Architectural Eczema - a Skin Disease?
The Melbourne (R)AIA National Conference 2013, was a lot about 'surface' gymnastics, form making and the tricks computers can do - everything that Glenn Murcutt abhors. I suggested that there were indications of a skin disease – ‘architectural eczema’ - that suggested an ailment of the architectural body.
Glenn – at the end of the Architecture Student
Summer School in February 2013 gave a short talk, which someone managed to grab
on their iPhone –
"I am appalled
at current trends in international architecture. I would like to warn you
against the idea that form is the only thing that matters …… the computer,
which we all use, at some levels it is a tool, but it is not a design
instrument. Mere form making is a real problem, we are seeing some of the most
extraordinary things, but they are becoming boring. Unfortunately things have
become so interesting, they are now, in my view, ‘desperately interesting’.
Young architects - be careful - use everything that you are using wisely, as we
always have had to use things wisely, and remember that architecture is not
about form making, form in my view is the consequence of all the other things
that go together to make architecture, it is not an element in itself. Don’t
get into the shock of the new, just understand that good architecture is simply
good architecture. Like postmodernism, when it arrived, to many people was very
exciting, for me it was boring from the outset, but to young minds these things
can seem very exciting – be careful, be suspicious of anything that is coming
to you as a ‘movement’. Adhere to the good principles, and you will not have a
problem, you will find a direction that is clear. We all produce different
work, but the principles are the same, the principles are transferable, take
the principles to different places, it is not aesthetics, it is simply ideas,
understanding light, structure, order, space, and all these things are there to
make an architecture of response, not an architecture of imposition”. Glenn Murcutt,
February 2013
I spent a lot of time with Brit Andresen and I
caught up with many OZ.E.TECTURE Alumni from the annual Glenn Murcutt
International Master Class (GMMC), the New Zealand Master Class (NZMC) and Student
Summer Schoolers -
Minnie Cade (GMMC 01), Zeljko Trkulja and Grant
Harris NZ (GMMC 02), Daniel Ryan IRE (GMMC 07), James Russell, Vesna Trobec,
Bernard Lim and Marcus O'Reilly (GMMC 08), Ben Grollo (GMMC 09), Gina Jones NZ
(GMMC 10), Peter Winkler, John Ellway and Aoife Keigher IRE (GMMC 12), Paul
Worroll Red Dog (NZMC 08 and Blue Mountains MC 11) James Stockwell (BMMC 11)
and, hey, Adam Haddow (GMMC 09) who will be one of the creative directors of
the (R)AIA Conference in Perth May 2014 with Helen Norrie and Sam Crawford. And
Linley Naismith (NZMC 2005) and Mark Jones (NZMC 08)
And many GMMC 'slaves' and Summer Schoolers -
Amelia Beer, Bella Bower, Emma Chrisp, Angus Hardwick, Stephanie Manieri, Sarah
Herbert, Hannah Slater, Warwick Mahali, and Jennifer McMaster formerly in
Stutch's office, and 'members' of the Architecture Foundation David Ostinga,
Gaetano Palmese and many friends like, Lawrence and Andrea Nield.
Good wishes to Scott Lawrence (GMMC 10 and NZMC
08) and Rik Sommerfeld (GMMC 09) who right now are running a Master Class at
Telluride Colorado with Ric Joy, Richard Leplastier and Peter Stutchbury. And
Glenn is in New York on Pritzker Prize jury duty. Richard and Peter will soon
be down there visiting our many friends in Costa Rica – Marlo Trejos (GMMC 04),
Andrés Castro (GMMC 2005), Juan Robles (GMMC 06), Leonardo Calvo (GMMC 09), Jose
Vargas-Hidalgo (GMMC 12)
and then Richard and Peter head to the Mundaneum
Conference in Nicaragua and then to Chile to events organised by Felipe
Carrasco (GMMC 10) - and we have a good few alumni there as well.