Lovedog bites the Pragmatic Utopia: "AMBIGUITY"

and

"HEDONISTIC SUSTAINABILITY" with white on black slogan slides as presented. Superficial review of Steven Holl and Bjarke Ingels lectures in Los Angeles.
 

"AMBIGUITY" by Steven Holl

Date and place:
3/2/2011, SCI Arc, Los Angeles

Main Material:
Lecture built around meaning of "ambiguity" in the works of the architect. Large scale mixed use projects in China.
Queens Library in New York, museums, watercolor drawings, concept diagrams, architect's own photos of finished projects with construction slides. Show and tell format. Reading from a text.

Crowd:
Students, 30 and 40 somethings, older ladies and gentlemen, in all equal amounts.

Sense of Humor:
Negligible, except audience laughed in an in the know moment when Holl showed a picture of himself with Thom Mayne wearing hard hats touring Holl's construction site in China.

Relevancy to what's going on (based on global poverty ranking in relation to his clients):
None.

Best moments:
Cantilevered products, bridges, buildings that glow, continuous stairs with generous widths, big projects in China, nice watercolor paintings, "duh" moment at maximizing views and landscape diagram, wanting to do small projects again with clean and expensive details.

Question asked by an audience member:
"All the electricity in the glowing buildings.., where is it coming from?"(read- waste of energy?)
Answer without pausing too much:
"Solar power."

Who sat on the first row?:
SCI Arc instructors and donors with reserved seats.

Anybody left the lecture?:
Negligible.

Did Orhan stay around after the lecture and talked to Steven Holl?:
No.

Reason for the Lecture:
First anniversary of Raimund Abraham's accidental death, thus, first Raimund Abraham Memorial Lecture created by SCI Arc.

Holl's influence on student and professional projects, "the inspiration" factor:
High

His buzz:
There is an ambiguity in everything and that's where I come in.

Overall lesson learned at the lecture:
Vote for Steven Holl. Nice guy who is on top of his game/career. The perpetual Pritzker candidate. Likeable projects with special talent, colors and bold forms. Queens Library window design does look like the "twitter" logo.

Should he get a Pritzker prize?
Sure. Why not? Give it to him. Who's next?

Overall "AMBIGUITY" factor of the work:
Negligible.

Steven Holl Architects

Work related unfocused pictures from the lecture.




"HEDONISTIC SUSTAINABILITY" by Bjarke Ingels, BIG

Date and place:
3/3/2011, LACMA, Los Angeles

Main Material:
Lecture built around the slogan, "Hedonistic Sustainability" including projects in China. Danish Pavilion in World Expo, terraced condominiums in Denmark that I find similar to a 1983 Glen Small project called "Turf Town." Another large under construction condominium project in Denmark. A government power project in Kazakhstan, an ecological utility factory in Denmark. Amoebic shaped museum overlooking the ocean. In studio models, videos featuring lovable Bjarke. A new press released condominium project in New York City.
Show and tell format mixed with motion media and synced stage co-ordination. Not reading from the text.

Crowd:
Mostly students and young architecture faculty, few 40-50 somethings, few older ladies with LACMA badges, few of A&D Museum Board members, Doug Christmas (owner of ACE Gallery with his long time girlfriend,) few developer types, and occasionally crying baby.

Sense of Humor:
Over the top. A natural fun guy! Loveable Danish accent, comfortable presence, down to earth appearance, well rehearsed delivery on stage. A total darling.

Relevancy to what's going on (based on global poverty ranking in relation to his clients):
N/A

Best moments:
Almost all of it. Möbius strip (loop) buildings, music in the videos (here is one)

Question asked by an audience member:
"If you were designing LACMA, what would you do?"
Answer :
"Well, L.A. has such a Mediterranean climate for indoor outdoor living. I would build less!"
(A simply brilliant replay, imho)

Who sat on the first row?:
It wasn't really about that. Meaning, less stuck up people in the audience, or, at least in the front row.

Anybody left the lecture?:
Not that I saw.

Did Orhan stay around after the lecture and talked to Bjarke Ingels?:
Yes and no. There was a reception in A&D Museum across Wilshire Blvd. At that time Orhan elbowed Bjarke's arm and said "thank you, great show.., and tell" as Bjarke was just getting ready to respond, conversation was mobbed by a group of hardcore fans wanting his signature. I left him with his fans and went to see if there was any food as was promised. There was not!

Reason for the Lecture:
Book sales. Meeting people and looking for work in West Coast (I imagine) getting in touch with friends and fans, solidifying his presence in the global architecture scene.

BIG's influence on student and professional projects, "the inspiration" factor:
Big time.

His buzz:
Yes is More. Public space, buildings, cultural position, Design is beautiful. Yes boss. Go for it!

Overall message of the lecture:
Nice guy who is on top of his game early on his career. Strong Pritzker candidate in few years. Highly likable projects with a special talent, colors, form. A true design and positivity machine, Bjarke is so talented that one can't help but wonder "what's wrong with all this perfection dude?"

Overall "HEDONISTIC SUSTAINABILITY" factor of the work:
A palimpsest of a hedonistic love Bjarke would live to write.

Company website:
BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group

Work related unfocused pictures from the lecture.


OA, 3/8/2011, Los Angeles