Architecture is a Language: Daniel Libeskind at TEDxDUBLIN

Summary

The speaker, an architect inspired by James Joyce's language complexity, discusses the integration of architectural design with cultural and social spaces. They compare architecture to music for its emotional and abstract nature, emphasizing the importance of balance and the role of drawing as the core of architectural creation. The talk includes insights on designing unique spaces that evoke memory and serve diverse functions, from residential to museums, and the challenge of creating meaningful public spaces in high-density urban environments. The speaker concludes with reflections on the ongoing reconstruction of Ground Zero, highlighting the significance of freedom and unity in city-building.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker is inspired by James Joyce's complex and ambiguous use of language, which they relate to their architectural designs.
• 🏙️ The speaker sees a connection between architecture and music, emphasizing the emotional and spiritual impact of both.
• 🎨 They believe that architecture, like music, is based on balance and communicates through the inner ear rather than just the eye.
• ✍️ The speaker views drawings as scores that need to be interpreted, highlighting the abstract nature of architectural design.
• 🏡 In designing a house, the speaker aimed to create a work of art that didn't rely on traditional sculptures or paintings.
• 🏛️ For the Military History Museum in Dresden, the speaker focused on disrupting the traditional narrative to address the past and future.
• 🌳 The speaker's design for a neighborhood in Singapore aimed to provide individuality and a sense of specialness in a high-density setting.
• 🌆 In the Yongsan project in Korea, the speaker sought to create a city that combined nature, public spaces, and diversity, avoiding a grid-like imposition.
• 🏙️ The speaker's approach to skyscrapers in Yongsan was to design them as unique works of art, connected to the street in a new way.
• 🌐 The speaker concludes by emphasizing the interconnectedness of drawings, houses, museums, neighborhoods, and cities in their work.

Q & A

What aspect of James Joyce's work inspires the speaker in their architectural designs?

The speaker is inspired by James Joyce's use of language, complexity, ambiguity, and the meanings that model and modernize language, which they think about when creating plans for cities, buildings, and social cultural spaces.

How does the speaker relate architecture to music?

The speaker believes architecture and music are closely related emotionally. They view architecture as complex and abstract like music, communicating to the soul rather than just the mind, and based on balance, which is perceived by the inner ear.

What does the speaker consider the source of architecture?

The speaker considers drawing as the source of architecture because it involves the hand, eye, and mind interconnected in a process that is not purely intellectual but also spiritual.

Why did the speaker design an atrium with inverted letters as a homage to James Joyce?

The speaker built the atrium with a thousand and one inverted letters based on Joyce's thunder words, which are likened to the '100 words of God', without a commission, as a part of the second memorial to James Joyce.

How does the speaker approach designing a house that is a work of art without any sculptures or paintings?

The speaker approached the design by rethinking traditional elements of a house, focusing on creating a space that is inspiring and functional, using materials like stainless steel and solid wood to craft a unique relationship with the landscape.

What was the speaker's concept behind the Military History Museum in Dresden?

The speaker's concept for the Military History Museum involved creating a wedge-like volume that dramatically interferes with the old arsenal, disrupting the chronology of military history and pointing to the city's past and future, addressing the history in a way that is not a glorification of militarism.

How does the speaker integrate history and memory into their architectural designs?

The speaker integrates history and memory by designing spaces that are not just functional but also evoke a sense of individuality and specialness, allowing each occupant to have a unique relationship with the space and its surroundings.

What is the speaker's vision for a high-density neighborhood in Singapore?

The speaker's vision for a high-density neighborhood in Singapore involves designing towers with doubly curved facades that give each apartment a sense of individuality and specialness, connected by green spaces and public areas to create a sustainable and vibrant community.

How does the speaker plan to transform the Yongsan district in Korea?

The speaker plans to transform the Yongsan district by creating a city that brings nature to the waterfront, organizes around public spaces and nature, and designs skyscrapers and neighborhoods that are not imitations of lower buildings but have their own specialties, creating a diverse and vibrant city.

What is the speaker's approach to designing skyscrapers in the Yongsan project?

