Raphael
Soriano
Interview
Archetype
magazine Spring 1979
Αρχιτεκτονική
ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗ ΣΚΕΨΗ
In light of
the current reconsideration of Beaux-Arts architecture, and post-modernism, one
is apt to forget the architecture of the immediate past. The legacy of the Los
Angeles modernists from the first half of this century, however, should not be
ignored.
Μετάφραση στα Ελληνικά:
Υπό το πρίσμα της τρέχουσας επανεξέτασης της
αρχιτεκτονικής Beaux-Arts και του μεταμοντερνισμού, μπορεί κανείς να ξεχάσει
την αρχιτεκτονική του άμεσου παρελθόντος. Ωστόσο, η κληρονομιά των μοντερνιστών
του Λος Άντζελες από το πρώτο μισό αυτού του αιώνα δεν πρέπει να αγνοηθεί.
The work of
Raphael Soriano, spanning the period from the 1930's to the present, is
characteristic of the modernist movement and is, like his personality,
unforgettable and deserves carefuI attention.
Μετάφραση στα Ελληνικά:
Το έργο του Raphael Soriano, που εκτείνεται από τη
δεκαετία του 1930 έως σήμερα, είναι χαρακτηριστικό του μοντερνιστικού κινήματος
και είναι, όπως και η προσωπικότητά του, αξέχαστο και αξίζει προσοχής.
Soriano was born on the island of Rhodes in 1908. In 1942 he come to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 1934 with degrees in architecture and French literature. After working in the offices of Richord Neutra and R. M. Schindler, he started his own practice in Los Angeles, later relocating to Tiburon in 1953.
Μετάφραση στα Ελληνικά:
Ο Soriano γεννήθηκε στο νησί της Ρόδου το 1908. Το 1942 ήρθε
στο Λος Άντζελες και φοίτησε στο Πανεπιστήμιο της Νότιας Καλιφόρνια,
αποφοιτώντας το 1934 με πτυχία στην αρχιτεκτονική και τη γαλλική φιλολογία.
Αφού εργάστηκε στα γραφεία των Richord Neutra και R. M. Schindler, ξεκίνησε το
δικό του γραφείο στο Λος Άντζελες, αργότερα μετακόμισε στο Tiburon το 1953.
Among his best
known works are the George and lda Latz Memorial (Los Angeles, 1937), the Hallawell
Seed Company building (San Francisco, 1938), the Schulman House (Los Angeles,
1950), the Case Study House for California Arts and Architecture (Pacific
Palisades, 1950), and a project for a World University on Alcatraz, in the San
Francisco Bay (1969).
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Μεταξύ των πιο
γνωστών έργων του είναι το George and lda Latz Memorial (Λος Άντζελες, 1937),
το κτίριο Hallawell Seed Company (Σαν Φρανσίσκο, 1938), το Schulman House (Λος
Άντζελες, 1950), το Case Study House for California Arts and Architecture
(Pacific Palisades, 1950) και ένα έργο για ένα Παγκόσμιο Πανεπιστήμιο στο
Αλκατράζ, στον κόλπο του Σαν
Φρανσίσκο (1969).
Soriano
continued the modernist tradition established in Los Angeles by Neutra and
Schindler, providing a link between this first generation and a third
generation of modernists consisting of such architects as Craig Ellwood, Pierre
Koenig and Charles Eames.
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Ο Soriano συνέχισε τη μοντερνιστική παράδοση που καθιερώθηκε
(εγκαθιδρύθηκε) στο Λος Άντζελες από τον
Neutra και τον Schindler, παρέχοντας έναν σύνδεσμο μεταξύ αυτής της πρώτης
γενιάς και μιας τρίτης γενιάς μοντερνιστών που αποτελείται από αρχιτέκτονες
όπως οι Craig Ellwood, Pierre Koenig και Charles Eames.
Soriano
considers his commitment to technology to be a moral one, based on his belief
that technology can and will better humanity.
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Ο Soriano θεωρεί ότι η δέσμευσή του στην τεχνολογία
είναι ηθική, βασισμένος στην πεποίθησή του ότι η τεχνολογία μπορεί και θα
βελτιώσει την ανθρωπότητα.
His housing
models perpetuate the Los Angeles tradition of the single family dwelling and
exhibit novel solutions to the problems posed by prefabricated and modular
construction, and the need for easy assemblage, flexible interior spatial
arrangements and low cost.
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Τα μοντέλα κατοικιών του διαιωνίζουν την παράδοση του Λος Άντζελες της
μονοκατοικίας και παρουσιάζουν νέες λύσεις στα προβλήματα που θέτει η
προκατασκευασμένη και αρθρωτή κατασκευή και την ανάγκη για εύκολη
συναρμολόγηση, ευέλικτες εσωτερικές χωροταξικές ρυθμίσεις και χαμηλό κόστος.
While
complying with changing economic requirements throughout his career, Soriano
constantly reevaluates man's housing needs, envisioning revolutionary changes
in domestic construction.
