VIEWS
them. Careers are made and ruined in the blink of an eye. Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes has been replaced with 15 seconds. Architecture is one of the visual arts, but it is rather different to painting or sculpture, insofar as it cannot be appreciated only through the eyes of the critic – it must be visited and experienced. Towers, to be judged, should be seen from close up and from afar. They are designed to be visible from a distance and their impact should be judged alongside their intent. Even better, although a distant speck on the horizon, is the idea that we might hear from the users and owners of the buildings before passing judgement on them. Without this important feedback we are simply designing for ourselves and our peers and blissfully unaware of our failings. But all this takes time and effort, and neither are readily available among journalists who are strug- gling to justify their existence with headline- grabbing material. Today it’s migrants and the EU forcing straight bananas on us, tomorrow it’s the Carbuncle Cup. Architecture is a long-term business, however. It takes seven years just to get the name, and it takes a lifetime to master. Many of the best buildings that the recent
The name ‘Carbuncle Cup’ comes from an infamous remark by Prince Charles comparing a carefully considered extension by ABK to a carbuncle on the face of the National Gallery, itself an anonymous piece of NeoClassicism
century provided were designed by archi- tects in the latter half of their careers. Fallingwater, Philip Exeter Library, the Farnsworth House, Villa Savoie and many others were produced by mature people with a supporting and critical team. They weren’t invented in moments, produced in seconds and built by the masses, nor was there any desire to be popular by their designers. Popular with other architects perhaps, but not by the populace at large. Yet, many of these buildings would prove popular with many people, if asked. The best way to judge is by asking them after
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they have visited the buildings and experi- enced them. After all, it is the experience that we want to learn from, and not a five second glance at a photograph.
If we want to hear good things about our buildings we are going to have to do our bit. We have to provide the good stories, to do the surveys of tenants and residents, to inter- view the owner five years after the building is finished. If we want a more generous and learned debate about our work, we have to provide the fuel. If all we want to produce for comment are glossy visuals or photo- graphs from a carefully framed view, with no people to be seen, then that is how we will be judged. We need to move the conver- sation onto the territory that interests us, or should interest us. How well does it perform, was it good value, are people happy to live or work there?
The Carbuncle Cup should be scrapped, and a better award put in its place. One that rewards experience and timelessness, and which doesn’t aim to present an opportunity for journalists and trolls to offer cheap shots at an already beleaguered profession.
Rory Bergin is a partner at Sustainable Futures, HTA Design
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