BJARKE INGELS
Founder of BIG
Q1, BIG published “YES is more” before. May I know when will you publish another book, like “YES is more episode 2”?
In “YES is more”, I actually found a plain way to explain works in architecture. “YES is more” actually turned the lectures, spoken words and images combined into the book. We are actually working on the follow-up. It could be called “Bigger Me” which tries to look at works in neutral.
Q2, Can you give some encouragement or suggestion to architecture students?
I think it is very important in your studies that you should allow yourself to fall in love with certain architects. In my case, I also created my own curriculum, rather than just doing homework.
Further, I think the most important in study is pursuing your passion. When you follow your passion, you can go much further and it is also easier to learn more when you know how to get there.
Q1, I am glad to see your deconstructionism masterpiece City U Creative Media Center in Hong Kong.
Would you mind sharing any interesting design inspirations or difficulties in the course of creating this masterpiece?
You know I worked very closely with the students in the faculty and all of the people around Run Run Shaw Media Center. So the project did not just originate from the Head, but were really very linked to discussion. During the entire process, everyone concerned with the space, with the program. It was a very interactive process. Of course, the inspiration comes from the multimedia, from the site which is very specific on the campus of the university. So it is creating a building that is related to human proportion, related to the mountain behind that is visible if you come to it and that is to invite people, not only the students in the faculty, but the people who are interested in the subject of Creative Media.
Q2, Would you mind giving some encouragement or suggestion to young architects and architecture students?
Oh, that’s the most important, because young architects and architecture students are really the future of architecture. You know, lots of new ideas, new visions are not born in late, but born early, in young peoples’ conceptions of the world. It is important for young architects not to be brainwashed by the media, by the internet, by the teachers, by the journals, by the magazines, but to remain independent in their thinking, which I think is a really great education. A great education provides people with chances to question. I think students should have opportunities
to question, like what has been done? What the future can be like?
DANIEL LIBESKIND
Founder of Libeskind Studio
KAZUYO SEJIMA
2010 Pritzker Architecture
Prize Laureate
Q1, In the works of many Japanese architecture students, the elements or style of your works can be found, including figures in rendering picture. What is your attitude towards this phenomenon?
I think it is not a bad phenomenon. In the course of study, students tend to follow some very good architects or artists, such as Ishigami, Fujimoto. I mean imitation is also very important in study and maybe at the end, students can find their own directions.
Q2, Would you mind giving some encouragement or suggestion to young architects and architecture students?
Indeed, I get energy from young architects and architecture students and we also bring energy to them. When I was young, I really believed in that architecture has some power, the power to shape space for everybody. I found, at the end of each project, to make a space and to use the space to be together were really joyful and could bring happiness to everybody. So I think it is important for young architects to have their own beliefs.
Q1, Hong Kong is a very high-density city. Every apartment area is very small and expensive. When you design such environments, how to ensure your design idea has good quality and keep fresh?
How to have new ideas, not being stuck where you are, obviously is a continuous challenge for every designer. For example, high density is an interesting challenge. It is really a productive time for how much you can mix programs, how much you can again open the building to the city and connect it to the city, and how to add that to the extreme city.
Q2, Given the fact that some architecture students have already given up their architectural dreams due to many factors such as high pressure, can you give some encouragement to architecture students?
Sometimes when you cannot find what you’re looking for, where you are. You might have to go somewhere else. And that could be within yourself, on your thought, in your mind. But it could also be spatially, changing the environment here you in, changing the context and looking for different contexts to think differently about the things you are doing. It can be very interesting.
OLE SCHEEREN
Founder Of Buro OS
RALPH LERNER
Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong
1949 - 2011
Q1, As we know that the Faculty of Architecture has a big change after your contribution in these years. What will be your strategy to further develop the faculty in terms of architecture way?
In the forthcoming future, we would actually do more in the agenda of sustainability as well as the architectural history and theory. For sustainability, it is the major concern in the world for the environmental issues. As an architect, I think that we should deal with these. I hope that all of our students would apply the sustainable components into their design thesis. Moreover, we would like to further strengthen the theory aspect in term of architectural history, theory and culture so as to let our students have a very deep understanding of such issues.
Q2, We understand that quite a few highly trained architect students or architects, after school, has to be tools to make quite a lot of building blocks for G.F.A. only. As the Dean of the faculty of architecture and if the government accepts to hear from us, what advice would you like to give to improve the laws or policies?
I don’t think the problem would rely on the government but the developers. We are actually helpless to change the mind of the developers for which they do only think of money. However, what we can do is that we can train competitors for the society to make us a better built environment.
Q1, what’s your philosophy of architecture? Is it reflected in your works?
I always believe that human being is a part of nature and architecture is also a part of nature. This is a prevailing thought in Japan. Such a philosophy can be found in lots of my works.
Q2, Can you talk about the future of Chinese architecture? What’s your impression on the architecture of Hong Kong?
I think Chinese architecture is full of possibilities and potentials. For example, in the architecture students’ final year show which I attended a few days ago, two Chinese students’ works were ranked Top 10 in the country, which really impressed me. They have strong skills, and more importantly they have strong design expectation, ambition and passion, which hardly can be found in Japanese students.
In respect of Hong Kong, I got a feeling that the buildings in Hong Kong seems to be isolated, separated, lack of connection with the nature, with the exterior environment. I think Hong Kong needs more architectural program like West Kowloon Cultural District which focuses on the links between interior space and exterior space.
TOYO ITO
2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate
WINDY MASS
Founder of MVRDV
Q1, We understand that Netherlands architects design works are very interesting. May I know how to keep the fresh design ideas during design process? Also any Netherlands culture is reflected in your works?
I would like to put your questions in two levels. Firstly, if I can remain somehow fresh, that partly depends on my personal past. Secondly, in the level of research, I am always ambitious about the behaviors of architects, of human beings. If you know the way that man dream of and try to be ahead of it, you will be avant-garde. That’s one source that can be seen in our works. Another source is maximization. Maximizing thoughts and solving limits always allow us design inspirations.
Q2, Would you mind giving some encouragement or suggestion to young architects and architecture students?
We understand that the young architecture and arts are coming up now. They mobilize in such way that you can see how the city should grow or change, and make it more visual and make it more manifest.
Also, I think that it would give a platform for young architects to expression and vision. So generally I hope the young architects in Hong Kong don’t hesitate to say it, do it and show it.