16
MR: It is, however, crucial to have an
MR: I think that most clients don’t really care
not sure whether seduction leads to a good
ambition, because it will enable you to
about the ideals of an architect. This doesn’t
building. It does, however, lead to certain
pursue a certain ideal situation. For example:
mean that you should just let go of all your
kinds of innovation in the way that these
if the building costs of a project go over-
ideals though. For example: there are a lot
kinds of buildings have to be constructed.
budget, and the client asks you to solve this,
of solar panels on De Rozet, and it also has
you will have to be pragmatic. If there is one
a green roof that buffers rainwater. This
JB: There is perhaps an interesting interaction
room in the building that you want to keep
was our ambition, from the perspective of
between the knowledge economy and the
the way you designed it at all cost, you have
sustainability. But to be able to do this, we
unnameable qualities of architecture. Why
to make concessions elsewhere, without
had to convince the client that it was a cost-
are certain spaces pleasant and why does
losing the original ambition.
effective decision, and that these installations
everyone want to be there? Perhaps architects
would pay for themselves in less than seven
pursue these unnameable qualities, and then
Has architecture become too much of a
years. So on one side we had the ambition
justify them with the knowledge they have.
visual discipline? In other words: Do clients
to make a sustainable building, and on the
There are, for example, a lot of projects that
come to your firms because of the beautiful
other there was the purely economic story
make use of thermal energy storage and
images they have seen, or because of your
that we told the client.
concrete core activation. This enables the
knowledge, methods of working, or strong vision instead? MR: I think that our discipline is too strongly
architect to make beautiful high spaces,
Is this then the essence of the knowledge
without horrible things like suspended
economy? Creating a demand that leads to
ceilings. This basically means that you are
innovation, which will then make profit?
using the knowledge economy as an excuse
associated with its visual or representative
to create something beautiful, something
side. This is not a good thing: you can
MR: I believe that it is very important for
be a great architect by thinking of smart
an architect to develop knowledge and
solutions that don’t directly translate to the
strategies. In an educational or theoretical
MR: So in the end, the knowledge economy
representation of the building, or the image
context you can formulate this knowledge
is perhaps only meant for the pursuit of
of the city.
very
beauty?
precisely,
but
in
a
professional
with an unnameable quality.
situation you have to be very careful about JB: However, the trend of turning architects
expressing it. But if you actively develop
more and more into technicians is also
your knowledge, you are per definition
negative: we should not be the party that
being innovative, thus making you a part
makes sure that all elevator cores and
of the knowledge economy. The term
stairwells are aligned, and that the rentable
seduction economy is perhaps also very
area is as large as possible. The pragmatic
appropriate for our profession: an architect
side of construction shouldn’t take over the
like Zaha Hadid is successful because her
ideals of the architect.
work seduces, whether it is good or not. I am
1] De Rozet by Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Arnhem (2013). Photo by Scagliola/Brakkee. © Neutelings Riedijk Architects. 2] Sir Karl Raimund Popper (1902-1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher and professor, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the twentieth century. 3] Colin Rowe (1920-1999) was a BritishAmerican architectural historian, critic, theorist and teacher. Robert Charles Venturi, Jr. (1925-) is an American postmodern architect. 4] Esprit Headoffice by Bekkering Adams, Amstelveen (2009). Photo by DigiDaan. © Bekkering Adams Architecten.