The speaker's approach to designing skyscrapers in the Yongsan project is to create unique works of art that are not just taller versions of lower buildings but have a special relationship with the street and the city, designed in collaboration with many architects to reflect the city's history and memory.

What is the speaker's perspective on the relationship between a city, a museum, a drawing, a neighborhood, and a house?

The speaker believes that a city is a museum, a museum is a drawing, a drawing is a neighborhood, and a neighborhood is a house, suggesting that these entities coexist and are interconnected rather than being separate entities.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Architectural Inspirations and Joyce's Legacy

The speaker expresses gratitude for being with esteemed colleagues and lecturers in Dublin, a city they love. They share insights into what drives their work, highlighting James Joyce's use of language as a significant influence. They appreciate the complexity and ambiguity in Joyce's writing, which they find inspiring when designing buildings and cities. The speaker mentions a building they designed as a tribute to Joyce, featuring a thousand inverted letters based on his thunder words, a concept inspired by the '100 words of God.' This project was done without a commission, reflecting the speaker's passion for architecture and Joyce's influence. They also discuss the relationship between architecture and music, drawing parallels between the emotional and abstract nature of both disciplines. They emphasize the importance of balance in architecture, which they believe is perceived by the inner ear rather than the eye. The speaker shares their belief that drawings are akin to musical scores, needing interpretation by a community, and that the process of creating architecture is spiritual and faith-based, focusing on the unseen.

05:01

🏡 Innovative Home Design and Historical Relevance

The speaker describes the design process for a unique home in Connecticut for art-loving clients. They were tasked with creating a house that would be a work of art in itself, without needing sculptures or paintings. The house is described as a stainless steel, folded space with a complex geometry that challenges traditional topography. The interior is crafted from solid wood, creating a 'cave-like' atmosphere, while the exterior is made of stainless steel that reflects the sky and landscape. The speaker discusses the house's unconventional relationship with the landscape and how it moves the viewer's vision between interior and exterior spaces. They also touch on the importance of history in architecture, using the example of a military history museum they designed in Dresden. The museum's design disrupts the traditional narrative of military history, aiming to provoke thought about why people participate in such histories and the role of a military museum in a democratic society. The speaker's approach to the museum's design includes a chronological display of German military history, with a specific focus on the periods surrounding World War I and II, represented by a different spatial arrangement within the museum.

10:01

🌆 High-Density Living and Urban Memory

The speaker discusses the challenges and considerations of designing high-density neighborhoods, using a project in Singapore as an example. They emphasize the importance of individuality and memory in such developments, aiming to give each occupant a sense of specialness. The design features doubly curved towers where each apartment is uniquely positioned, allowing residents to 'float' in space. The speaker also addresses the sustainability of high-density living and the incorporation of nature and public spaces into the design. They reflect on the role of memory in design, drawing a connection between physical elements like brooks, windows, or towers, and the emotional and historical significance they hold. The speaker then describes a large-scale project in Yongsan, Korea, which involves transforming a former railway land into a vibrant, high-density city. They talk about the importance of creating a diverse and interconnected urban environment that brings the mountains to the waterfront and fosters a sense of community and civic space among the skyscrapers and cultural activities.

15:03

🏙️ The Interconnectedness of Architectural Scales

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the interconnectedness of different scales in architecture, from drawings to houses, museums, neighborhoods, and cities. They argue that these elements coexist and influence each other, rather than being separate entities. The speaker shares their vision for a master-planned city that integrates nature, public spaces, and diverse architectural styles, as exemplified by their work in Seoul. They discuss the physical aspects of architectural design, such as the use of paper models and the importance of understanding space and tradition. The speaker concludes with a mention of their work at Ground Zero in New York, highlighting the emotional and societal aspects of architecture and the importance of patience and appreciation for freedom and liberty in creating spaces for all.

Keywords

💡Language

Language in the context of the video refers to the medium through which thoughts, ideas, and emotions are expressed. The speaker is inspired by James Joyce's complex and ambiguous use of language, which mirrors the multifaceted nature of modern society. This is evident when the speaker discusses how Joyce's language model and modernize language are part of what they think about when creating plans for cities, buildings, and social-cultural spaces.

