Peter Eisenman is one of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture. Theorist, academic and practitioner, Peter Eisenman was part of a very important generation of architects and one of the New York Five.
In his recent book Ten Canonical Buildings: 1950-2000 Eisenman revisits some of the most important buildings of the past century with a critical view, a book that is in my opinion a must read for every architect.
During the interview Peter talks about the practice/project of architecture, his views on running an architecture practice, and the current state of American architecture, among other relevant topics. On this preview you can see his views on today’s American Architecture.
Full interview tomorrow!
There’s no more communism? Really? try saying that the chinese, north koreans, cubans etc….what are we waiting for Peter more repressive governments so we architects can start building again?
Love to have a copy of that book and read it cover to cover. Being new to the world of architecture, the book will surely help me a lot.
I was born in a communist country in decline and as I see it communism was/is nothing but a contingent revolution tide. A feeling of opposition, of freedom, of people power against everything unjust. And yes, today there isn’t such a thing anywhere.
Try to picture Chinese in a march for liberal democracy! Twenty years ago people here only marched for sole benefits of capitalism.
In a “there is no alternative” it is impossible to do good work as architect, I agree.
“A feeling of opposition, of freedom, of people power against everything unjust.” that is true-until they start killing and brutally mistreating their own people. Communism is about obtaining power and getting complete control of a society. Therefore, communist architecture is one that is forced and controlled by only a selected few.
This depends on the nature of the communist movement.
You could say the same thing about a Republic (ie a representative Democracy) as what you said about Communism.
Communist and Democratic societies can become totalitarian. But they don’t have to be synonymous with it.
I’d say it has more to do with how much influence industry and financiers have over whatever form of government than anything else.
“Full interview tomorrow.” IT IS TOMORROW!!! Where is the rest of the interview?
He doesn’t think that the younger architectural generation knows where they are going? Are you kidding me? There’s been a huge shift in the profession over the last ten years that has been led by younger architects, architects that are no longer content with working unapologetically for the socio-economic elite. There’s an entirely new model of practice that is forming within the profession. I know that Eisenman has no desire whatsoever to help anyone in need, solve human problems, or even believe that architects have a responsibility in society, but I find it pathetic that he is ignoring the discipline enough to not see the shift in the profession’s priorities.
Eisenman’s the sort of “child of the 70′s” who went on to cast their nihilistic vote for Reagan and then still has the clownish audacity to brag about their “radical” credentials.
Nah, it’s not his job to help people. They should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, so say the nihilists born of the 70′s who bankrupted our country and go on destroying and undermining the leaders today’s young people fight to elect but don’t have the demographic numbers to keep in office.
The problem with people like Eisenman is that they have their NFL football and their beer bellies and they’ve never been challenged demographically in terms of what they want socially, politically, philosophically, etc. His generation said so and it was so and it’s always been that way. They’re just spoiled rotten and now they’re in their 2nd childhoods, god help us all.
Seems that Eisenman is the only Architect with both feet solid on the ground. His idea’s and views are to the point, concrete and without the typical clichés most architects seem to use.
I am not an architect by the way, so maybe I lack a skill I listening to archaic reasoning by most architects. For example saying that internet will change the way we work or that ‘Sustanabilty’ is key. Those things were key for the rest of the world 20 years ago…