Atlanta has a Piano man they can call their own. His new masterpiece is Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center Campus, an expansion of the High Museum.
Renzo Piano comes from Genoa, Italy, and with him he thankfully brings a simple, yet sophisticated, idea of the city center, or Piazza.
“It’s a place where you feel well. You feel well first because you are in the middle of nature, because you are perfected…you are in the piazza.”
One of the most fascinating features of the High museum’s expansion is the roof, which provides illumination of the museum galleries with natural light by a special roof structure: 1,000 light “scoops” will capture northern light and filter it into the top-floor galleries. The shadow’s created at different times of the day reinforce the idea of art being fluid and never static. Each piece takes on a different look every second of every day, depending upon nature. Cool, huh?
Piano has this down-to-earth, wise air about him. He says things, with this captivating old world Italian accent, like “an architect must catch the little genius of the place. every place has a little genius, or many…” and “Architecture is not just the art of making buildings – it’s an art of telling stories.”
Please keep telling your story, Piano man.
Katie says
Very cool! I love stuff like that. One of my favorite buildings that I was lucky enough to see is the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas. It applies the same principles – no artificial light – natural lighting is integrated into the architecture. Louis Kahn is known for that in most of his work. Here’s the link to the Kimbell Art Museum: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Kimbell_Museum.html
Flute says
Hey D, I am a HUGE fan of Renzo Piano’s work. The Pompidou Center is quite amazing. I’m anxiously awaiting the completion of his addition (if you can call it that, as the project requires drilling down into bedrock for several levels below the original historic building – designed McKim Mead and White I believe, but not entirely sure) to The Morgan Library here in Manhattan.
What’s your take on Santiago Calatrava?
darby says
Flute,
Thanks for visiting. As a new student of architecture, I have heard of Santiago Calatrava, but can’t say that I have “a take” on him. He does a bunch of open spaces, and I like that.
I am always looking for the next brilliant artists work to study and learn from, so thanks for enlightening me. I will check him out further.
Anyone out there down with any women architects? I know of only a hnadful, but need to explore more of the female side of building. (and telling stories…)
Flute says
Maya Lin of course is an architect by training, but more sculptor / artist now.
Denise Scott Brown
Marilyn Jordan Taylor of Skidmore Owings & Merrill is very much a “mover and shaker” in the architecture world; but, being a long-time SOM person, don’t see her as an architectural “visionary” in any sense of the term.
Flute says
You might consider, as well, Frances Halsband, of R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects. Not a visionary … but excellent in her niche.
I think the glass ceiling is architecture, ‘big time’ architecture … is pretty profound. I know numerous women architect, highly talented, insightful, intellectually strong … yet in the end, it’s the Frank Gehry’s, the Richard Meier’s, the Santiago Calatrava’s, the Eiseman’s, etc, etc., who are getting the key commissions.
darby says
Maya Lin is from Athens, OH, home of Ohio University. I lived there for a number of years and visited while in High School to take advantage of the “social” aspect of this kick-ass town. Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane also lives nearby, in Meigs County, a region reknowned for its superb bud.