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Architectural Digest: What have proved to be watershed moments for your
practice?
Richard Meier: The first would be the Smith House in Darien, Connecticut,
completed in 1967, which attracted a certain amount of attention that made it possible to do
other things. Winning the competition for Frankfurt’s Museum of Applied Art in ’79 opened
the door to a number of projects in Europe, especially as we were invited to join many
design competitions.
AD: You’ve done quite a few important museums worldwide. What draws you to
those commissions?
RM: If I had my druthers, I would do a lot more. Each museum is different—the
collection is different, the context is different, the relationship between the art and
architecture is different. So we learn a lot, and each museum ends up having its own
distinctive character and personality. Ultimately it’s the public nature of those projects that
I most enjoy. Museums are more than just places to view art, they’re also civic and social
centers.
AD: How do you approach your projects?
RM: We look at each one and consider the context—what it is and what it can
be—beyond the strictly functional concerns. We think about its public nature and how that
can be enhanced, how the spaces we create can enliven the experience of being there.
AD: Were there any particular influences early in your career?
RM: You can’t escape the influence of architectural history. For me Bernini,
Borromini, and Bramante have been as significant as Alvar Aalto, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le
Corbusier, and Louis Kahn. I still marvel at their works, which have a quality and a
timelessness that I seek to have in our projects.
AD: Why has white been such a presence in your work?
RM: Whiteness allows the architectural ideas to be understood most clearly—the
difference between opacity and transparency, solid and void, structure and surface. These
things are more perceptible in a white environment. They have a greater clarity.
AD: Are you concerned with how white surfaces age?
RM: No, not at all. In China, we just finished the OCT Shenzhen Clubhouse, a
members-only dining and fitness center that has an all-white exterior made of Corian. It’s
always going to look great.
AD: What have you seen on recent travels that inspires you?
RM: Sometimes it’s not the architecture but the qualities of a place that make you
think of things in a different way. I was in Taiwan recently and was completely amazed by
the density of population. It makes New York look like no one is out on the streets.
AD: What are some of the opportunities and challenges your office faces now?
RM: One of the real challenges, since we’re working in so many places—Mexico,
Japan, Brazil—is understanding variations, both in terms of culture and context. It’s
important to understand differences in scale and environment.
AD: What advice would you give to young designers starting out today?
RM: The world has changed a great deal from when I began 50 years ago. I was
very fortunate. There were a lot of opportunities that perhaps don’t exist today. At the same
time, there’s an amazing amount of good architecture being done all over the world.**
AD: I know you are Jewish. Do you feel that religion or spirituality has played a
role in your work over these years?
RM: That’s a hard question, but I do think I have a certain way of looking forward
and a belief that what you do is important not only for people today but also for people 20 or
50 years from now. Yes, perhaps that’s it. The work needs to have a certain longevity. It lasts
longer than we do.
1. opened the door - otworzył drzwi
2. design competition - konkurs na projekt
3. character and personality - charakter i osobowość
4. experience - doświadczenie
5. influence of architectural history - wpływ historii architektury
6. architectural ideas - pomysły architektoniczne
7. qualities of a place - cechy miejsca
8. density of population - gęstość zaludnienia
9. a lot of opportunities - wiele możliwości
10. way of looking - sposób patrzenia
1. collaboration on a design project opened doors for young artists
[Link] design competition helps in finding new talents and their development.
3. looking at the building, you can see the character and personality of the
architect who designed it
4. To become a great architect you need to have a lot of experience
5. Interior designers use the influence of architectural history by adding Art
Deco and Baroque elements to the design of the space.
6. Renaissance architectural ideas influenced the development of symmetry and
proportionality in European buildings.
7. well-designed urban communications have a positive impact on the quality of a
place
8. The population density in Warsaw is lower than in Tokyo
9. Living in a big city can bring a lot of opportunities for making new
connections
10. Every artist and designer has their own way of looking at the world