Long-time Archinector, and LA's architect-about-town, Orhan Ayyüce, was recently interviewed for the "A Pinch of Doubt" podcast. Host Cem Kayatekin, Assistant Professor at IE School of Architecture and Design, describes the podcast as "engaging in interdisciplinary jibber jabber."
Orhan, who was among the very first graduates of SCI-Arc, begins with reflecting back on the LA scene in late 70's and 80's... Gehry and co. cool school, and the early days at SCI-Arc. He goes on to talk about LA's unique energy and his work as a writer.
Some highlights from the podcast...
“I started to journal early on in a disorganized way. I had mentors and friends in architecture school who advocated conversation and writing, that part of talking about design was encouraged among friends and like critical minds. We spent a lot of time on public spaces and sidewalks looking at buildings, construction, demolition of things, and replacing them with something else, all the while studying in school. Eventually studio projects start to become series of responses of in a written form with a few diagrams and or plans. Those responses helped me to develop a particular critical thinking about the built environment. It was fascinating and very rich coverage of many things coming together as we lived in and out of buildings. My words were raw, written by an nonnative speaker.”
“I think that’s where my interest in writing about architecture and urbanism started. They were shaped by what I saw. In the world. I wish I’ve written more and not lose what I had. In Los Angeles, you move many times and each time you move somethings get lost. But, it’s ok sometimes for giving you an opportunity to revisit and write better about it.”
“I was a student at Sci Arc in late 70s and early 80s. Those years in LA architecture scene was very dynamic. Young Frank Gehry was the guru to upcoming architects such as Thom Mayne and Michael Rotondi as Morphosis, Coy Howard, Robert Mangurian and Craig Hodgett as Studio Works, Fred Fisher, Brian Murphy, and SCI-Arc, where all these people were engaged with. SCI Arc was another center. These architects were also part of ’68 generation and somewhat part of that protest movement. They wanted different things and would do things nobody did before them, At least in LA. Direct inspiration was a group of artists who were the cool school of freewheeling west coast avant-garde. Gehry had a clase relation to this group of young and daring artists who were putting the name LA next to NY. Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Ed Moses, Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, Edward Kienholz, John Altoon, and Ken Price.
That was the avant-garde of LA.
Gehry was always wanting to be a part of that but rejection for an architect kind of made ambitious Gehry said “heck, I am gonna do it on my own. This and other young architects around him and Sci Arc made a big explosion.
I mean they were slapping materials on the buildings like punk music, doing the previously unimagined shapes and spaces, you name it.”
Listent to the full podcast interview here.
8 Comments
Rock Star!
I really enjoyed hearing you talk about your writing, Orhan, and I think the host did an excellent job describing its quality. The notion of it being a "soft" approach to architectural criticism, a little blurry and open, rather than making a point and then incessantly arguing for it. Just letting the powerful points land and live on their own - beautiful.
Thank you Donna.
Thank you Ken.;))
Coming from you guys, mean a lot.
Also Orhan you are so handsome. (And I think we are both old enough to not have to #metoo one another for complimenting appearance!)
that's #ageism! ;-)
Nice interview, Orhan. Some of those names and events take me right back there in time and place. And yes, writing is important, with more parallels to design than we usually recognize.
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