Patrick Schumacher: "Architecture needs to get out of the current fragmentation, confusion and pluralism of styles"

Patrick Schumacher is the CEO of Zaha Hadid Architects (UK), one of the strongest architectural and design bureaus in the world. Patrick has been with the company since 1988, and since 2013 he has been a partner and co–author of all Zaha Hadid Architects projects.

In October, Patrick Schumacher will become one of the speakers of the VIII International Construction Forum and the TechnoBuild 100+ Exhibition, which will be held in Yekaterinburg. On the eve of the event, he told 100+ in an interview what the "garbage model of urbanization" is and how to solve this problem, whether there is a fashion in architecture and how to get away from urban sprawl. 

– Zaha Hadid Architects can manage more than a hundred projects at a time. Is it important for you, as a manager, to know in detail about each of them, or can you not touch on any projects at all? What does it depend on?

– Zaha Hadid Architects has many talented and creative architects. My role is to guide the design process and contribute to the development of our design philosophy. I review all projects before they are submitted, and I connect to most projects as a reviewer, often at the launch stage.

– In an interview, you said that in the future only 5% of historical architecture will remain, and the rest will be parametric. Do you think that small towns will come to this too, where there are no budgets even for one-time global realignments?

– Investments in automation of processes – calculations, design, manufacturing and construction – are growing, and parameterism as an architectural style associated with this inevitable technological transformation will also inevitably spread. When parameterism becomes more refined and universal, it will become the most cost-effective compared to all earlier styles, thanks to the efficiency that optimization of adaptive methodology will bring.

– Fashion is cyclical, can the same be said about architecture? Will people ever want to go back to where they started? And will they have such an opportunity?

– Fashion can be cyclical within the framework of seasonality, but not within the historical framework. Architecture exists in a time frame closer to historical scales, and therefore is less susceptible to fashion cycles. They exist in the form of retro styles, but they will also be lost in the history of architecture. They won't be significant for long.

– Many architects, including you, say that cities should grow upward, not outward. It would seem that everyone understands the advantages of a densely populated environment. Why then is the opposite happening? There are a lot of clean fields development projects in Russia. And what needs to be done to finally get away from the "sprawl" of cities?

– The development of "clean fields" occurs for several reasons. One of them is the complexity and cost of construction in already built–up cities. Many interests collide, and this leads to resistance and slows down the process. The construction process is also slower and more expensive. To solve these difficulties, it is necessary to completely rethink the urban planning system, which gives land owners unhindered building rights. It is also necessary to remove density restrictions so that the increase in land prices in cities is shared among a large number of users.

– The current trend is to create buildings where people could interact as much as possible. Why is this so important? Aren't there enough other places for that?

– It is the interaction that is the reason for creating urban environments where people come together. This is most noticeable in youth culture, club culture, and student culture. But it is also very important for the fields of creativity and knowledge. That is why a "pedestrian" culture and ease of movement around the city are important for a comfortable urban life.

– You call a situation when there is no plan and every investor builds what comes to mind, a "garbage model". How often do you come across such places? How should everything be arranged in your ideal worldview?

– The "garbage model of urbanization" has spread all over the world. The solution cannot come from the authorities and cannot come with any master plan devised "from above". The problem can only be solved by architectural discourse and culture. Architecture needs to get out of the current fragmentation, confusion and pluralism of styles.

In the 20th century, it took about 20 years to form a unified modernist style that united urban areas such as the White City in Tel Aviv, Miami Art Deco and Brasilia. Parameterism is capable of doing the same thing in the 21st century. The advantage of parametricism is its ability to combine a variety of architectural embodiments, and then demonstrate the connection and common features of different buildings. This integration does not require a master plan. It can be done gradually, as the urban environment appears or changes. The thesis is that all architects should work within the framework of the parametric paradigm. The idea and purpose of this is to develop the integrity that already exists. This creative challenge is both inspiring and will bring great satisfaction after achieving the goal. Informal criticism and approval among colleagues can have sufficient force when the discourse is mainly guided by a value system.

– You once said, "We must learn to distinguish between real icons and those that only pretend to be them." And you said,  that there is no such thing as a completely timeless architecture. Then what is the meaning of the word "icon"?

– I would like to draw a line between pretending and truly significant innovations in the active application of a new set of rational principles and values.

– And continuing the theme, if there is no timeless architecture, then what do such structures as, for example, the Colosseum mean to you? And what role will they play in the future?

– As a hall for gathering a large number of people at events, this is a timeless phenomenon at the moment. But the Colosseum as a stone structure is outdated.

– What are you planning to talk about at 100+ TechnoBuild?

– I'll probably talk about the created environment – real and virtual – as an integral part of social communication.