
there's no question that we wanted it to
be recognizable as a moment
[Music]
distinct in shape and informed
even though they had great attendance
and their membership numbers were
increasing and it had all the things
that said this is a successful museum
they still took a step back and said is
this the best we can do
what are we missing
i think they recognize very quickly that
to widen the audience base to connect to
more types of people so its job would
not only serve to create great
experience with modern art
but also to create a place where people
could see themselves with others
having a meaningful experience together
in this building at sf moma the stairs
are quite a challenge
the stairs that connect floor by floor
is like sliding from one to the other
without really
knowing that you actually climbed six
floors
how do you do that
by the location of the stairs how you
rest before you move into the stair how
you rest when you come up
it sort of cleansing spaces before you
move into the gallery space
it feels like a horizontal museum
although it is a vertical one obviously
some people are challenged by the stairs
they get tired and they're not happy and
they'd rather take the elevator and
that's fair enough but many people
actually stop on the way up the stairs
look around
i've seen couples get to the top of the
stairs turn around and look at what they
just did together
put the flag yeah
as you get to the top the stairs get
very narrow you're actually forced to
rub shoulders with strangers
you've had to
socialize with people that you you don't
know
that somehow builds in ownership
[Music]
our work has been somehow focused on the
subconscious maybe more than the
conscious world the things that we do
that we take for granted
and i think
that's what we can still do it feels
like a young company
although it's almost 30 years old
when we built the alexandria library
we saw the collapse of the soviet union
the collapse of the berlin wall
eventually of course the building became
important during the arab uprising in
egypt
the public of alexandria were holding
hands around the library and actually
protecting the building
it belonged to them
so the socially engaged company that we
have today
has
its roots from how to deal with that
particular project
our goal is to allow our buildings
our branding and graphic design
our interior architecture our landscape
design
all the things that we produce should
have more value to people
than its authors
[Music]
[Music]
you
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