DNA AG: "The RCR Architecture Is Absolutely Unique"

2024 Author: David Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 02:26

Archi.ru:

After RCR?

Konstantin Khodnev:

- From the very beginning of our independent work as DNA AG (the bureau was formed in 2001 - ed.), We subscribed to the journal El Croquis. We learned about RCR from there: in 2003 it was also one of the first monographs for them. Their architecture seemed to us very close at first sight.

Natalia Sidorova:

“Both the scale of their buildings and their approaches were very close to us at that time. As you can see, their first book - and then two more were published - the first book with the works of RCR 1999-2003 is all in our bookmarks.

Why, what did you see in their architecture?

K. Kh.: I would call it a combination of rationality and picturesqueness, and the absence of stereotypes. But they give an independent answer to the task posed in each project, they do not follow any architectural trends. Almost all of their designs are based on the same material. Everything is either glass or steel in all forms. And here are the possible variations in the processing, presentation, perception of the same material - take, for example, this extension in the Les Cols restaurant in Olot in 2003 - the first restaurant building was built in metal, and the extension was made of glass: glass ceilings, walls, floors. This is a very famous restaurant, people from all over the world come there. Therefore, sleeping cabins are made there for those who stay overnight. They spend the night practically in the open air, in such glass boxes. Only the top is absolutely transparent there, and the walls are made of glass with different degrees of matting and relief, in order to ensure this different transparency, to create a game. The result is an iridescent atmosphere. These are incredibly romantic things. How to make a building completely out of glass so that it absolutely captures and, on the one hand, remains material, and on the other hand, on the contrary, de-embodies and erases all boundaries. It's very subtle.

So you don't think that the choice of Pritzker's jury was accidental, or that the award was given to ordinary architects for democratic reasons?

K. Kh.: In no case. These are absolutely unique people. I don't have a dozen examples of architects of this level in my head. Someone has - yes, one job. And here, which is absolutely important, all the works are unique, perfected and organic in their landscape and context.

Such a decision by the jury is also a way to draw attention to what else architecture can be. Except for pure form or pure sociology. There are different things, but there are some that are directly related to architecture. RCR is only concerned with architecture. But they bring it to perfection, explore how else architecture can speak.

N. S.: Now, in the wake of the award, they talk a lot about them, often banally reduce their architecture to rusty metal. Schumacher also spoke out in a great article, arguing: a worthy choice or not this year. Of course, there are different opinions, and, by the way, it is very good that so many discussions have arisen.

But it seems to me that talking about the prize is a separate conversation. In this case, it is more important that they are simply very close to us. RCR architects with an uncompromising attitude. Each of their works has a very strong artistic statement. Moreover, the statement is not always within the framework of genres that are predisposed to this: museum buildings or public spaces, where the artistic part prevails by definition. Interestingly, their artistic gesture can be on almost any topic. It can be a residential building built in contrast, to some extent even harsh for living, and a kindergarten, and a swimming pool. A typology of space solutions is proposed, in which modern inserts on the one hand are very contrasting in relation to historical structures. But on the other hand, they are completely organic. Nothing prevails, overwhelms. Of course, this requires the deepest thoughtfulness of the details. Moreover, this thoughtfulness is not only purely technical - every time they invent some kind of artistic product, they achieve artistic perfection.

K. Kh.: I would say that the closest analogue is not a work of fiction, but perhaps rather a movie.

N. S.: They line up reflections on surfaces like frames for views. And you see in a completely different way, you feel differently. The perception of architecture is sharpening. There is a play with matte surfaces, shiny surfaces. Here, for example, is their house for a carpenter - but it is completely metallic, where glass turns into metal. All this comes to the level of abstraction, similar to a painterly abstraction.

In addition to working with material - fine work with the landscape. Here, for example, is the reservoir at the Vila de Trincheria ("front garden villa") in Girona. Here a certain story arises from the drawing of water lily leaves - do you see these spots on the sides and bottom of the reservoir?

A colossal impression is made by the canopy of the restaurant Les Cols: an unsupported space that lets air and light through. The solution is both elegant in design and poetic in perception.

Even utilitarian projects are surprising - here is one of their kindergartens, entirely made of colored glass, just completely glass. But the colors are not flashy, everything is translucent, right down to the pieces of furniture. In my opinion, this has something in common with the artistic approach of Jean Nouvel. These are artists, here you can discuss the size of the stroke, rhythm, and so on. Their architecture works through sensations, through emotions - this is the perfection of artistic expression. There are many interesting details here at the level of tactile, direct perception.

I would say, and even judging by what you say, their architecture is more similar to Zumthor …

K. Kh.: Zumthor is drier, but it is also not mainstream, its architecture is also immersed in itself. In this sense, they echo as solutions carefully thought out from within.

But also in the perfection of the embodiment, of course, since it is not only the picturesqueness of the concept, but also the careful implementation. RCR objects are even stronger when constructed than in a project. Once realized, they open up some new meanings. This is a lot of mental, creative and technical work - all together. That allows you to create an absolutely unique object, unique on many levels.

If you are interested in architecture RCR is so long ago, what did she give you? How did you react to it and what is your similarity?

N. S.: Why, there are three of them, three of us, one woman, and we are distributed in about the same height (laugh). We were not engaged in unconditional quotation, but there were experiments. When you read what the jury awarded them the prize for, you think: this is all about us! Much has already been said: work with landscape, context, water, historical context. We also strive to look for accurate answers, not follow standard solutions. We worked a lot with landscapes, territories, there are also a lot of parallels here. Another similarity: we also strive to think over the attitude of our architecture to a person, to calculate the emotional structure of its perception and living.

Yes, I want to achieve the same force of gesture and uncompromising as RCR. We are in Russia, ours is softer. There are Catalans, they are tougher.

K. Kh.: Few people reach such a level of material, immersion in the properties of matter, as in RCR, and for us their method of revealing the possibilities of the language of architecture itself is, of course, a landmark. It raises the bar, shows what else you can think about, how else to do, what other materials can be.