Herman Hertzberger—one of the most important Dutch architects and theoreticians of the modern age known for his designs of housing complexes, offices and schools—takes our Proust Questionnaire and reveals some of his favorite architects, projects to work on, what architectural happiness means to him and more!
Who is your favorite living architect?
Diébédo Francis Kéré / Lacaton & Vassal Architectes.
Who is your favorite dead architect?
Of course Le Corbusier after all.
How would you describe the personality of your practice?
Socially involved.
What is your practice’s main weakness?
Neglecting the outside.
What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?
It should accommodate.
What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?
Decorative, imposing, overstating, exaggerating.
What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?
Creativity.
What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?
Showing off, vanity.
What is your favorite type of project to work on?
Schools.
What does architectural happiness mean?
A paying client.
What does architectural misery mean?
Making buildings like pieces of doubtful sculpture.
Where would you most like to build (where you haven’t already)?
In space.
What is your favorite color?
Aubergine purple.
What is your favorite flower?
Columbine.
What is your favorite bird?
Owl.
Who is your favourite poet?
Judith Herzberg (Dutch).
Who is your favourite artist?
Johannes Vermeer / Giovanni Bellini / Picasso / Anish Kapoor / Brancusi.
When do you lie?
Always.
What talent would you most like to have?
To stop being workaholic for a while.
What architectural strategies do you most overuse?
Doing more than the elementary.
How would you like to die?
Never thought of and not prepared to think of.
5 Comments
"Le Corbusier after all." I would love to hear more of that "after all"
I think he means it more like 'Le Corbusier, despite everything'
I understand, I just wish to hear more about his response - he could have said le corb and stop at that, but the after all means there is a process to reach that conclusion.
Legend.
He might be the only truly modern heroe that remains alive!
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