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The Estonian-born American architect, Louis
Kahn (1901-1974), advised his students to
listen to their materials when looking for
design inspiration.
“You say to a brick,‘What do you want, brick?’
And brick says to you,‘I like an arch.’And you
say to brick,‘Look, I want one, too, but arches
are expensive and I can use a concrete lintel.’
And then you say:‘What do you think of that,
brick?’ Brick says:‘I like an arch.’”
The Canadian-born American architect, Frank
Gehry, not only listened to the material but led
it in a whole new direction in the newly-
unveiled Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, soon to
be the University of Technology, Sydney’s
Business School.
Gehry has described it as a “treehouse of
knowledge”, a reference to the internal design
that will function as “a trunk and core of
activity and … branches for people to
connect and do their private work.”
However it is the curvaceous brick facade, a
triumph of architectural and engineering
design, that has captured the public
imagination, causing some to consider the
UTS Business School will take its place
alongside the Opera House and Harbour Bridge
as a symbol of Sydney.
A building’s function may be its soul but the
facade is literally its face, setting the tone for our
response to the rest of the building, or indeed to its
surrounds.
Today’s building materials landscape is more
profound than ever, as can be seen in this issue of
design
mag.As well as the Gehry building, we
feature roof tiles used as a wall cladding or to
generate electricity; bricks as flooring, brick art or
screening; and precast concrete that curves or
mimics a bamboo forest.
What does this mean for the architect, designer,
engineer, builder and building owner?
Increased choice. Greater design freedom.
Enhanced functionality.The ability to respond to
changing demands and requirements.Timeliness.
For those with the vision to recognise the
opportunities, and the grasp to seize them, the
potential outcomes will be both exciting and
rewarding.
Lindsay Partridge AM
Managing Director
Brickworks Limited
THE ART OF LISTENING
The Block House, see page 116