Norman Foster: Striving for Simplicity | Louisiana Channel
Summary
TLDRIn this inspiring transcript, renowned architect Norman Foster reflects on his lifelong passion for design, from childhood fascinations with locomotives and flying to his architectural philosophy. Foster emphasizes the importance of challenging conventions, integrating infrastructure, and creating spaces that enhance the quality of life. He discusses projects like the Reichstag and Apple headquarters, highlighting the balance between complexity and simplicity, and the role of technology and art in architecture. Foster's vision is one of innovation with integrity, aiming to make a positive impact on the world through thoughtful, human-centered design.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The speaker has had a fortunate life with a keen interest in architecture and design from childhood, showing a lifelong passion for buildings and machines.
- 📚 As a child, he was inspired by books and magazines that exposed him to a world beyond his immediate surroundings, sparking his interest in architecture and design.
- 🎨 He sees a close connection between various forms of design such as painting, sculpture, architecture, and transportation, highlighting the interconnectedness of creative fields.
- 🚄 The speaker's fascination with speed and machinery is evident, from his childhood interest in locomotives to his later experiences with flying and high-performance sailplanes.
- 🏙️ Architecture for him is not just about individual buildings but also about the infrastructure and public spaces that connect them, emphasizing the importance of the urban fabric.
- 🛫 His work on projects like the Reichstag and airports shows a commitment to integrating public spaces and rethinking conventional design approaches to create more human-centric environments.
- 🏙️ The design of buildings should go beyond aesthetics to embody stories of construction, reinterpretation of traditional forms, and functional innovation.
- 🌟 He believes in the power of simplicity and legibility in design, aiming to make complex structures understandable and enjoyable for users.
- 💡 The speaker values the role of an architect as a listener and a leader, emphasizing the importance of respecting the process and the people involved in creating a building.
- 🌱 He sees architecture as an expression of values, integrity, and respect, advocating for designs that are warm, domestic, and in harmony with their surroundings.
- 🔧 Technology is viewed as an ally, not a threat, with the potential to be harnessed for positive change in society, including addressing larger issues like shelter and infrastructure in underserved communities.
Q & A
What sparked the architect's early interest in buildings and design?
-The architect's early interest in buildings and design was sparked by his fascination with locomotives, cars, and the inner workings of things as revealed through cutaway drawings in magazines like Eagle. He was also inspired by the works of architects like Le Corbusier and books such as 'Towards a New Architecture'.
How did the architect's childhood experiences in Manchester influence his later work?
-Growing up in Manchester, the architect was influenced by the industrial suburb and traditional buildings he explored on his bicycle. His interest in architecture was nurtured through sketching, dreaming, and being excited by things outside his workplace.
What role did books play in shaping the architect's perspective on architecture?
-Books played a significant role in shaping the architect's perspective by offering a glimpse into a more glamorous world. They exposed him to different architectural styles and ideas, such as 'Towards a New Architecture' by Le Corbusier, and magazines like the Architectural Review.
How does the architect view the relationship between architecture and infrastructure?
-The architect sees a close relationship between architecture and infrastructure. He believes that the infrastructure of public spaces, connections, and transportation plays a crucial role in binding together individual buildings and contributes to the quality of life.
What is the architect's approach to designing buildings that go beyond traditional architecture?
-The architect's approach involves questioning and challenging traditional models. He seeks to reinvent and redesign conventional building types, such as towers and airports, by breaking with established norms and introducing elements like public spaces and natural light.
How does the architect incorporate simplicity and lightness into his designs?
-The architect aims to achieve simplicity and lightness by distilling complexity into a clear, understandable experience for users. He uses elements like natural light and open spaces to create buildings that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
What was the architect's vision for the Reichstag project, and how did it transform the building?
-The architect's vision for the Reichstag was to lift the burden of history and transform it into a public space. He incorporated elements like the public space on top of the building, which was not part of the original brief, and preserved the historical graffiti and damage to create a dialogue with the past.