💡Architecture

Architecture is central to the video's theme, representing not just the physical structures but also the spaces that inspire and reflect cultural and social dynamics. The speaker relates architecture to music, emphasizing the emotional and abstract nature of both. They discuss how architecture communicates to the soul and is based on balance, which is perceived through the inner ear rather than the eye.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration is a key concept in the video, as the speaker draws creative motivation from various sources, including literature, music, and history. The speaker is particularly inspired by James Joyce's use of language and the idea of creating spaces that generate new energy for social and cultural interactions, as exemplified by their homage to Joyce in the form of a building.

💡Drawing

Drawing is presented as the foundational element of architecture in the video. The speaker views a drawing as an abstract representation akin to a musical score, needing interpretation by the community. They emphasize the importance of the drawing process as a spiritual and intellectual endeavor that involves the hand, eye, and mind, and is essential for envisioning and realizing architectural projects.

💡Memory

Memory is discussed in relation to how architecture can evoke and encapsulate the past, present, and future. The speaker believes that buildings should not merely be functional but should also resonate with personal and collective memories, as illustrated by their design of a neighborhood in Singapore that aims to give each occupant a sense of individuality and specialness.

💡Tradition

Tradition is explored in the video as a concept that should be rethought and adapted rather than blindly followed. The speaker questions the notion of tradition in architecture, advocating for innovation and originality in design, as seen in their approach to designing a house that is a work of art in itself, without relying on conventional elements like sculptures or paintings.

💡History

History is a recurring theme in the video, with the speaker emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and learning from the past. They discuss how their design for a military history museum in Dresden addresses historical events and their impact, aiming to present history not as a glorification of the military but as a reflection on the reasons behind people's participation in historical events.

💡Creativity

Creativity is highlighted as a driving force behind the speaker's work, as they strive to create unique and meaningful spaces. The speaker's approach to designing buildings and cities is to think beyond conventional formulas and to imbue their work with a sense of originality and artistic expression, as demonstrated by their various projects mentioned throughout the video.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability is mentioned in the context of high-density living and urban development. The speaker discusses the challenge of designing high-density neighborhoods that are not only sustainable in terms of resource use but also provide a sense of individuality and connection to nature for each occupant, as exemplified by their project in Singapore.

💡Freedom

Freedom is a concept that the speaker connects to the ability to create and innovate in a democratic society. They reflect on their experience designing the World Trade Center site, emphasizing the importance of openness and the appreciation of liberty in enabling the construction of a city that serves all its inhabitants.

Highlights

The speaker expresses joy and gratitude for being in Dublin and shares their inspirations, including James Joyce's complex use of language.

The speaker's work in architecture is influenced by the desire to create social and cultural spaces that generate new energy within a city.

A personal homage to James Joyce is mentioned, with a building featuring a thousand and one inverted letters based on Joyce's thunder words.

The speaker discusses the spiritual connection between architecture and music, emphasizing the emotional and soulful aspects of both.

Architecture is described as being based on balance, which is sensed internally rather than visually.

The importance of drawing in architecture is highlighted, with the speaker comparing it to a musical score that needs interpretation.

The speaker's belief in the spiritual nature of architecture is expressed, suggesting it's a faith in something not purely visible.

A unique house design for art lovers in Connecticut is described, aiming to be a work of art without traditional art pieces.

The house design incorporates a stainless steel folded space and a solid wood interior, creating a unique relationship with the landscape.

The speaker's approach to history in architecture is explored, with a focus on addressing the past and its impact on the present.

The design of a military history museum in Dresden is discussed, with a focus on disrupting traditional military museum narratives.

The speaker's vision for a high-density neighborhood in Singapore emphasizes individuality and memory within a sustainable design.

The design of a large-scale project in Yongsan, Korea, is described, aiming to bring nature and social spaces to a dense urban environment.

The speaker reflects on the importance of memory in design, drawing parallels between personal memory and the collective memory of a city.

The speaker concludes by discussing the ongoing construction at Ground Zero in New York, emphasizing the importance of patience and the collective effort in building for all.