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Ενώ συμμορφώνεται με τις μεταβαλλόμενες οικονομικές απαιτήσεις καθ' όλη
τη διάρκεια της καριέρας του, ο Soriano επαναξιολογεί συνεχώς τις ανάγκες
στέγασης του ανθρώπου, οραματιζόμενος επαναστατικές αλλαγές στην κατασκευή
οικιών.
Soriano's
unfailing commitment to technology and "the process," based on the
relationship of technology and architecture to natural processes, has set him
at odds with today's architecture. Far from bothering him, this stokes his fire
and lends credence to his belief in a current architectural malaise, which he attributes
to architects' indulgence in "sculptural attitudes" and historicism.
Μετάφραση στα ελληνικά:
Η αδιάλειπτη δέσμευση του Soriano στην τεχνολογία και τη «διαδικασία»,
που βασίζεται στη σχέση τεχνολογίας και αρχιτεκτονικής με τις φυσικές
διαδικασίες, τον έχει θέσει σε αντίθεση με τη σημερινή αρχιτεκτονική. Όχι μόνο
τον ενοχλεί, αλλά αυτό του πυροδοτεί τη φωτιά και προσδίδει αξιοπιστία στην
πίστη του σε μια τρέχουσα αρχιτεκτονική δυσφορία, την οποία αποδίδει στην (κλίση)
τέρψη των αρχιτεκτόνων προς τις «γλυπτικές συμπεριφορές» και τον ιστορικισμό.
(The following
interview was conducted by William Ted Georgis on November 25, 1978.)
ARCHETYPE Archetype:
Can you say something of your youth? Why did you come
to America?
Soriano:
I came to
America when I was sixteen. I was born on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea, they were Italian islands, now
they're Greek islands. But there was no future there. I wanted to go to
university but only rich people could be sent to Europe. So I came as an
immigrant to America, because I had two aunts here.
Immediately I
wanted to pursue a profession. I wanted to be a composer; that was my great joy
and today to this day, I am still tinkering with this.
Archetype:
You came directly from Rhodes?
Soriano:
Yes, I came
to America and worked in a fruit stand at 5th and Hill Streets in L.A. I went
to U.S.C. and worked at night.
Archetype:
When did you finish school?
Soriano:
heIn 1934, I
graduated in architecture and French literature. I worked in the fruit stand at
night from five till one in the morning and carried sixteen units of course
work. I did poorly in architectural courses because I used to question my
professors constantly. They didn't like to answer anything and I said
"Why? Why that?" And they said "Go to the library and look it up"
Archetype:
In what way did you serve California Arts and Architecture?
Soriano:
I didn't
serve the magazine at all. All the names of the members of the editorial staff
were there for prestige. John Entenza was the editor and he was capitalizing on
those names.
Archetype:
Did he ask to publish your houses in the magazine?
Soriano:
Yes. He
published the buildings of several fine architects. You see at that time there
was Neutra, there was Schindler, there was Soriano.
Archetype:
And Craig Ellwood?
Soriano:
Craig Ellwood
came afterwards. He came to work on my apartment house and then Pierre Koenig
also worked for me. The son-in-law of Siegfried Giedion, Paffard Clay worked
for me, as well as Dan Dworsky and Joe Fujikowa (Mies' assistant). This is all
history. At the time also there was Harwell Harris who was doing imitations of
Frank Lloyd Wright, and Gregory Ain, who worked for Neutra.
Archetype:
What about Charles Eames?
Soriano:
Eames was
designing furniture, he was associated with Saarinen at the time. He was more a
designer of furniture, and the house he did for himself Iooked like a Mondrian,
nothing really so startling. He also did the house for Entenza which was not
very good.
Archetype:
What was it like working with Entenza?
Soriano:
I think
Entenza didn't like me very well because I would not kow-tow, I'm not the one
who makes an 'Allah' of anybody. I used to criticize things. I remember once we
were at a cocktail party and he said "Are you beyond publicity?" I
said "Yes, I am what I am and that’s it."
Archetype:
How does an architect make his work known if he
doesn't allow it to be published?
Soriano:
I don't know.
I'll tell you the way mine happens to be known. When I did my first house I
didn't even know anything about architecture to tell you the truth, but somehow
my sensitivities directed me and the music always guided me. Somehow music told
me a great deal. This may sound very far fetched but it isn't really because
you can see the lucidities in the music of Bach, Vivaldi, or Scarlatti, how
marvelously structured they are. The music teaches you something and then you
look at nature, you look at the flowers, you see how unified nature is. Everything in
nature is done simply, structurally and with order. There are no tricks.
And that began to form my thinking process, and when I did realize this somehow
my sensitivities told me to design in the simplest terms possible and at the
time I was influenced by Neutra, certainly.
Archetype:
Did you work in his office?
Soriano:
I worked in his office for a few months. I was
working on the city planning project: the Rush City Reformed, that's all I did.
