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Writing and Seeing Architecture, by Christian de Portzamparc and Philippe Sollers, translated by Catherine Tihanyi
University of Minnesota Press, 2008
A conversation differs from an interview in both
the contributions of those involved and the goal of the undertaking. In the latter the interviewer
is subsdidiary to the interviewee, aiming at extracting as much (hopefully interesting) information
as possible in a typically short amount of time. A converation, on the other hand, brings together
two individuals (in most cases) with relatively equal contributions to the proceeding, where
the dialogue between the two is the point. Unique insights arise from agreements
and arguments between those involved, especially when the personalities are from different fields. This
"candid conversation between Christian de Portzamparc, a celebrated French architect, and influential
theorist Philippe Sollers" is one such conversation, a rewarding read for those inclined to
dense, theoretical, well, conversing.
The French intellectual tradition comes across strongly in this conversation, what I would naively define as the willingness and
desire to discuss the meanings and merits of different lines of thought and actions. It is a
tradition whose think-before-you-act way of being in the world is a welcome antidote to the
act-and-then-post-rationalize approach that is the unfortunate favorite today. This admittedly strong oversimplification of French intellectualism
can probably be applied to much theory today. (Architectural theory's approach might be jokingly
referred to as think-before-you-think-some-more.) This book's emphasis, stemming from that and evident even in the book's title, can
be distilled as a dissection of the process of creating architecture and our experience of it and its context. While certainly leaning
towards Portzamparc's field of expertise, the writing of the book's title -- an act of expressing thought --
points to the varied illuminating ideas coming from Soller's words.
With the book's academic tone, lengthy statements, varied topics
and primarily abstract tone, it is best digested in small parts. Like any conversation the topics
don't try to cohere -- outside of the viewpoints of those involved -- but instead they flow, they meander
in unexpected ways, even though Portzamparc and Sollers work with a framework that then organizes
the eight chapters. One longs for an index, so the book could stand as a reference for later inspiration, but
alas one is left with the flow of the words on the page, a transcription of an exchange of ideas
that is sorely lacking today.
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