Transcripts

thank you

i'm so happy to be here with so many

distinguished colleagues so many

distinguished lecturers and i love

dublin i'd like to share with you

what informs

my work

what what inspires me

certainly

james joyce's use of language

the complexity the ambiguity the

meanings

that

model and modernize language are part of

what i like to think about when i create

plans cities

buildings and of course

this building

is part of of generating new energy for

a social cultural space in this

fantastic city but just on the other

side of this space in the atrium of the

office buildings i think i built my

second largest

really homage to james joyce it's a

thousand and one inverted letters

that are based on his thunder words you

know the 100 the words of god

and i have to say i built this without

a commission for this this is just part

of the second memorial to james joyce i

built in japan obviously on the sea of

japan but i think

joyce's

use of language his his unfathomable

aspiration to speak all languages to all

people is something that certainly

inspires me in doing architecture and

in creating cities

now i'd like to share with you thoughts

uh

that that that are part of what i do

and certainly because in my former life

i was a musician professional musician

i've always thought that architecture

and music are closely related first of

all emotionally architecture is as

complex and as abstract as music but it

communicates to the soul doesn't just

communicate to the mind

when you listen to a bach

or artorio it's it's about the soul and

so it is an architecture architecture is

based on balance and that balance is

actually in the inner ear it's not in

the eye

and so when i do drawings these are

abstract drawings which i did

before i had any commissions because i'm

a late bloomer i think for half of my

life i didn't build a single building

uh i thought about the fact that

a drawing is really a score

it's just like a piece of music it has

to be interpreted

by a community

and of course proportions light

materiality are all implicated in the

drawing which when it comes to a

building of course has to also present

the space present the atmosphere of a

building a drawing has to illuminate the

practice and of course in our work we

have many computers and of course you

couldn't do anything without a computer

to be efficient on time rational and so

on but still i truly believe that

drawing is the source of architecture it

is really the source because it's the

hand itself it's the eye it's the mind

interconnected and really sharing in

that

process which is not purely intellectual

but it's really spiritual of kind of

desire a faith in something you cannot

see and it's a proof of something that

is really there but not purely visible

now

one of the thoughts of my favorite uh

poetess

is the fact that

a building is not a repetition of

another building a building does not

need to necessarily have the same

uh formula a building is not really

built out of the same aspects that of

buildings that we have seen before so

the notion of what is the tradition in

architecture is something that has

always interested me and when i had a

chance to design a small house for two

art lovers in connecticut i thought how

can a house really in our time really be

a house of our time and in that sense uh

my clients who are very special they're

they're a couple who own works of art

they deal

with works of art and they ask me to

design a house which would itself be a

work of art which would not have any

sculptures paintings or anything the

house itself and its space should be the

inspiring aspect i thought that was

really an amazing assignment and of

course how do you do that well first of

all one has to rethink you know are

there rafters in the house

what does the house need does it have

walls does it have windows does it need

windows but of course it has to be

something really fantastic to live with

and something that really

works for my clients needs which has to

do with a bedroom a kitchen they love to

cook they love to

have parties invite guests and so on so

really the house is really kind of a

stainless steel

uh folded space it's a complex place to

describe in a plan which i showed before

but it's a house that really

it moves uh your vision through the

interior and to the exterior in very

very specific ways the interiors

completely in in real wood it's not it's

not cladding it's it's solid wood it's

like kind of like a cave of wood

exterior stainless steel which of course

always mirrors the colors of the sky and

the landscape and of course

it's a house that doesn't have the

topography of

of a traditional house it's not a box

it's not organized the way a house is

normally organized in terms of where the

kitchen is how where you eat where do

you watch television what you do and it

has a very very specific

and i think unusual relationship to the

landscape which is located which is a

fantastic landscape which which is full

of light full of liveliness and

again just as that thought of emily

dickinson

what makes what gives a hope

in life it's not really necessarily the

things we think are necessary to bring

that reality onto

the place

now

certainly

i shared a thought

that history is not something which is

over it's not just something that exists

in the past it's something urgent and

it's something which is often hidden by

traditions

so my interest in history has always

been

to address history and every site and