How does the architect approach the design of complex buildings like airports?
-The architect approaches complex buildings like airports by focusing on creating a simple and enjoyable experience for users amidst the complexity. He emphasizes natural light, open spaces, and energy efficiency to uplift the spirits and improve the overall experience.
What are the architect's thoughts on the role of art in architecture and life?
-The architect believes that art is an integral part of life and can influence architecture by opening up new possibilities and connections. He sees art in various forms, such as the curves of a car or the design of a sailplane, and considers these forms timeless and classic.
What advice would the architect give to a young person interested in studying architecture?
-The architect would advise a young person to question, challenge, and have determination, conviction, and passion. He encourages them to rethink, redesign, and reinvent traditional approaches to architecture by going back to basics and questioning from first principles.
How does the architect view the role of technology in architecture and society?
-The architect sees technology as an ally rather than a threat. He believes that technology has always been a part of human history and architecture, and it is essential to use technology wisely to address the needs of society and create better living conditions.
Outlines
🏗️ Architectural Passions and Early Influences
The speaker reflects on their architectural journey, highlighting childhood fascinations with buildings, locomotives, and cars. They mention the influence of magazines and books like 'Towards a New Architecture' by Le Corbusier, which sparked an interest in the dynamic and the functional. The speaker's early love for sketching and dreaming about architecture is evident, as is their realization that architecture could be a profession that aligns with their passions, even to the point of paying to pursue it.
🚴♂️ Childhood Explorations and the Therapeutic Nature of Solitude
The speaker discusses their childhood, emphasizing a sense of being an outsider and a tendency to seek out the countryside and traditional buildings. They describe their love for solitary activities like cross-country skiing and cycling, which they find therapeutic and conducive to introspection. The speaker also talks about their passion for flying, particularly with sailplanes, and sees close links between various forms of design, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and transportation.
🌆 The Integration of Infrastructure and Architecture
The speaker explores the relationship between infrastructure and architecture, noting the importance of public spaces and how they can influence building design. They give examples of projects like the Reichstag and the viaduct, where public spaces were integrated into the design, creating interactive and accessible areas. The speaker also discusses the concept of challenging traditional architectural models, such as the central core of a tower, and how rethinking these can lead to innovative and functional designs.
✈️ Airport Design and the Pursuit of Simplicity in Complexity
The speaker delves into the complexities of airport design, discussing the transformation of the conventional terminal concept at Stansted Airport. They highlight the shift from energy-consuming, claustrophobic environments to more open, naturally lit spaces that enhance the user experience. The speaker also touches on the importance of creating joyful and uplifting spaces, emphasizing the role of natural light and the impact on energy efficiency.
🏛️ The Essence of Architecture: Lightness, Transparency, and Integrity
The speaker discusses the recurring elements in their architectural work, such as light, transparency, and a sense of lightness. They reference the Reichstag project and its symbolic transformation, as well as the importance of creating spaces that are respectful of history and human values. The speaker also emphasizes the role of architecture in providing reassurance and comfort, as exemplified by the design of a cancer center that integrates with its natural surroundings.
🛠️ The Role of Architecture in Society and the Value of Making
The speaker considers the broader role of architecture in society, discussing the need for balance, respect, humility, and self-confidence in their work. They stress the importance of listening to the needs of a building's users and respecting the process of making. The speaker also reflects on the value of creative energy and the potential for architecture to address larger societal issues, such as providing basic services in underserved communities.
🏙️ Urban Density, Infrastructure, and the Future of Architecture
The speaker discusses the importance of urban density and the role of high-rise buildings in creating dense, yet connected communities. They advocate for a comprehensive approach to urban planning that includes infrastructure and public spaces. The speaker also expresses a desire to address larger global issues through design, such as providing power and clean water to billions of people, and emphasizes the potential of technology as an ally in achieving these goals.
