Book Review Wang Shu Souto de Moura
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72 BLUEPRINT DECEMBER 2012 Right: Wang Shu’s book in format and presentation is a manifestation of the craftsmanship and ideology of his studio’s work Below: Eduardo Souto de Moura’s sketchbook not only contains sketches but also lecture notes and telephone numbers, giving the impression of a chaotic vitality WANG SHU – IMAGINING THE HOUSE Lars Müller, £45 EDUARDO SOUTO DE MOURA – SKETCHBOOK NO. 76 Lars Müller, £26 Reviews by Thomas Wensing >>BOOKS The architectural sketch is part process, part myth. It is interesting to note that in an age in which the across-the-board digitisation of architecture is a fact, there is still a place for the architectural sketch as a means of generating and expressing ideas. One factor in the staying power of the sketch is its immediacy, another is its physicality. In a world in which we increasingly interact through various technological interfaces, in which architecture is mostly created virtually – before it has to interact with the messy reality of the site – the sketch can be seen as an intimate and individual protest against the prevailing norm. The two sketchbooks, Eduardo Souto de Moura – Sketchbook No. 76, and Wang Shu – Imagining the House, are examples of an architectural process in which hand-drafting still has a place. Architectural sketches have always been part of the building process, but the elevation of the architectural sketch as something to be seriously considered only started with modernism. Take for instance Le Corbusier’s Oeuvre Complète, which opens with a few pages of ‘sketches of travel and studies’ as the first images. As Le Corbusier was a cunning self-promoter, I cannot imagine that this is accidental. So why is it that he proclaims that ‘The house is a machine for living in’, but chooses to begin his magnum opus with emotive sketches as opposed to the more ‘scientific’ modes of representation of orthographic projection and perspective? I suspect that the answer lies in the schizophrenic dichotomy put before us by the modern condition: we are split between the abstract- digital level of the mind and the ‘human-touch’ level of individual experience. Le Corbusier’s position is therefore paradoxical – while he claims to support mass-production and rationality he also constructs the myth of the architect as a sensitive genius. The building process has become increasingly technological and collaborative, and there are many offices which use the architect’s sketch (Calatrava, Gehry) not only in a productive sense, but to maintain this personality cult. To my great relief I found that neither of these two books pay tribute to this narcissistic strand in architecture; rather they are either rooted in a long tradition, or use sketches and hand-drawings as an act of resistance – the way I like it to be. Souto de Moura chose to use blue sketchbooks to make them stand out from those of Álvaro Siza, in whose practice he was working from 1974 to 1979. In the intimacy of Siza’s small office, the master-apprentice relationship would flourish, and a working method of sketching, hand-drafting and physical model making was seamlessly passed on to Souto de Moura. His sketchbook is at the same time an ‘agenda’ in which he plans his professional life, records lecture notes and telephone numbers, giving the overall impression of chaotic vitality. Even though I prefer the fine line drawings in the more traditional monographs (the Blau edition of 2000 is a favourite), this sketch book can happily co-exist on my shelves. Wang Shu’s Imagining the House is the more intense and profound of the two. The format and printing of the book is a complete manifestation of the craftsmanship and ideological substance of Wang Shu’s Amateur Architecture Studio’s work. The traditional Chinese binding gives the book an enigmatic quality. Usually the pages would be printed on the outside, folded and sewn together in the spine. In this case the drawings are on the inside, which gives the sensation that you are leafing through an empty book. You are then forced to slow down, to open each drawing carefully and fold it back in again; a journey of discovery. The most impressive feat are the drawings themselves: sketches, line drawings, plans, sections and elevations; the designs are really developed by hand, and a joy to see. Knowing that Wang Shu works in Hangzhou, in a region of China characterised by rapid industrialisation and tabula rasa urbanisation, it slowly dawns on you that this way of working is a conscious polemical manifesto. Again and again he emphasises the need of remembering and bridging the gap between feeling and mind, mind and body: ‘I tried to build a diverse world as a resistance to the uniform world. ...Things that can’t be achieved with the brain might be achieved by the actions of man’s hands or body... By drawing by hand again and again, I could feel the same.’ Apart from the fact that Wang Shu mentions his ‘assistants’ regularly, presumably the ones who would have to put the drawings into the computer, I would like to take inspiration from the fact that he shows that true progress can only be made when feeling, memory and body are not neglected. THESE TWO BOOKS ARE ROOTED IN A LONG TRADITION, OR USE SKETCHES AND HAND-DRAWINGS AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE - THE WAY I LIKE IT
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A book review on two sketch books, one by Wang Shu and one by Souto de Moura
Transcript of Book Review Wang Shu Souto de Moura
72
BLUEPRINT DECEMBER 2012
Right: Wang Shu’s book in format and presentation is a manifestation of the craftsmanship and ideology of his studio’s work
Below: Eduardo Souto de Moura’s sketchbook not only contains sketches but also lecture notes and telephone numbers, giving the impression of a chaotic vitality
WaNg ShU – ImagININg ThE hoUSELars müller, £45
EdUaRdo SoUTo dEmoURa – SkETchBookNo. 76Lars müller, £26 Reviews by Thomas Wensing
>>BOOKS
The architectural sketch is part process, part myth. It is interesting to note that in an age in which the across-the-board digitisation of architecture is a fact, there is still a place for the architectural sketch as a means of generating and expressing ideas.
