architecture enlightens life

this may 11, sir peter cook - the well known architectural educator will come down to malaysia for a lecture.

I guess I will try to take some insights to share here soon. simple speaking, peter cook’s signature work is the kunsthaus graz in austria.

kunsthaus is the quentessential of blob architecture, dubbe “friendly alien” by the architects.

here are some of his opinions on  the impact of computer technology towards architecture;

orhann ayyuce- What I saw being around students recently, they are very good on certain computer skills. They get this instant self-gratification from computed renderings. I saw students programming a building like shape and continuously working the ‘form’ by orbiting on the computer screen, round-and-round. Like a nervous tick and wierd obsession… Eventually, I had to ask them to stop turning the object and let’s look at it for a minute as a building design. It took a lot of effort on their part to connect the ‘piece’ to real city. There is this big reality compromise for the sake of form. I really don’t think architecture has a shortage of form, I also think it should be a very outdated way of designing buildings at this day and age. Computer generated or not, ‘form for form’ really bores me.

Do you have any comment on this area?

peter cook- Yes I do. On one hand, I am excited by some of digital tools, like the three-dimensionality that is made possible, but I am also bored by its instant results. It is like making an instant suit, which everybody gets an instant satisfaction. Actually, a real good suit requires some special ingredients. There is also the possibility that in five years time, everybody will suddenly get bored of these familiar forms of computer generated images. About 100 years ago plate glass became extensively used in architecture, I love plate glass but it became a main ingredient of architecture. Maybe the digital design is the plate glass of our times. I think there are some wonderfully exotic digital designs.

some interesting links;

• interview with peter cook
• kunsthaus graz