福斯特的巴比肯演講，你是否學到了什麼？

Left: via Norman Foster on Instagram; right: Courtesy of Foster + Partners

從福斯特（Norman Foster）巴比肯演講中所學到的5大要點

5 Lessons From Norman Foster』s Lecture at the Barbican

由專築網李韌，曹逸希編譯

建築大師諾曼?福斯特（Norman Foster）於1990年榮獲建築爵士獎章，於1999年獲得普利茲克建築獎，同時也獲得了貴族榮譽稱號，在當今建築界中，福斯特做出的貢獻首屈一指。近期，福斯特在一次演講中，談論了關於城市景觀的未來發展，該演講由巴比肯建築基金會主辦，是「Architecture On Stage」系列的第七部分。本次演講的內容相對寬泛，福斯特通過其事務所的相關項目談及了對於未來城市發展的預測，其中也充分表明了，福斯特的解決策略與其敏銳的洞察力相輔相成。以下是來自本次演講的5大要點，它們能夠很好地幫助你理解福斯特的思維模式。

After being knighted in 1990 for services to architecture, winning the 1999 Pritzker Prize and then gaining peerage in the same year, it could be argued that there is no living architect that has had a larger impact on urban life than Norman Foster. In a recent talk, Foster addressed a sold-out Barbican Hall on the future of our growing urban landscape, in the seventh installment of the Architecture On Stage series organized by The Architecture Foundation with the Barbican. While the content was full of grandiose statements and predictions, of a scale similar to the projects Foster"s practice undertakes, it was the problem-solving approach he showed that gave more of an insight into the man himself. The following 5 lessons gleaned from the presentation won"t guarantee Foster-like levels of success, but they may be able to help you navigate the challenges that architecture can present, both personally and professionally.

Courtesy of Norman Foster Foundation

1、建築學不只是蓋一座房子

這很好理解，許多人在做設計時容易把自己的思維卡在某個立面設計，或是屋面設計之中，這是來自於內心潛意識的驅使，因為好的造型能夠讓建築更加吸引眼球，但是我們在追求造型的同時不應該失去我們設計這座建築的真正目的，即真正於人有益的空間。福斯特始終在重申這一點，同時引用了一些建築之外的案例，他認為「很難將建築與各項基礎設施分隔開」。無論是其外觀造型，還是其功能空間，建築都應該更好地豐富使用者的生活。在這其中，既有公共空間的塑造，也有周邊環境的人行設施，亦或是建築空間的流線形態，福斯特所關注的不僅僅是建築美學，這也是其多個項目都能取得巨大成功的重要原因。

1. Architecture is more than a building

As obvious as this may sound, it is easy to fixate on a facade or roof, the most ego-driven aspect of any project. But what we can lose in the quest for Instagram perfection is the true purpose of architecture: designing a space to be used by a community. Foster consistently reiterated this point, referencing the creation of something more than just a building, saying it was 「difficult to separate the architecture from the infrastructure.」 By not simply thinking about how it will look, and concentrating on how it will work, a building will have a greater chance of enriching the lives of the people who use it. Whether it』s the creation of a public space, the pedestrianization of the surrounding context, or maintaining a path through the building』s core—Foster』s focus upon more than just aesthetics is key to the perceived success of many of his projects.

Wikimedia user Russ McGinn licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

2、探索才是王道

從福斯特的演講中我們可以感受到其深厚的歷史文化和理論知識。這對於這位已經從業超過五十年的建築師來說是一大優勢，他能夠精準地說明多個項目的各個不同要素，同時尖銳地指出其背後的探索目的。除了一些經典項目之外，福斯特甚至還能從小眾領域中尋求靈感，例如Georgii Krutikov和美國國家航空航天局的「Stanford Torus」，這些都說明了其深厚的文化內涵。另外，他也經常談論到每個項目背後的主要研究事項，例如建築的原型與模型，以及城市的生活研究調查，這一切的一切都能引起福斯特的關注。在經過重重研究之後所得出的結論，往往能經得起推敲，這也避免了項目建成之後的多重質疑。

2. Research is king

What was clear from hearing Foster speak was the depth of historical and theoretical knowledge he had. While this might seem an obvious trait of someone who has been at the very top of his profession for over 50 years, it was nevertheless impressive how he could pinpoint individual elements of multiple projects and provide their research-driven purpose. Aside from the expected classic texts, Foster drew inspiration from slightly more off-piste references, like Georgii Krutikov and Nasa』s "Stanford Torus," showing the extensive contextual background demanded in his office. He also frequently talked about the practice"s primary research, from their extensive prototypes and models to the investigative studies of urban life in favelas, something Foster seemed particularly passionate about. If a decision is well researched then it can rarely be wrong, avoiding the awkward silence after a client (or college reviewer) asks 「but... why?」

