By Paula Lehman
Renzo Piano believes buildings should reflect their environments. He's not simply talking metaphorically: While he's well known for the attention he pays to a building's context, he has also become known for designs that include large transparent surfaces. This is visible in designs such as the three-building addition he built for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, completed in 2005. Atop each building is a grid of 1,000 skylights allowing natural light to pour into the exhibition space.
Recently, Piano, who is currently finishing work on The New York Times Building in midtown Manhattan and also the High Museum of Art (seen here), spoke to BusinessWeek about his 10 favorite buildings of all time. Many were built prior to the 20th century. Piano says the reason he's partial to older structures is that to him, architecture is about memory. Having grown up in Genoa, Italy, where his office is headquartered, he was surrounded and inspired by historic architecture. "Memory is a constant part of what I'm doing," he says. "All my work is in some way connected to memory." This shows in the details of his projects, which act as a tribute to the family of builders he grew up in and to the following classic works of architecture.
The Acropolis
Athens
Architect: various
Sixth century BC
The Acropolis is a collection of ancient ruins atop a 150-meter-high flat rock in the center of Athens. To Piano, the use of stone on such a monumental scale is an example of lightness in design. "This is the living example of how light you can be with stone," he says. "It's almost like you're fighting against gravity."
Viking Ships
Northern Europe
Architect: various
Viking Age (800-1100)
For Piano, Viking ships present a perfect marriage between functionality and architecture. For instance, the keels of Norse ships, built in the ninth century, not only serve to steady the boat but are often intricate in aesthetic detail. Piano himself both builds and sails boats in his minimal free time, and as such these boats present an inspiration — and a challenge.
Brunelleschi's Cupola
Florence
Architect: Filippo Brunelleschi
1434
Standing 91 meters high, the cupola atop Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence has been one of Piano's favorite structures since childhood. The cupola is self-supporting, with an octagonal base and stone ribs. Piano admires Brunelleschi's approach — acting not only as an architect but also as builder and artist on the project. "He didn't just design the cupola," explains Piano. "He even designed the tools to make the cupola."
The Crystal Palace
London
Architect: Joseph Paxton
1851
The Crystal Palace was originally built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, where exhibits ranged from traditional art to a precursor to the modern fax machine. After the exhibition the palace was moved to the south part of London that still bears its name though it burned down in 1936. Designed by celebrated architect Joseph Paxton, this wrought iron and glass structure looked like a gigantic greenhouse — appropriate, given that Paxton began his career as a gardener. Piano calls the Crystal Palace "the reinvention of the dream of lightness."
The Palm House
London
Architect: Decimus Burton and Richard Turner
1848
Piano often plays with light in his designs. Perhaps it is this fascination that caused him to pick not one but two greenhouse structures for his top 10 buildings of all time. The Palm House in London's Kew Gardens is a Victorian greenhouse made out of glass and wrought iron. Piano acclaims it as "a masterpiece of steel. [It] feels immaterial."
La Maison de Verre
Paris
Architect: Pierre Chareau
1931
La Maison de Verre means "house of glass." The Paris residence was designed by Pierre Chareau for Dr. Jean Dalsace. The house, which was built over a period of five years, has a facade of glass blocks. Inside, the house is divided by movable panels and screen doors, allowing light to flood the interior. Piano later used this building as the inspiration to design the headquarters of Hermès Japan in Tokyo, which opened in 2001.
The Kimbell Art Museum
Fort Worth
Architect: Louis Kahn
1972
Piano is currently working on an addition for the Kimbell Art Museum, due for completion in 2011. During his time at the museum, he says he has come to admire the original building designed by legendary architect Louis Kahn, with whom Piano worked as a young architect. The museum is a series of five stone vaults, with skylights that flood the exhibition space with natural light.
Castelvecchio Museum
Verona, Italy
Architect: Carlo Scarpa
1973
When Carlo Scarpa restored the Castelvecchio Museum, an art museum in Verona, Italy, he created a contrast between ancient and modern. The medieval castle now includes ornate metal lattice doors leading to modern-style platforms that hold various pieces of artwork, such as a statue of Cangrande della Scala that sits atop a cantilever, one story above the ground floor level. Piano says he appreciates the subtle integration of old with new.
Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris
Architects: Renzo Piano and Richard and Sue Rogers
1977
The Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg, was built in 1977 when Renzo Piano was still fairly unknown and working for legendary British architect Richard Rogers. The building is a skeleton of color-coded mechanical systems. Piano, who now lives in Paris, picked this building as one of his favorites because it's become a regular hangout for him. He says that the building "exudes a feeling of freedom."
Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Punta Nave, Italy
Architect: Renzo Piano
1991
Piano's own architectural studio headquarters in Genoa, Italy, is inspired by the surrounding environment and location. Sitting on a hill, the office is composed of a series of glass terraces that slope down towards the sea. Piano says the building is modeled after greenhouses typical of the Ligurian coastline. The office was built in 1991 and houses 130 employees.
@Source: By Paula Lehman http://www.businessweek.com/ November 7, 2007
沒有留言:
張貼留言