Several weeks ago the New Yorker published a piece on Zaha Hadid, the talented 60 year old Iraqi architect known for her forward thinking designs and jet-setting lifestyle. In addition to covering several of her recent projects the article focused a great deal on her personal life. The article noted her multiple cell phones constantly ringing, the frazzled side-kick assistant attempting to keep pace with Hadid’s ridiculous schedule and needs, and the fact that she can’t even finish breakfast without frantically running off to the next order of business. Maybe it was show for the journalist, maybe the New Yorker exaggerated a bit for effect; maybe it’s an accurate snapshot of her life. Who knows. Regardless, our question is this – do we really want to glamorize the profession of architecture like this? Is this really what we want to uphold as an example of world class professionalism in design? Would you find these same traits appealing in parallel professions, your lawyer or accountant running around like a chicken with their head cut off, or your doctor perhaps? It made us stop and scratch our heads a bit – why is such an existence idolized in the design profession?
When it comes to design lifestyle, we’re on board with the Danes. They have a quiet, confident design culture and they produce handsome, modest architecture. They spend less time trying to be starchitects and more time riding their bikes to the office and completing good work that needs to be done. Granted, they spend some of their time eating funny little open-faced sandwiches with odorous cheeses, but we’re willing to overlook that small nuance.
There’s a different sort of architecture that this behavior produces, one of modesty. Walking the neighborhoods of Copenhagen, it’s entirely common to find project after beautiful project subtly tucked into the context. And despite the quality of the work, you’ve probably never heard of any of these houses or buildings. These projects don’t have their own marketing campaigns and probably haven’t even been published. It’s also likely that you’ve never even heard of the architects who design them. Most Danish architects don’t seem interested in self-promotion, fame, or living the jet-set lifestyle. In fact it would appear that in Denmark the architect’s job is, first and foremost, to produce good architecture for people to live and work in.
So in light of this diligence and modesty we admire so much in design, today’s post is a shout-out to a Danish firm we had never heard of until quite recently (maybe you have). Hat’s off to the hard working architects at Vandkunsten, keep up the phenomenal work.
Maybe the frantic, rock-star lifestyle is necessary to attract the type of clients that Hadid does and complete the types of commissions she’s so good at.
I really enjoy the work of Vandkunsten, I also really like the work of Hadid. To each their own and if they’re happy running around ‘like a chicken with their head cut off’ so be it.
you should spend a day with jonathan segal!! He doesn’t even eat breakfast!
Well, she is busy but is she making any real money ?
For the past 10 years, what do we get for the mad rush to build all those big box stores and tract houses and cool restaurants ? More architects than ever are deeper into debt than ever by lowering fees and investing in software/hardware thinking the next big break will come due to new flashy software or marketing blitz. (I just heard Yamasaki is folded)
Be calm, be clear and be in control and make sure we have a good life and make money is better than just busy running around.
In the graphic design world there exists a rock star named David Carson. He designed RayGun and Beach Culture and zagged when everyone else zigged. He become a rock star in magazine design and graphic design all together. Soon he went from creating and crafting work that was heavily debated and controversial to speaking and touring and lecturing and just being. He stopped creating and he really stopped being relevant once he became “a rock star of design”. My point is this, the authentic and “real” design professionals in my mind are those who let the work be the stars not themselves. I do think a positive outcome of someone like David Carson is that he took a chance to put himself and his art into his design which made it highly personal and thus highly controversial because people judged the work based on their like or dislike of him. I think his work in his hey day was highly successful because it was personal. I think architects who put themselves into the work make the work better (if they are in fact good architects) but again, the true litmus test is the work not the celebrity of the architect or the designer.
nice stuff… hold the openface cheese sandwiches
Another post that makes me feel good about visiting you guys regularly. Since I first saw her sucky scketches I’ve reserved some contempt for Hadid. The buildings she pukes out with such stunning regularity and the bizarre accolades (OK maybe the BMW factory works) from the critics always makes me scratch my head with what sort of dark deal she must have struck with dark forces. The portrayal of her frazzled life certainly exemplify why her work is the anti-architecture to the wonderful projects above.
Thanks you!
I couldn’t agree more:
http://mgerwing.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/mcarchitecture-1/
Spot on perspective and thanks for sharing the beautiful Danish work!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by buildllc: The architecture of modesty and a Danish firm I bet you haven’t heard of: http://tinyurl.com/yekfjyg…
[…] the rest here: Build Blog » Architecture of Modesty (No Ratings Yet) Loading […]
It appears that the interesting “sawtooth” facade should be incorporated into their logo as it is into so many of their designs.