every place has a history sometimes you

cannot see it sometimes the voices

are almost inaudible

sometimes the actions are invisible and

yet the history continues to

to cry out for justice

and when i was designing when i won the

competition to design

a

military history museum which is

actually the largest museum in germany

in dresden a city that was devastated by

the allied bombings i thought a lot

about

history the past the future how do you

take

that history and create something that

that has a meaning

and uh you can see in the sketch the

building is this wedge-like uh

volume that that dramatically interferes

with the old arsenal by the way this old

arsenal built at the end of 19th century

was always the military museum the

saxony military museum the the german

military museum the nazi military museum

the russian military museum the east

german military museum what are you

doing today well i created this movement

towards the city

to show the newly rebuilt city but at

the thing that to point to the

self-similar triangulation in the

bombing of dresden within these three

points

and of course

a building

interrupts

uh i also restored the arsenal of course

but it interrupts and it gives a

specific direction

to see the panorama of the city which is

of course now being rebuilt and at the

same time to present that history not as

one more militaristic uh glorification

of what the military is but why do

people participate in such histories why

do they follow totalitarian leaders and

what is a military museum in germany to

say in the democratic society there's

the plan you can see the u-shape of the

of the old armory restructured and it's

chronological it's horizontal chronology

of of from the 13th century german

military history and then you have this

vector moving through the opacity and

penetrating and going outside and it

disrupts the chronology exactly between

1914 and 1933 and there it is a

completely different space with oblique

vertical latrines a totally different

reorientation and of course the armory

in itself is a very interesting building

was really kind of almost vandalized by

the east german government i brought it

back to its life and presented a

building that

isn't just one more military museum

which shows hardware but

presents that point

towards the city from which you can

understand and towards which you can

apply the fact that history has been

disrupted history is not just a story

that has a good or bad ending it depends

on on where we are what we do what we

decide and of course it's a very raw

building

you can see this incorporates this is

the the other side of the building it

incorporates the old neoclassic stairs

so it preserves actually the entire

building is preserved it's only cut in

two lines from which the wedge uh

appears and of course

i worked very closely with

the exhibition designer hakim mertz and

barbara holzer to create a museum which

distances which redefines the relation

between equipment because this equipment

is not to be seen as military grant how

did people invent it what did they want

to do with these helicopters that kill

and how to display them and it's i think

an interesting

lesson in how to

how wars how violence

is actually perceived by those who

perpetrate it and by those who

experience it

uh of course at the end of this journey

you you you jut out

to a dramatic uh upward moving

wedge and you see the rebuilt panorama

of of dresden you see you see the

fragment you see the glorious one around

but just to your side the wedge moves

towards the point from which dresden was

bombed and i wanted people to have the

double that complexity that history has

that past in a true way pointing to the

devastation to the crimes of history

which can never be

re-thought which cannot never be

reversed but at the same time that

there's a hope that the city has a new

light

and

here

uh one of my favorite poets german

i i thought it was so interesting

because the thought here is what do we

remember in our lives

what what do we remember complex ideas

what do you we just remember something

very very real like a brook or a window

or a tree or a tower

so

when i'm designing something i think

about it not just as an object a

functional a presentation a a

technological

even a culture invention but something

that has to do with memory because

that's what we are we are oriented

because we can remember and so when i

was designing a large-scale neighborhood

in singapore

i thought how do you design such a high

density neighborhood

uh

that has an individuality because we are

used to the fact that a house can have

in the individuality and architect but

when it comes to high density

developments this is one of the highest

density developments in the world how do

you give each occupant

a

sense

of being a sense of specialness and in

these towers which are doubly curved you

can see that each of the apartments is

just slightly

off

the apartment above and below you kind

of float in a space and even the lower

villas are related to nature in a very

specific way in their complex geometries

and really that is really that brook

that that piece of

that wall that door that image

that i think is so important in high

density and of course high density is

sustainability we can't afford just to

build private residences we can't afford

just to build low density places so how

does one activate that thought that

memory and each individual should be

given the opportunity of being free of

