The award-winning architect, Dominique Perrault was at ARKIMEET conference
series
The second of ARKIMEET conference series which brings together the
internationally renowned architects from all over the world was held on the
4th of November, 2003 at the Harbiye Culture Complex in Ýstanbul.
The conference that was organized with the colloboration of Arkitera
Architecture Center* with Philips Lighting presented the architectural
vision of Dominique Perrault who is the winner of Mariinsky Opera House
Competition that had resulted on 28th of June, 2003.
It was a virtual tour for the audience to watch Perrault's proposals for
various architectural competitions. Perrault who prefers stainless steel as
the main design material showed how one can play with a material and
dominate it. The feeling of transparent and flexible spaces in his projects
was reflecting the idea of designing boundless buildings that are tangible
and accessible to all.
Perrault mentioned that the steel shells which he uses to cover his designs
were the results of his "technical imagination". He added that they work
just like fashion designers for the production of flexible meshes with the
assist of industrial firms, adding that the new potentials of technological
innovations also provide new possibilities for architects to create unique
spaces.
Concluding his presentation with the 3-dimensional animation of St.
Petersburg Mariinsky Opera House, Dominique Perrault pointed out the fact
that this competition was important since it was the first one organized
after 70 years in Russia with the invitation of 11 architectural groups, 6
of them participating from foreign countries. Perrault informed that the
architects, themselves, presented their designs in front of the jury in the
evaluation phase which was done by public voting. Perrault's aim was to
create a dialectic between the old opera house and his own design. The
project, which will be the first contemporary architectural design of St.
Petersburg, won the first prize with the votes of public, media and
government as well as the final decision of the maestro of the existing
opera house. The architect, while creating not only an opera house but a
social space for public use, accomplished to remove the indoor-outdoor
distinction by using each volume as a terrace for the upper ones under the
transparent golden shell.
The third of ARKIMEET 2003 conference series which will be organized again
by Arkitera Architecture Center with the support of TCMA (Turkish Cement
Manufacturers Association) will host Massimiliano Fuksas on the 17th of
February, 2003. For detailed information about ARKIMEET conferences, please
visit www.arkimeet.com.
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Arkitera Architecture Center
Arkitera Architecture Center has been established in 2000, with the aim to
develop the architecture culture in Turkey and to raise awareness in public
towards architectural design. Since its establishment, it has organized
numerous conferences, discussion panels, exhibitions, radio programs and
workshops. Arkitera Architecture Center also successfully integrated the
internet communication effectively in its activities and publications. Its
official publication (www.arkitera.com) is now being followed by a large
section of the architectural community in Turkey.