🎨 The Influence of Art and Aesthetics in Architectural Design
The speaker reflects on the influence of art in their life and practice, seeing it as an integral part of their family's life. They discuss how art opens up new possibilities and connections, heightening awareness and providing a different dimension to life. The speaker draws parallels between the beauty of a sailplane and the sculptures of Brancusi, emphasizing the timeless and classic nature of great design that transcends time.
👋 A Message for the Next Generation of Architects
In addressing a younger generation interested in architecture, the speaker encourages questioning, challenging, and having determination, conviction, and passion to make a difference in the world. They express hope that their work will inspire others to rethink and reinvent traditional approaches to design, and that future architects will build upon their ideas to create even better solutions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Architecture
💡Innovation
💡Infrastructure
💡Simplicity
💡Public Space
💡Locomotives
💡Sustainability
💡Human Values
💡Technology
💡Creativity
Highlights
The speaker expresses gratitude for opportunities and a lifelong interest in architecture and design.
Childhood fascination with buildings, locomotives, and cars, which later influenced architectural and design thinking.
Influence of magazines like 'Eagle' and architects like Le Corbusier on the speaker's early architectural interests.
The importance of sketching, dreaming, and being excited by things outside one's immediate environment.
The transformative experience of discovering architecture as a profession and the joy of studying it.
The speaker's love for solitary activities like cross-country skiing and cycling, which provide time for reflection.
The connection between different modes of transportation and their influence on architectural design.
The integration of public spaces and infrastructure in architectural design, beyond just individual buildings.
The speaker's belief in the importance of the master plan and the overall concept in architecture.
The pursuit of simplicity and legibility in design, even within complex infrastructure projects.
The impact of personal experiences and values on architectural integrity and the importance of respect and humility.
The role of creativity and the wise use of resources in achieving quality in architecture, regardless of budget.
The speaker's aspiration to address larger societal issues through design, such as providing basic services.
The importance of density and concentration in city planning, drawing lessons from historical examples.
Technology as an ally, not a threat, and its role in innovation and problem-solving in architecture.
The integral role of art in the speaker's life and its influence on architectural and design practices.
The timeless nature of certain designs and their connection to art, transcending the style of their time.
The speaker's hope that his work will inspire future generations to question, challenge, and innovate in architecture.
Transcripts
I've been tremendously fortunate in all
kinds of ways
architectural II my family but I'm
always really looking forward so I find
it difficult to kind of stop pause and
take stock other than to realize that
I've been given many opportunities
you
I think as a child I'd always been
interested in buildings I had always
been interested in things locomotives I
would stand for hours waiting for a
locomotive to pass and there were
special locomotives with name plates and
they were just goods trains and you
waited patiently for the really special
ones and cars who always had a an
attraction and and artist when I was a
child in Manchester I was aware of of
Lowrey for example so whether its weekly
magazines like eagle with cutaway
drawings which reveal the inner workings
of the all all the things that move and
and have a dynamic so perhaps all the
things that excited the Italian
futurists at the beginning of the of the
century and which in many ways have also
inspired other architects the Corbusier
for example had a romance with with
flying machines and devoted a book to it
and it was one of his books that I
discovered in my local lending library
that towards a new architecture but it
was the juxtaposition of classical
architecture with fast hydroplanes and
so so as a child I was I mean I remember
sketching and I remember being enthused
and excited by these machines and and
speed we had an early love for books I
read as well what did you find in books
which you did not find
around the books were really of another
more glamorous world I mentioned towards
a new architecture but it could be in
the nature of materials Henry Russell
Hitchcock or later it could be 1950s
copies of the architectural review
showing the landscapes of Birla Marx in
South America
Niemeyer and and works in Scandinavia at
the time so so running through this even
though my workplace was far removed from
the world of architecture in Manchester
Town Hall because I left school at 16
and then I did national service for two
years so really running as a thread
through all of these different things
was my own private world of sketching
dreaming enthusing being excited by all
