By Mana Khajeh Nouri
Friedensreich Hundertwasser was born in 1928 in Vienna. He was a painter, ecologist, and a tireless advocate for the realization of an architecture in harmony with nature, inspired by individual creativity.
In the early 1950s, he wrote a manifesto against rationalism in architecture. In the 1980s, several completed projects by Master Hundertwasser attracted worldwide attention and ignited architectural debates.
Here is a selection of his words, translated for you:
The Right Window
Residents of a building should be able to lean out of the window and spread plaster around the window frames, and be allowed -- as far as their hands can reach -- to paint in bright colors so that it can be seen from far down the street, making it known that a person lives there.
Our Duty Toward Trees
Nature grows freely wherever rain and snow fall. Everything that is white in winter should be green in summer. Everything that grows under the open sky on the horizon is part of nature. Streets and rooftops must be covered with trees. People must breathe forest air in cities once again. The relationship between humans and trees must acquire a sacred dimension. Only then can this phrase be understood: "The straight line -- which cannot endure twists and turns -- is far from the grace of God."
Uneven Surfaces
Humans have more than eyes for enjoying beauty, more than ears for hearing harmonious sounds, and more than a nose for smelling pleasant fragrances. Humans can also feel with their hands and feet. A smooth surface with straight lines is hazardous for humans. An uneven surface becomes a symphony -- a melody that produces pleasant sensations and vibrations.
The Skyline
The flat and lifeless skyline is the unfortunate legacy of the Bauhaus. When the boundary between heaven and earth -- the bridge, so to speak, between man and God -- is eliminated by right angles, everything that connects humans to what is transcendent is destroyed.
A human has three skins: the actual skin, clothing, and their home. Each of these three must be regularly rebuilt. They must constantly grow and change. When the third skin -- the walls of the home -- does not change (unlike the first skin, which sheds and regrows), it becomes rigid and dies. Houses too are living beings, just like us. Houses, like trees, grow. They live and constantly change.
Translated by Mo'in Tabrizi — From Architectural Record, September 1997
It may come as a surprise that at the age of seventy-two, Sverre Fehn -- the Norwegian architect and winner of the 1997 Pritzker Prize -- has no intention of retiring anytime soon. He even believes he is still learning in his profession. How does Fehn describe his work? What advice does he have for young architects? Is he optimistic about the future of architecture? Architectural Record magazine conducted an extensive interview with him, excerpts of which are presented here.
Record: The jury was particularly impressed that you have persistently continued your own interpretation of modernism without being influenced by various existing trends. Do you think the term "modernist" accurately applies to you?
Fehn: They have always called me a modernist, but when I began exhibiting my works in Europe and America, they called me Norwegian (laughs). My architecture is very Scandinavian, and throughout my life I have tried to escape this label but have not succeeded. I see my architecture as mysterious. My architecture is full of death and mysticism -- concepts of light and shadow.
Here in Norway, the entire winter is dark. When you are a child, you need a powerful imagination to overcome this darkness. Life is not like the typical southern existence where -- whether in winter or summer -- the sun is always present. I have always been fascinated by light and shadow, and I carefully employ these forms: contrasts and grandeur.
Sometimes I deal with weather conditions, nature, and topography. It is important that we establish a dialogue between nature and creative life. A building is the harsh confrontation of culture with nature, and in this confrontation you can discover balance and beauty. The conversation between past and present is also revealed.
Record: What words do you have for those young architects who want to make a living and earn a reputation?
Fehn: Currently, various philosophical currents influence the youth -- minimalism, postmodernism, deconstructionism. It is as though they are not given a chance, and yet this is good for them. It is harder than the time when there were only one or two influential movements. I see a great difference between my own youth and today's students. They are deeply occupied with material things; as a result, they must have good jobs to keep their cars and televisions. In those days, I only had a work desk and I worked. That was it.
It is essential for young people to travel extensively, especially to places like North Africa, so they understand how little is truly needed for a pleasant life. Consider a Japanese room without furniture. As a teacher, I always take my students to Spain and Morocco -- not because monumental architecture exists there, but because it is simple. It is a profoundly important lesson that we learn to value the simplicity of others' way of living.
Record: Are you optimistic about the future of architecture?
Fehn: Architecture has always been capable of being more than what it is. It seems that people are always searching for space and are never satisfied. The fact that people travel to enjoy this or that space is encouraging -- that they want to experience great and important things.
Record: Don't you intend to slow down at this stage of your life? The National Theatre project is a major undertaking.
Fehn: How can I slow down when I have so much work? The National Theatre is a big job. For that reason, I won't be retiring in Spain anytime soon.
Record: As both an architect and a teacher, didn't you realize from the start that you cannot simply build a space just anywhere? Before anything else, you must have a story. Materials are like the letters of your story, and with them you write the narrative.