Archetype:
And then right after that you started on your own?
Soriano:
No, when I
was with Neutra, Schindler saw a city plan I did, a big one, it was exhibited
in the Architect's Building in L.A., and somebody stole it. But he saw it and
he called me and said "Soriano I saw your plan, I like it, come and work
for me, I'll give you one dollar a day." Neutra had no money to pay me so
I went and worked with Schindler. Neutra did not like this.
Archetype:
Was that because they were fighting?
Soriano:
No, they were
not fighting. They were in different offices. There was not a feud, however,
their ideas were totally opposite. I was more appreciative of Neutra's work
than I was of Schindler's. Schindler's designs were of a very sculptural
quality.
Archetype:
Speaking of
sculpture, and changing the direction of this interview a bit, what do you
think about the addition to the National Gallery?
Soriano:
It's awful,
nonsensical juggling. I know Pei, he was serious enough, but not very serious.
Archetype:
You mean he wanted to make money?
Soriano:
Of course.
He's interested in money. Also in sculptural attitudes. He is following
fashion. This is not architecture.
Archetype:
Have you seen Philip Johnson's design for the A.T.&T.
building?
Soriano:
Yes, the
building with the armoir, directoire type of thing on its top. When he went to
get his A.I.A. gold medal I had a telephone chat with him. He said,
"Raphael you know we are the only two left." Now I'm thinking of
writing him a letter saying that there are two of us left, but only one is
alive. After that awful mess he's created, what a tragedy!
Archetype:
Johnson is considered by many to be the foremost
practioner of architecture in the U.S. today, and yet you imply that his
architecture is dead. What then do you think of the state of architecture
today?
Soriano:
I'm very
critical. As a matter of fact, the last time I was at the California Council of
Architects meeting in Newport Beach in 1978 I served on a panel. Attending the
meeting unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, was an Italian architect born in
Argentina - Pelli. I was giving a slide lecture at the time, and it happened
that he was at the door of the conference room where I was speaking. I said:
"Cesar Pelli, come va? I'm just
showing a slide of your San Bernardino Civic Center building," which was a
horrible mess. He just whimsically chopped off the corner of a rectangular
building, and then he made another cut at an angle. That's what he does. It's
becoming a Hollywood movie type of thing, like fantasies. I would think he
would have better taste and much more intelligence, but unfortunately he
doesn't. This man creates horrible messes and I took him to task after the
lecture, I said "Cesar, perchi ha
fatto questo? Why did you cut the building like that?" And his answer
was, "Why not?" I happened to be accompanied by a dear friend who
poked at his eyes with her two pointed fingers and said, "Suppose I do
this to your eyes? Would you answer 'why not?' "I am absolutely concerned, and concerned
with great misgivings because I don't think we should have these kind of
manipulations by such unknowledgeable people. I said some very significant
things at that conference. I said that the architectural profession is in
bankruptcy! We aren't producing anything intelligent. We are acting more like
painters and sculptors rather than real architects. Architecture should be more
like a scientific thought process, like an objective statement.
Archetype:
Could you comment on the New York Five, on the work of
Peter Eisenmann for example?
Soriano:
I don't know
who he is.
Archetype:
Here are examples of the work of Eisenmann and Michael
Graves in the March 1972 issue of Progressive
Architecture.
Soriano:
It's
rehashing of some LeCorbusier. What are they contributing? What are they
telling you here? What's all of this mean? It's decorated nonsense. They are
playing with gimmicks rather than processes.
Archetype:
Here are drawings of the operations Eisenmann performs
on a building to reach a final design. Starting out with a cube he shifts,
pulls and manipulates the solid; the operations reflect a mental process.
Soriano:
Do you
manipulate things in scientific research?
Archetype:
Often a scientist makes an hypothesis and then
manipulates variables in an attempt to confirm or reject that hypothesis.
Soriano:
Is this what
a process is? The process of life? Have you ever thought about it?
Archetype:
Are you thinking about organic processes?
Soriano:
We can use
myriads of words, the organic has been used and used and used. I knew Frank
Lloyd Wright very well and he wasn't the originator of the term organic, it was
used before him and of course once Frank Lloyd Wright used it everybody
ruminated. To me I say organic, organic, organic, what is this organic? It's
been used already until the cows come home. It means absolutely nothing. It's
just a word. You see, we must think of architecture from the standpoint of a
process of life. That means you, the flowers, the birds, all of nature, the
whole system, the whole universe, is a process. We are here because of that.
You are a collection of elements which are processes, with each one performing
in a higher process collectively, to be what you are.
(αποσπάσματα από τη συνέντευξη)
Archetype magazine, volume 1, number
1, Spring 1979
ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΓΡΑΦΟΣ
[ ανάρτηση 6 Δεκεμβρίου 2024 :
Raphael Soriano
Interview
Archetype magazine Spring
1979
Αρχιτεκτονική
ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗ ΣΚΕΨΗ ]
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