surface- renzo piano

7/25/2019 Surface- Renzo Piano

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http://www.surfacemag.com/renzo-piano/

Interview ! "pencer #ai$e! % Portrait ! &!o'o (ama)a

At his *rm+s New ,or' it! outpost the $egen)ar! Ita$ian architect )iscusses his ear$! !ears

in ouis &ahn+s o0ce his fon)ness for the one "tar "tate an) wh! his ui$)ings are sort of

$i'e 'i)s.

This year marks 50 years since you graduated from architecture school at the

Polytechnic University of Milan.

1e2 (ow+) !ou 'now that2 I forgot that3 ,ou+re right3

What do you now know about architecture and the world at large that you wish

you had known back in 1!"#

As the son of a ui$)er I went out with this simp$e innocent an) na4ve i)ea that eing an

architect is aout eing a ui$)er. ,ou have to $earn5an) I )i)5that it+s not 6ust that. It+s


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a$so aout peop$e aout societ! aout searching for a etter wor$). ,ou a$so $earn if !ou

have it within !ourse$f that architecture is poetr!. 7here+s a eaut! in construction. #ut in

+89 I was 8 ; an) I ha)n+t put a$$ of those things together !et. ean Prouv? was one of those *gures $i'e m! father. I fe$t the eaut! in this man who was

$oo'ing for simp$i*e) things. 7a'ing awa! is $i'e ma'ing poetr!. It+s $i'e man! other things:

scu$pture music. It+s aout $oo'ing for c$arit! an) once !ou get c$arit! in construction

there+s a goo) chance !ou+$$ *n) eaut!. A$$ that was ver! confusing in m! min). At that age

!ou )on+t see these things so c$ear$!@ !ou 6ust en6o! $ife. I wasn+t ma'ing ui$)ings then@ I

was ma'ing fragments of ui$)ings which was enough.

)ut you eventually started making buildings' and throughout your career' you(ve

clari*ed your ideas in +ractice. $ou(ve also been savvy at +olitical maneuvering.

,o you view yourself as a +olitical thinker#


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,es. I+ve een name) a "enator for ife in m! countr! ! current Presi)ent Biorgio

Napo$itanoC. ast wee' I was in the "enate ta$'ing aout peripheries sa!ing we have to stop

ma'ing new spraw$s.

If I $oo' ac' m! $ife has een eme))e) with a$$ 'in)s of po$iti- ca$ moments. At universit!

in 1i$an I saw the eginning of the Ita$ian campus occupations we$$ efore the 1a! D8F

stu)ent protests in Paris. Occupation is a tota$$! utopian i)ea ut what+s wrong with that2


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Which is often easier said than done.

"omeo)! has got to )o that )irt! 6o an) who )oes that sort of thing2 7eenagers. In the

case of entre Pompi)ou Richar) Rogers an) I weren+t teenagers5I was JJ he was J85ut

we were a) o!s with a) man- ners.


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een wor'ing for J !ears in an area of (ouston u!ing an) transform- ing $itt$e houses

an) that ecame part of the i)ea for the 1eni$ o$$ection pro6ect. 7he entire institution was

)one to ma'e (ouston a etter p$ace.

7hen Ra! Nasher came to me. (e wante) the same thing in a$$as. (e sai) GI want to ma'e

a$$as famous not 6ust for the 7 show an) the trage)!H5the &enne)! shooting. (e wante)

to ma'e a$$as famous for art. (e was eMtreme$! generous. (e ought the $an) an) sai) GI

)on+t nee) a ui$)ing@ I want to ma'e a gar)en.H

In recent !ears I+ve visite) 7eMas a numer of times each !ear. 7his Easter when we ta'e a

$itt$e vacation m! wife an) Biorgio wi$$ go to 7eMas with me.

4n the case of the imbell' you had to add to or build around an already e2isting

building by ouis ahn' whom you once worked for.

7hat+s right. I wor'e) for him in +8F +8 a ver! short time.

What was your a++roach to the imbell +ro3ect# 4t must have been a challenge to

build alongside ahn(s structure.

It too' me some time to un)erstan). I was to$) that the &ahn ui$)ing was untoucha$e.

A))ing to the origina$ master p$an was )i0cu$t so the on$! so$ution was to )o something

e$se. I starte) to thin' aout )esigning another ui$)ing across the street. 7hen I thought


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7he c$ient was fantastic. $ients are so important. A goo) c$ient )oesn+t te$$ !ou to )o what

!ou want. A goo) c$ient is someone who strugg$es together with !ou. An) a goo) c$ient is

someone who trusts !ou5if !ou+re trusta$e.

,id your e2+erience in ahn(s o6ce inform some of the decisions you made with

the imbell +ro3ect#

No.


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it one campus an) the $awn was a 'in) of rooess room in etween the two. ean-1arie 76iaou u$tura$ entre in New a$e)onia an

is$an) in the Paci*c5I go to ever! *ve or so !ears.

-o it(s like visiting your kids.

,es3 #ui$)ings nee) $ove. ,ou care that !our 'i)s sta! active. 7hat+s wh! I go visit them. It+s

mora$. #ut it+s a$so passion. I+m not as'e) to )o it ut I )o. In New ,or' for eMamp$e I have

the 1organ irar! an) the New ,or' 7imes #ui$)ing an) I visit them often.

9nd now' outside this window' is your *rm(s soon:to:be:born Whitney Museum

building.

,ou 'now what happene)2 7he


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shou$) e5it+s near where the museum starte) in Breenwich i$$age. I saw this ui$)ing

across the street sai)

G7hat+s where I want m! o0ce.H "o I ca$$e) the $an)$or) an) got the o0ce an) the

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