Nat Barker
Dezeen
British designer Thomas Heatherwick has taken aim at the « cult of modernist architecture » in a new BBC radio series.
Heatherwick, whose numerous high-profile projects include Little Island in New York and Google’s headquarters in London and Silicon Valley, made the comments in a three-part series on BBC Radio 4 called Building Soul with Thomas Heatherwick.
« I think we’re living through a global ‘blandemic’ in building design, » Heatherwick told listeners in the second episode, aired on 10 October and titled The Cult of Modernist Architecture.
« This age of boring has resulted in soulless, inhuman urban environments. »
« Why do the modern buildings that have colonised our towns and cities look so dull? » he continued. « And why can’t the whole industry of people who make them see this? »
The episode explored the architecture profession’s relationship with modernism, starting with the work of Walter Gropius in the aftermath of the first world war.
In particular, Heatherwick criticises the theory of hugely influential French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier.
Corbusier writings « advocated mass boredom »
« There’s one man who worked alongside Walter Gropius, who more than any other is responsible for the global ‘blandemic’ we see today – a man who came to be synonymous with the austere modernist styles that spread to all our towns and cities, » said Heatherwick.
« Corbusier is such a paradox, » he added. « Some of his buildings are the most amazing buildings I’ve ever seen. Buildings with curves, and amazing details and fascination. »
« And yet what he wrote advocated mass boredom, and it was his writings more than his buildings that were so influential, » he continued.
16 octobre 2023 à 18 h 40
Le Corbusier est vraiment clivant. Cerise sur le sunday, il a inspiré le brutalisme. Je rejoins quelques paroles de l’article: certains ouvrages de ces courants sont magnifiques. Or, faire des ouvrages de qualité implique, certes, le talent, mais aussi un cahier des charges et une contrainte économique qui permettent de la manoeuvre. Cela se voit dans d’autres courants. Combien j’ai été découragé de voir une imitation du style victorien dans nos banlieues génériques.
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