having a space of having something that

at the end of the day

is something inspiring and something

so of course the high level bridges with

their greener which connect these

high-density spaces the entire

topography of the place the fact that it

is really really much higher than most

of the buildings in in the place is part

of it

well i come to really because it's it's

at the end of your day uh christopher

logue you know in his brilliant

translation of the iliad

i thought really his references also to

the city itself because the conflicts

the tensions in a city the search for

social justice for opportunity for

diversity

that kind of vibrancy of what a city

really represents as a creative entity

is there in the greek notion of the

archipelago and of course the greeks

lived in the archipelagos those little

islands that were connected in mainland

with with the boats and i thought when i

was designing probably one of the

largest projects in the world in yongsan

and korea how do you bring that nature

of of freedom

and social space to heightened city city

we have you know millions of people will

be here uh this is the formal railway

uh

lands that that were occupied by old

infrastructure you know closing the

waterfront how do you bring the

mountains to the waterfront how do you

recreate civic civic space with what 30

skyscrapers

and what

half a million square feet of retail and

museums cultural activities

transportation how do you really create

it without just imposing on it some sort

of artificial grid so i took that grid

that implied grid

which really doesn't exist in historical

cities in the same way and adapted it to

sort of neighborhoods which are

connected by by the green and you can

see kind of a sequence of images here

that break up that homogeneous notion of

the city into a city that has true

diversity even though of course it has

so many high places and to organize that

city around

nature around public spaces around where

people are where people shop where

people walk where people go to to movies

to to to concerts to to to museums

and there it is now

it's something very new because usually

skyscrapers have been designed simply on

the same streets that lower buildings

were designed they were just taller

buildings just got a total and tall

taller so my notion here was how do you

design a city where the buildings are no

longer just imitations of lower

buildings but have a speciality and of

course there are at least i don't know

20 30 architects from around the world

which are part of the scheme to design

each building really is a kind of an

unique work of art not connected to the

street in the same way as we have known

it before of course

as an architect you have to do it with

very often very physical means paper

models it's not just all computerized

it's not just uh statistical it's not

mathematics although a lot of it is it's

really how do you create that that sense

of

of space for each of these objects which

are so large i mean one of the tallest

maybe the tallest tower in the world uh

is going to be there but many many other

very very high tall buildings and at the

same time the sense of what is tradition

what is history what is the the the

memory of a city as rich as uh seoul

center of korea is so there it is on the

river a kind of

crown of possibilities that refers to

its history now of course you can see

here that the spaces are vast that they

are designed to give a new sense of

feeling new sense of activity and you

can see that this is really for millions

of people again designed as a

intersubjective work with many many

different architects but as a master

planner of course my responsibility is

to create the idea of how nature and

that space can be brought together and

here is one of my own

skyscraper office buildings there and

here is social housing on the waterfront

which is again low cost housing because

it's not only for the rich it's not only

for business it's for all people that

should share in this part of the center

of the city

and there it is

it's of course just begun the master

plan has taken a few years the

architects have done their designs the

construction is beginning it will take

some time even in in asia to to create a

city but

that's really what it is and

i end here i wanted to show that between

the notion of a drawing of a house of a

museum of a neighborhood and of a city i

rather erase the lines

because a city is a museum a museum is a

drawing a drawing is a neighborhood a

neighborhood is a house so the old

categories of what we have always

considered sort of separate entities

really in my view coexist together as a

singular word world and what i didn't

manage to show it was not here is uh my

last picture of ground zero where i just

came from from new york where there was

so much controversy so much skepticism

cynicism so many fights so many emotions

and i just wanted to show you the

picture that it indeed is under

construction it has had more than half a

million visitors already even though

it's a building site the memorial is

finished the towers the tower number one

freedom tower tower number four tower

number three are highly visible almost

completed the museum is

in construction almost completed of

course it one has to have patience it

cannot be done in a day but i think

what i've learned from all of this is

when you live in a free society when

there is an openness when we appreciate

what freedom and liberty

are then we can really build a city for

all thank you

[Applause]

you