the things outside my workplace so if
you can imagine that discovering the
possibility of being an architect
studying to be an architect discovering
a school of architecture an architect
studio that was no longer work work was
something that you went to to earn money
to pay into the family so so in that
sense to be able to discover that the
things that excited me the one could do
those I mean I would pay to do it and I
did literally pay to do it last question
on childhood because in some biographies
we all I played a lot of football did a
lot of sports in my
with you I don't know but I got the feel
that you always kind of were searching
looking into different worlds already
was it because those worlds were so
interesting or were you escaping the
actual world around and I never thought
of it at the time of escaping the world
around me I mean the world around me was
a kind of industrial suburb of
Manchester and and so if I would go off
on my bicycle into the countryside to
discover the countryside and and
traditional buildings interestingly
although I probably wouldn't have been
articulate on that at the time so
there's a degree of perhaps post
rationalization there but I was in all
kinds of ways an outsider I mean I never
got into team sports and and so the
whole sports thing which fascinates me I
mean I love cross-country skiing for the
last I don't know 20 odd years I've been
doing annually a cross-country ski
marathon with 11 or 12,000 other people
and I do a kind of marathon bike ride
with a group of friends and that's
incredibly social but apart from that
most of my cycling is a kind of solitary
thing and I find that also quite
therapeutic I mean it's a zen-like thing
the relationship between myself the
Machine whether it's the skis whether
it's a cycle and I also use that time to
be to be thinking to be cross-examining
so in one sense it's a release
in another sense it's a change of place
but it's also a kind of inner discovery
when I really find time because a lot of
my time is with teens with groups going
to building sites and engaging with
really interesting people who who have
the need of a building and I find that
that dialogue absolutely central to to
the design process
you
I started flying with sailplanes
high-performance sailplanes
which is solar flight I mean you fly
vast distances at high speeds with no
with no engine I mean pure solar driven
by nature and and I've gone on to pilot
many different kinds of craft flying
machines helicopters micro lights fast
yet and about 75 different types for me
there are very I wouldn't say it's
seamless but there are very very close
links between our painting sculpture
architecture design aircraft automobiles
locomotives it's that's a seamless world
perhaps over time I've become much more
I've realized the important links
between individual buildings and
infrastructure the infrastructure of
public spaces of connections of
Transportation bridges terminals the the
kind of all the sort of urban glue that
binds together the individual buildings
that's not to say I'm still not
passionate about architecture obviously
I'm totally driven by it but the bigger
picture is arguably even more more
important the master plan the concept I
mean your journey here from Denmark will
be your memory will be the route the
journeys the path that you took from
your home the way back the street
the connections the terminal the airport
that will be and and that determines the
quality of life in the same way that the
individual building determines that oh
it's a huge influence in there I get
your point but in this let's say
complexity of infrastructure of
traveling still meeting your building's
you meet a kind of simplicity and I mean
that in the positive sense of the world
yeah and simplicity strikes me when
we're flying for example this kind of
weightlessness yeah it's very
complicated flying but at the same time
it's very simple
yes it's it it is that essence of light
lightness and that I think in spirit
touches a lot of the buildings I think
probably the best buildings that we've
done are those which have those
qualities but when I was talking about
infrastructure I suppose I was saying
that that as a designer I feel that that
we've gone beyond architecture and the
interest in infrastructure has
influenced the architecture of the
individual buildings so if I took you
around each of these models I talked
about the public space on top of the
Reichstag they never asked for public
space it was never part of the concept
there their brief there was a model of
the viaduct where you've seen to fly
through the sky you're literally in the
clouds and if we look at the individual
towers here you'll find that the public
domain the public space penetrates those
buildings there's an interaction
so that interest in the city and
infrastructure manifests itself in
designs which go beyond the architecture
and which influence when it is pure
architecture influences the architecture
you
it probably has a dominant theme it
probably has a dominant story but the
building will embody several different
stories there'll be the story perhaps of
how it's made there'll be the story of
how it might reinterpret a how can I say
if you if if you think about a tower or
