SPACE December 2024 (No. 685)
The scene of the lecture, ‘Cheerful Architecture’, from left Lee Wonjae, Peter Cook, John Hong, Lee Kyunghoon ©Kim Bokyoung
On Nov. 15, one of the founding members of Archigram, Peter Cook (principal, CRAB Studio) gave his lecture in Seoul City Hall. The lecture ‘Cheerful Architecture’ began with one of his earliest memories. He recalled that 2 – 3 years after graduating from AA School, he worked in a large architecture firm. During this time, he had the opportunity to participate in a design competition for the Expo 67 tower and devoted himself to drawing up a design proposal, as a collection of his interests. The idea later became the genesis of one of his primary concepts called the Plug-In City (1963 – 1966). He admitted that this idea flourished as a consequence of his time in the AA School, surrounded by inspirational fellow students and an atmosphere of ambition. In the Plug-In City, every urban element is fabricated within the module. Those modular units are adjusted and modified for the user’s preference and by extension, plugged in and out to the gigantic megastructure. Through such a process, the whole urban mechanism acts as a living dynamic organism. The perspective, comparing cities to living organisms did not remain in this one idea, but expanded into his other project, Instant City (1968 – 1970). Briefly speaking, Instant City is a conceptual notion that suggests multiple heavy trucks carrying various urban components, including a museum or concert hall enable a small village to turn into a temporary city. His imaginative drawings are reminiscent of a circus drawing into the town. And his idea was indeed inspired by the traveling circus. There is no doubt that Peter Cook, a key member of Archigram, refuted classical architecture order and forged ahead with a more radical approach, as so-called experimental architecture. However, those ambitious ideas often faced stark realities and Peter Cook, himself used to be devaluated as a ‘paper architect’. In the middle of the lecture, Cook explained his built projects, from Kunsthaus Graz (2003), which was the turning point that helped remove this dishonourable tag, to Tirana Tower in Albania (under construction). With these built examples, it is possible to see that his attempts to pushed the boundaries of architectural language into a new horizon are not only limited to diminutive media, drawing, but also, transferred to the real world. At the end of the lecture, Cook emphasises the beauty of unexpected urban spaces called ‘hidey-hall’. Those spaces are functioning as an escape in the compact urban setting. When people encounter such hidden spaces, they will be able to appreciate the unpredicted architectural discoveries. A threshold, a little slit, and a weird corner detail are good examples of stimulating the joy of exploration for a viewer and visitor. As proof of his statement, those secret elements are depicted in his drawings. After the lecture, there was a panel discussion session with John Hong (professor, Seoul National University), Lee Kyunghoon (professor, Kookmin University), and Lee Wonjae (supervisor architect, Haenglim Architects & Engineers). During the discussion, Cook mentioned that he was surprised that all the panel members began their careers in the United States. On several occasions he pointed out that American architecture is deeply rooted in its rigid culture, chasing rationality and justification. The tendency is also found in the Korean architectural scene as Korean architecture is highly influenced by the United States. Consequently, he actually could sense a stricter atmosphere in Korean academia. Last but not least, he commented that maybe it is necessary to bring a touch of humour, which can be easily found in European contexts, to set up a freer environment for students.