Courtesy of Foster + Partners, ARUP, Kier + Wright, Apple

3、「我們總是關注於自己擅長的事」

2010年，福斯特放棄了上議院的職位，在問答環節中，一位觀眾問他是否後悔做出這個決定，因為這等於放棄了一個很好的平台，並且這個平台還能給他帶來許多好機會，福斯特回答說：「我們都被自己所擅長的事所吸引。」他認為，作為設計師，他要比作為一個政客日復一日的爭論更有用。從價值觀念看來，這種觀點是理念溝通的關鍵因素，水平的整體提高固然重要，但是我們的精力有限，無論是製作模型，還是繪圖，亦或是細部設計，你只有充分運用了自身的優勢，才能夠讓一個項目取得相應的成功。從這個角度來說，這也是這位前英國皇家空軍飛行員能拿下7座機場設計項目的原因—他擅長於此。

3. 「We all gravitate to what we do best」

In 2010, Norman Foster was one of several peers to give up their seat in the House of Lords. During the Q&A, an audience member asked whether he regrets the decision in which he gave up a great platform to encourage the changes he had spoken so passionately about. In response, Foster said: 「we all gravitate to what we do best.」 He claimed that he was far more useful as a designer, leading by example, than he would ever be as a politician arguing day after day. Taken at face value, this sentiment is key to the effective communication of ideas. Improving holistically is still important, but our skills are naturally weighted in certain areas; be it model-making, drawing, pitching or detailing; and in focusing on your strengths you can help maximize a project』s success. In Foster"s case, it"s also probably the reason why the former RAF man has designed no less than 7 airports—he"s good at it.

Courtesy of Foster + Partners

4、大膽的設計思路

大膽一些！福斯特的大部分作品都有著相似的設計思路，這一點在其早期作品中表現得更加明顯，而他在演講中也提到了許多主題，例如橫穿整個倫敦的無人駕駛救護車。然而，在建築中放開膽子是一件相對困難的事情，因為每個項目都受到多重約束。但是有時候往往是那些看上去瘋狂的理念在後期總是備受讚賞。有時，似乎違背常理的創新能夠對建築產生積極的影響，也正如George Bernard Shaw所說：

「聰明人適應世界，愚笨的人讓世界適應自己，因此，一切的進步都來源於看似詭異的思維。」

4. Bold solutions

Be bold. Most of Foster』s work, in particular his earlier projects, is experimental in one way or another, and so were a lot of the topics brought up in his lecture (ambulance drones to be used all across London, for example). To be bold in architecture is difficult, as the hundreds of constraints and regulations try their best to maintain a palatable level of status quo. However, it is often in seemingly crazy ideas that change is facilitated. Creating something new—even if it means swimming against the tide—is critical for positive change within architecture, and as George Bernard Shaw once said:

「The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.」

Flickr user martinrp licensed under licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

5、「以少做多」

建築先驅巴克敏斯特?富勒（Buckminster Fuller）是福斯特的老師，在1971年，他們進行了首次合作。福斯特後來常常會引用他與富勒的對話，並且以此來表達其設計思路和解決策略。福勒曾經說過「以少做多」，這句話對後來的項目息息相關，即運用有效的科技策略（少）來將成果最大化（多）。後來的幾何穹頂、Dymaxion住宅等項目中，我們都能感受到建築師通過簡單的技術策略來解決我們當前所面臨的可持續問題，也減少了建築對於全球有限能源的依賴，這在Bloomburg歐洲新總部大樓項目中體現得淋漓盡致。你可以將這些策略運用於項目之中，將成果最大化，同時為人們的基本需求留出空間。如果你想要了解更多福斯特在建築之外的生活，可以瀏覽其Instagram來進行更多地了解。

5. 「Doing more with less」

Buckminster Fuller was the mentor of Norman Foster, the pair first working with each other on a project in Oxford, 1971. Foster frequently referred back to conversations he had with "Bucky," using him as a touchstone in what he was trying to achieve and how he wanted to achieve it. The famous Fuller quote 「doing more with less」 is usually attributed to the performance of a project: using technological advancements in order to create a more efficient input (less) with a larger output (more). This is seen first hand in his geodesic dome, and later the Dymaxion House, and the relatively simple mantra mimics the sustainable agenda we face, reducing global reliance on finite supplies, something Foster addressed in the new Bloomburg European HQ. You can also apply this to the time you spend at work, maximizing output and leaving space to live—something essential for general well-being. And if you ever need any tips for how to live outside of architecture, a quick browse of Norman Foster』s personal Instagram account will provide plenty of ideas.

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