you think about a conventional airport
it may reexamine that building type and
come up with something which is
different but different not just for the
sake of being different but different
for a good reason so if you take a tower
conventionally has a central core when
we question that on the building
immediately behind me the Hong Kong bank
there were very good reasons for
rejecting that model even though if you
analyze pretty well every tower on the
planet it would have a central core so
we broke with that tradition we
reinvented the tower by fragmenting the
core putting it on the end again you can
see it so you have free space so you can
see from one side to the other it's not
blocked and it's flexible so you could
put even a dealer's room which would be
unthinkable in a tower and that's
exactly what they did many years later
or you could consider an airport like
Stansted which again questioned the
conventional idea of a terminal which
was that it was a sandwich of space and
the roof had a lot of ducks with their
handling plant on the top which cooled
the air
lots of electric lighting then because
you've got no natural light so you've
got the heat load of the light
very energy consuming and not very nice
I mean claustrophobic
which is why airports had such a bad
name when we reconsidered that and put
all the air handling at the bottom
underneath so that you could open the
top to natural light and sun bite so for
most of the time you didn't need
electric light you suddenly had
something that was joyful that would
uplift the spirits and suddenly becomes
popular with the most important people
who were the paying customers it's also
energy efficient now I can if I describe
that I'm describing several different
stories and telling you one about energy
consumption I'm telling you one about
joy I'm telling you one about how you
build a building and I'm telling you
another about how you question and
challenge looking at your buildings you
find some elements that come again in a
game like you have talked about light
already a certain lightness as well
transparents sometimes that's almost
spiritual I mean I think that the task
of the Reichstag was in a way lifting
the burden of history and and Christo
and Jean Claude's wrapping was
symbolically very important in that
process so it was philosophically
confronting history keeping the graffiti
the civic vandalism the marks of the
Mason these attacks by bullets and
shells but somehow transforming that
lightning it and involving the public
and the politicians are answerable to
the public so in a way creating the
public space at the top and the ability
to have a
coffee terrorist meal but at the time I
mean that now is hugely popular I mean
the queue is just go on forever
everybody wants to go there but at the
time it was very contentious mean
politicians were saying as a group why
would anybody want to go onto the roof
and if they got there why would they
want to stay and have a coffee and then
of course it's not big enough because so
many people want to go there so that
turns into another question why didn't
you make it bigger
you
you
am I wrong thinking that with every
project that you do despite of the
complexity of it you want to end up with
a simplicity that contains the
complexity I think it's a search for it
it's a search for legibility it's a
search for a simple analog experience in
a digital world so a building type like
an airport is unbelievably complex in
terms of what happens behind the scenes
there are so many different interests
the movement of baggage security all the
things that you don't see so how do you
somehow through a complex process
distill it down it's a bit like somebody
saying I can write you an essay I can
write you a long letter but to write a
poem that's that's a tough one
so how do you distill all that
complexity down so that for the people
who really matter you make it as great
an experience as you can and in some
ways these buildings at an epic scale
Beijing the largest in the world at the
moment
how do you it's actually a compact
building when you think about it and if
you take the Apple headquarters which is
a very large circular building with a
great green heart set in a huge park
everybody's reaction quite reasonably is
I mean it's a huge building but what
you're not seeing is what would normally
happen for a campus a campus would be
could be up to 30 buildings and then all
the movement between that the
like Beijing Airport Beijing Airport in
other cities where the airports have
grown up over time on a whole series of
separate buildings and then the movement
between there is buildings and the
baggage between those buildings it's not
much fun so if you if it's Apple what do
you prefer to walk between on asphalt
through cars from one building on one
side of the site to the other or to be
able to jog cycle walk in a great park
and have proximity to your colleagues
because you're trying to create a family
entity albeit a very very large building
for a very large family would you rather
move under one roof like an artificial
sky or would you rather go from one
terminal through a maze of roads jungle
of cars lorries trucks I mean it's a so
and obviously it's human nature we're
all interested in the tallest the
