February 2, 2009

Caixa Forum - HdM



Herzog de Meuron
's Caixa Forum, Madrid

2 comments:

BLINK said...

H&dM are extraordinary texturalists. Their spaces are dependent upon surface applications. Textures serve the role of signposts indicating the nature and quality of the space you are entering. I prefer this approach to the post Decon crowd who ignore materiality in favor of generating form via section or autonomy, which due to standard constraints, is usually an extruded section or an impersonal form.

Architecture is about habitation or more simply dwelling. It is rare that a space's use cannot be altered by replacing it's interior contents and adjusting light levels. The way we dwell is dependent most simply upon walls that define intentional, spatial sequences. I deeply appreciate the primal nature of H&dM's solutions for this reason. They transcend typology and theory via the engaging, visceral programming of surface.

Architects who convince themselves that they are designing space are actually fooling themselves. We are carving out habitable subspace from a pre-existing continuum. I say this only to emphasize that surface therefore is the palette and this is reinforced by the role the 2D 'screen' plays is current architectural thinking. The screen has become iconic and metaphorically hollow and serves far too often as decoration rather than the prima facie impact of grounded, architectonic form.
We are human and we feel. Dogs get this! I give full props to H&dM for their consistent avoidance of visual effects in favor of tactile, emotive form.

The accompanying music for that video is incredible. Who are they might anyone know?

Unknown said...

The music is by RJD2 and is called Ghostwriter.

Thanks for watching :)

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