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2008_02_10

Richard Rogers

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This month, Space features an interview with Lord Richard Rogers, who is a renowned British architect and the designer of Centre Pompidou in Paris. Lord Rogers has led architectural advances since the early 20th Century, having developed architecture into aesthetic forms. He is still engaged with "exciting" architectural activities, as he puts it. His passion for architecture makes him a leader in shaping today's new architectural order. He has visited Korea several times, and has participated in several projects in Korea. Among his projects are the proposed high-rise apartment complex for Hansem (unfortunately not implemented), the KTX Pusan Station, the SBS Mokdong Headquarters, and the Sewoon Building Re-development. He also designed Parc-1, a large-scale complex building in Yeouido.
The interview with Lord Rogers focused on several issues: how his unique interpretation of materials, technology, forms, space, and landscape had evolved in his career, how his architectural interpretation communicated with modern British architecture and the 20th Century architecture, and what he thought about the relationship between architecture, the times, and society.

Coordinated and Photographs by Lee Joo-yeon | Communication Chung Eugene | Researched by Park Kyung-Jae, Jo Yoo-Jung(Graduate School of Architecture, Kyonggi University) | Filmed by Kim Sae-gon

Interview
Date October 23. 2007
Place Rogers Stirk Harbour+Partners, London, UK

Lee Sang-leem (LSL) It is nice to meet you today. You are still working very actively and internationally. You have large projects ongoing in countries in Asia, like Korea and Taiwan. What interests you the most these days?
Richard Rogers(RR) One is about our work in the Far East. We are doing a number of projects, as you know, in Korea, in Taiwan, and we have an office in Tokyo. That will always interest me, and it interests me this much because of the different culture. I feel we get a lot of inspiration from a culture which takes a different line than our western culture. In terms of what interests me, I am tempted to say anything that has design in it. I believe that design has really changed the world and has tremendous power. I believe that the most exciting thing for man is culture, and design is a major part of culture. So anything from the design of a bus stop to the design of a city interests me.

LSL You were knighted in 1991 and then, five years later, you were made a life peer. This year, you received the Pritzker prize. Congratulations on receiving the award. These are honorable events for your career. How do you think they affect your life?
RR Good awards are always a pleasure to receive. I have had an exceptional year of 2007. A year ago, I received the Golden Lion in Venice for urban regeneration, then the practice won the Stirling Prize for the RIBA Building of the Year for the airport Terminal Four at Barajas Airport in Madrid, and then I received Pritzker prize for my life? work. And of course, I am having an exhibition of my work, or our work I should say, because I believe very strongly in teamwork. I mean, in the end it is about colleagues, about who I work with. It is how I have been inspired and how I produce the work. It is about teamwork. So all this has added to a very exciting year. I do not think it makes a difference to the architectural design, but it improves the quality of life, I suppose, to have the pleasure of being recognized, not me personally as much as all the work I have done for clients, architects, friends, colleagues, and so on.