longest the biggest but for every one of
those I mean next week for example we're
doing the groundbreaking for a small
building in Manchester and that's a
Maggie's Cancer Centre and its really a
big house and and they're learning a lot
from my time long past but which I
continue to revisit learning a lot from
Scandinavia in terms of something which
is of this time modern but warmth and
domestic and at one with the landscaping
I mean a great tradition and I remember
as a student seeing work of architects
who were not named architects outside of
Denmark like Kai fisca and and I think
if you see that building you'll
understand what
saying it's translated in a way which is
different yes I mean people have said
well it looks like an aircraft wing the
timber structure or it looks as if
you're influenced by proven well of
course I am but it is an essay in
homeliness because if you've been
diagnosed with cancer you want a
reassuring environment if somebody is
going to be counseling you and and
flowers are are important if you go to a
hospital always find fresh flowers you
bring flowers to a patient so that's an
integral part of the building the
greenhouse so the flowers are produced
within the same structure same structure
grows through but there's more glass
around a part of it so it it creates a
little hothouse for but that's another
story you see you once said that
architecture is about values as well
what does this I think that architecture
is about integrity is about human values
is about respect for those and maybe
difficult to articulate but when when a
building resonates in a certain way it
may have an integrity of structure it
may have an integrity of form
I think the hospital is a very good
example I mean again it is like an
airport hugely complex and that can
produce a very complex building so it
then is taken for granted that the
hospital experience is a complex and
perhaps inevitably frightening
experience in the way that the airport
used to be a fright
experience but it doesn't need to be
that I'm absolutely sure of and I say
that as a past patient having spent time
in hospitals and very grateful that I've
emerged to continue life beyond that
experience I think really in every
aspect of life in every walk of life you
need the balance between a certain
degree of respect and humility and to do
what you do for me to do what I do as an
architect a degree of of self-confidence
because you are leading a team you're
expected to UM and that's why I said
earlier that I think one aspect of the
architects task is to be a good listener
and-and-and to hear the many voices that
the needs that that building will will
answer and and also to respect the
process of making the nobility of making
that's not fashionable but and and in
that sense quality is an attitude of
mind it's not how much money you spend
on a building you've got you've got
really three resources you've got money
you've got time and you've got creative
energy and it's the creative energy it's
the attitude of how you use those
resources as wisely as possible and some
of the great buildings in the world have
been achieved when in the face of
economic hardship some of the best
buildings in the world a kind of
overnight miracles they've been created
very quickly some of the worst buildings
in the world have had money thrown at
them
and they're awful
you
you're turning 80 in some weeks and
you're very lively you have been through
a period where you've been sick but we
all know that there will probably not be
80 years left so what remains mr. foster
I I continue to do what I do I'm fired
I'm passionate about designing I know
that for the privilege of designing you
also pay the price for having to do
quite a lot of other things which don't
necessarily come so naturally and don't
give you the same degree of pleasure but
they kind of come with the with the task
I suppose that if if there was the
opportunity to I think that buckminster
fuller's analogy of the trim tab the
little tab on the big control surface
which equalizes the forces and enables
the bigger elements to move because of
the small kind of catalyst effect then
it would be great if if we could address
some of those bigger issues design as a
tool to address shelter in the big
picture I mentioned the the project for
der RV and there the proposition was
that you might be able to recycle to add
the basic services which don't exist
like sanitation power water but you
could respect the urban structure which
had grown up
no settlements because they're quite of
course they have their darker side but
you have to remember that people have
come
they've congregated in these areas
because they offer greater hope greater
prosperity from the challenge of how you
transform settlements like that which
relate to a huge percentage of the
world's population and I believe that
there are alternatives more human
alternatives more subtle alternatives to
getting the big bulldozers you know
raising it to the ground and then
transporting those communities into into
other modern buildings so I think that
the answer to your short question which
was rather long answer would be that
we've built airports we're still excited
by those challenges we built towers were
