Dominique Perrault

was born in clermont ferrand in 1953 and now lives
and works in paris.
he received his architecture degree in paris in 1978 and his
certificate in town planning at the ecole nationale des ponts et
chaussées in 1979. in 1980, he received a postgraduate degree
in history at the ecole des hautes etudes in social sciences.
dominique perrault opened his paris office in 1981.
he won the international competition for the construction of
the french national library in 1989, and in 1992, the international
competition for the olympic velodrome and swimming pool in
berlin, for which he opened another office in germany.
these two projects ensured his international fame.
in 1996, he won the competition for the court of justice of the
european community in luxembourg, and opened a third office in
luxembourg in 2000. in 2002, perrault opened two more agencies,
one in barcelona and another in baltimore in the united states.
dominique perrault's work is extremely varied and includes
many new constructions and numerous renovations.
the architectural programs of these projects range from large
buildings, such as cultural or sports projects, to smaller projects,
such as urban insertions in blighted urban areas to private
housing in prestigious neighbourhoods.
in june 2003 he won the competition of an additional building
to the mariinsky theatre in st. petersburg, russia.
perrault's design was chosen from a shortlist of eleven during
secret voting by an international jury.
he gives many lectures and participates in numerous juries and
seminars. dominique perrault also teaches at several foreign
universities, among them in barcelona and brussels and at the
E.T.H. in zürich, switzerland.
he has been awarded various prizes, notably the great national
prize of architecture in 1996 and the mies van der rohe prize
for the national library in france in 1997.
furthermore, perrault is chevalier of the legion of honour,
member of the architecture academy, honourable member of
the german association of architects [BDA] and
an honorary fellow of the royal institute of british architects.
from november 1998 to february 2001 he was president of the
french institute of architects.
dominique perrault is currently an architectural consultant
for the mayor of barcelona.

did you always want to be an architect when you were a child?
'architect' for me is a very conservative term.
I am a 'project-man'. I like to develop projects, to make some
new project.
today it is in the field of architecture, tomorrow I do not know.

where do you work on your designs and projects?
I try to stay for three days a week in my office in paris
to work with my team.
and during traveling, usually it is possible to think.
but the final decision is in my office, with my team around me.

when you're working, do you discuss or exchange ideas with colleagues,
with other designers?
not alot, because I like to work very fast.
you can change details, or the whole concept...
because if you work very fast, you can change,
but if you are very slow,
it's immposible to change.
I think it's a good strategy!

quicktime clip
327 kb.
---

describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it.
it's really difficult for me, becuase I produce this work,
and it's difficult to know exactly why...

I would like to say only one thing:
it is the research in the field of architecture.
it is not only about the the process, or about the finished idea.
I test, test, test, and I test again.
that is experimentation!
when we test - we might get something!
we learn from it and from this lesson might benefit a new project.
behind the complex study and the development of the idea,
which define the architect as a creator,
it is 'time' itself that is undoubtedly the object of the architect’s
whole attention, his only preoccupation, the permanent
restlessness of a present he tirelessly seeks to actualize.
indeed, what contemporary architecture challenges, is the idea
of 'time' that has formed the very essence of architectural culture,
an idea which turns every building into a monument, a memory,
a truth. it is a real work, like a scientific work, like in biology,
or mathematics, or astronomy. it is a real scientific work.

do you think there is an evolution from the begining of your work
until now, in your thoughts, in your forms?
now it is absolutely a new period, because we use geometry,
a rational shape, and a very efficient organization about function
itself. but now with some new materials, like metal fabric,
we transform, we develop the the architecture with relation in a
landscape. because my final idea is not anymore that I want to
build some buildings, I want to build a landscape.

is there any designer and/or architect, you appreciate a lot?
yes, but these are good for culture and education.
they are our cultural roots.
if you speak about buckminster fuller, for example,
for me his work is very close; but if you speak about le corbusier,
it is very far.
principles derive from praxis, from an outgoing research in
which the specificity of a space is endlessly reinvented, of a form,
of an intervention. architecture should be lacking in reference,
neither modern, nor postmodern - should reject history.

and young architects ?
yes, some are very interesting,
I am a little bit dissapointed by the situation in france,
because the state of france doesn't support young architecture,
and it is a pity because we have some young talent in france.

any advice for the young ?
we should plead for validity in architecture.
then we might get a more effective architecture, one to be
experienced by all, one that

source: designboom.com