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Extended Interview: Renzo Piano

In our February 2009 issue we sat down with acclaimed Italian architect Renzo Piano, who designed the California Academy of Sciences building, for an “In the Modern World” Q & A. Here we present the extended, online-exclusive edition of the chat.

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What is your favorite commission?

The one you love the most is always the last one, like with children, so I will say the California Academy of Sciences. I never liked Pompidou, but people always ask me to make pipes.

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How well is architecture doing in being green?

Today, an architect who doesn’t understand how good you have to be in sustainability is not a good architect. But up until now, green buildings have often been ugly—and that is not good for green architecture. There needs to be a moral and aesthetic obligation.

Why do you think it is so important to build sustainably?

I hope that good architecture—morally and aesthetically—will inspire people to behave well because they’re living in a better world. It’s very close to what is called “utopia”—except that people think that “utopia” is something silly. But this mad idea that you can change the world is still a driving force for me.

Who outside your field inspires you?

Growing up, my best friends were writers, filmmakers, or musicians. I like to stroll around in different fields.

What would you want to be if not an architect?

A musician. I played the trumpet when I was young but wasn’t good enough. Music has the same need of order, precision, and geometry as architecture.

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What buzzwords do you never want applied to your own work?

I hate that people always watch for the identifiable elements of a style. Very often people try to put you into a category but the truth is that architecture is an adventure and every time it’s a new adventure.

How do you feel about being labeled a “high-tech” and “serene” architect?

High tech: what does that even mean? In some ways I am serene but not in the manner of docility.

What’s your ideal working environment?

The one I work in. It’s global; it’s local. I have very strong roots but I never sleep in the same place more than three nights.

Where do you see architecture in 20 years?

I hope the next generation of architects design buildings that breathe with, work with, and make use of nature so that it’s not just architecture-as-usual plus a bit of green on top.

  • Published: July 24, 2009

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