Review of Will Alsop's lecture at the November Talks in Bratislava
Bratislava. The second lecture at the November Talks at the STU Bratislava marked the appearance of British architect and painter Will Alsop. Following the dynamic opening event by young Croatians Kata Marunica and Nenad Ravnić the week before, the Emil Belluš hall was packed. Faculty member Peter Horák introduced Alsop as a giant on the British architecture scene – and with good reason.
In addition to his studio, Alsop teaches in Vienna. He is also internationally renowned for his expressive paintings. What's more, he talks to the residents of the cities for whom he is designing his buildings. He is a quirky artist whose buildings are iconic. Alsop comes across as a man with a huge intellect, but also with a huge heart. In the auditorium, a mobile phone rings and the Brit up in front of the screen responds immediately with “Oh, that must be my mother, she'll be calling to find out where I am.”
Alsop's attitude to design quickly becomes clear: “From the design of a spoon to the revival of an entire district, convenience, experience, and surprise must be incorporated into everything. And joy is the goal.” The guest speaker works with the philosophy of human experience. The secondary goal of finding joy in a thing or an experience must be the distribution of this joy. Multiplying optimism and positive moods; Alsop prefers implementing the qualities of the existing places into the ones being developed rather than creating something from scratch. “Can you imagine your favourite place right now?”. Around ten attendees volunteered to speak. . “... then put this place and the joy it contains into your architecture.”
Why does Will paint so much? “When you paint, you have to watch. And when you watch, you also have to reflect.” He compares himself to Jean Nouvel: “He has to talk and discuss a lot. He talks and talks ... I paint. How you do it isn't important, what counts is that you actually use a means of expression, of communication, a conversation.” Each project is linked to a painting, often even to several paintings.
The presentation of his competition ideas and the designs he has brought to fruition is becoming more of a collection of stories than a complete presentation of a closed theory. At the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, the educational establishment has its base in a wildly perforated prism built on sloping, rod-shaped supports: “If you talk to people sensibly about their needs and views, you can also get planning permission earlier. Within two weeks instead of the usual three months.” “And why is it so difficult to discuss anything with the residents of Singapore?” “When it came to the design of Clarke Quay, it was difficult because the inhabitants of Singapore answer everything with ‘Yes’.”
Will Alsop - Palestra (Video clip| 2:58 Min.)