One factor in the staying power of the sketch is its immediacy, another is its physicality. In a world in which we increasingly interact through various technological interfaces, in which architecture is mostly created virtually – before it has to interact with the messy reality of the site – the sketch can be seen as an intimate and individual protest against the prevailing norm. The two sketchbooks, Eduardo Souto de Moura – Sketchbook No. 76, and Wang Shu – Imagining the House, are examples of an architectural process in which hand-drafting still has a place.
Architectural sketches have always been part of the building process, but the elevation of the architectural sketch as something to be seriously considered only started with modernism. Take for instance Le Corbusier’s Oeuvre Complète, which opens with a few pages of ‘sketches of travel and studies’ as the first images. As Le Corbusier was a cunning self-promoter, I cannot imagine that this is accidental. So why is it that he proclaims that ‘The house is a machine for living in’, but chooses to begin his magnum opus with emotive sketches as opposed to the more ‘scientific’ modes of representation of orthographic projection and perspective?
I suspect that the answer lies in the schizophrenic dichotomy put before us by the modern condition: we are split between the abstract-digital level of the mind and the ‘human-touch’ level of individual experience. Le Corbusier’s position is therefore paradoxical – while he claims to support mass-production and rationality he also constructs the myth of the architect as a sensitive genius.
The building process has become increasingly technological and collaborative, and there are many offices which use the architect’s sketch (Calatrava, Gehry) not only in a productive sense, but to maintain this personality cult.
To my great relief I found that neither of these two books pay tribute to this narcissistic strand in architecture; rather they are either rooted in a long tradition, or use sketches and hand-drawings as an act of resistance – the way I like it to be.
Souto de Moura chose to use blue sketchbooks to make them stand out from those of Álvaro Siza, in whose practice he was working from 1974 to 1979. In the intimacy of Siza’s small office, the master-apprentice relationship would flourish, and a working method of sketching, hand-drafting and physical model making was seamlessly passed on to Souto de Moura.
His sketchbook is at the same time an ‘agenda’ in which he plans his professional life, records lecture notes and telephone numbers, giving the overall impression of chaotic vitality. Even though I prefer the fine line drawings in the more traditional monographs (the Blau edition of 2000 is a favourite), this sketch book can happily co-exist on my shelves.
Wang Shu’s Imagining the House is the more intense and profound of
the two. The format and printing of the book is a complete manifestation of the craftsmanship and ideological substance of Wang Shu’s Amateur Architecture Studio’s work.
The traditional Chinese binding gives the book an enigmatic quality. Usually the pages would be printed on the outside, folded and sewn together in the spine. In this case the drawings are on the inside, which gives the sensation that you are leafing through an empty book. You are then forced to slow down, to open each drawing carefully and fold it back in again; a journey of discovery.
The most impressive feat are the drawings themselves: sketches, line drawings, plans, sections and elevations; the designs are really developed by hand, and a joy to see.
Knowing that Wang Shu works in Hangzhou, in a region of China characterised by rapid industrialisation and tabula rasa urbanisation, it slowly dawns on you that this way of working is a conscious polemical manifesto.
Again and again he emphasises the need of remembering and bridging the gap between feeling and mind, mind and body: ‘I tried to build a diverse world as a resistance to the uniform world. ...Things that can’t be achieved with the brain might be achieved by the actions of man’s hands or body... By drawing by hand again and again, I could feel the same.’
Apart from the fact that Wang Shu mentions his ‘assistants’ regularly, presumably the ones who would have to put the drawings into the computer, I would like to take inspiration from the fact that he shows that true progress can only be made when feeling, memory and body are not neglected.
ThESE TWo BookS aRE RooTEd IN a LoNg TRadITIoN, oR USE SkETchES aNd haNd-dRaWINgS aS aN acT of RESISTaNcE - ThE Way I LIkE IT