excited by that we're doing a lot of
small community buildings excited by
that
but the bigger issues are not really
addressed by by architects and that's
we're talking about billions of people
and those are the people who need power
they need clean water and how do you
achieve that
so those to be able in some small way to
make a contribution in that direction
that I think would be very satisfied and
their density is quite an important
factor isn't it well the city is about
density so it's and it's about
concentration and and there are certain
lessons again from history George in
London with row houses walk-up for five
storeys maximum around gardens which
were semi public so public spaces like
parks
dense communities high-rise as
appropriate but not lost in a sea of
neglected space but part of a weapon in
a wider armory if you like but that's
coming back to the bigger picture and
that's where our conversation really
started which was the importance of
infrastructure do you think technology
in the end is an ally or a threat to our
society technology can never be a threat
I mean technology as a means so the
history of architecture the history of
humanity coming out of the cave into a
dwelling is a story of technology of
innovation the high tech buildings of
the past the cathedrals the amiracle 's
of technology
well of course any technology you can
turn from violent aggressive you can
turn into something which is violent and
aggressive but that's probably true of
anything you can use medicine to cure
you can use medicine to poison you can
as Bucky put it you can convert the
killing machine into the living machine
and and that was some of the endeavors
after after the war to harness but
that's also true of all of space travel
and space exploration so so it's really
it's how you use the technology but you
come you can't move forward you can't
answer the needs we can't be protected
in here when it's raining or snowing or
cool in here when we open the windows
and it's baking hot out
that's a technological response and the
technology is changing all the time so
the challenge is to turn it to our
advantage
looking out of the window I see
sculptures I see art it's an integral
part of our lives as a family as
individuals it's completely woven in in
the same way that those inspirations
influences subconscious perhaps
subliminal but they're there we're all a
victim of of influences or victim is the
wrong word we're we're all products if
you like of influences and what could
can you / belies what art does to you
and your practices archetype in your
life why is it important I think it's an
other way of looking at forms of life I
think that it opens you to see new
possibilities to make connections it
makes you it heightens your sense of of
awareness it's another dimension and
again there are certain artifacts there
are certain cars you can see the curve
of the back and there's a sort of
sensuous quality to that that for me is
is art I was looking at an exhibition of
locomotives each one must have been
lovingly created and everything works
it's miniaturized series I mean just I
mean labors of love and for me those are
pure the sailplane is as beautiful as
the Brancusi
the Brancusi and the bocce oni the
figure flowing in space those are
inseparable from the best cars of the
period the Chrysler airflow is
inseparable from the Chrysler Building
of Van Alen the streamlined forms of the
Burlington Zephyr and the
10,000 in the 30s which heralded a new
high performance again lighter form of
locomotion those are inseparable from
the these incredible works by artists
around 1913 so the kind of magic years
but there's all of these things they're
timeless they go beyond the style of a
certain time they're their classics
last question
my son is 70 years old and he's quite
interested in architecture and books and
I imagine him a little bit like you as a
young boy he kind of looks at books and
he's totally away so if he decided to
study architecture and he in his study
would fall about a book you as an
architect Alan Foster what would you
like a boy like him to remember you as
an architect in 20 30 40 years time I'd
like to feel the from conversations like
this or perhaps film books buildings
that that he becomes aware that by
questioning and by challenging and by
having a degree of determination and
conviction and enthusiasm and passion
that you really can make a difference to
the world and the everyday world that we
all live in and that that can make a
difference and that he could in turn
along with his colleagues make a
difference in the future but if he would
be looking at a book by you like you
looked at the books oblique Oh
what do you think will fascinate him
about you and your architecture I think
it it might be the way that we have
rethought redesigned reinvented the
otherwise conventional what was
considered to be a traditional way of
doing something and that we done that by
going back to roots going back to basics
and questioning from first principles so
what would be fantastic for your son is
that if he was able to do that and be
able to tear up what we've done and do
something which we discovered another
better way of doing it
you
you
you
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