David Chipperfield
David Chipperfield
Sir David Alan Chipperfield CBE RA RDI RIBAis a British architect...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionArchitect
Date of Birth18 December 1953
design morality difficult
It is difficult to separate oneself from one's design moralities.
mean europe marketing
In Britain, we've tended to replace the kind of architectural culture valued in much of Europe with an in-flight magazine lifestyle - all branding, marketing and 'accessibility', a word that usually means dumbing-down.
interesting balls architecture
Architecture has curled up in a ball and it's about itself. It has found itself either as a freakshow, where you're not sure if it's good or bad but at least it's interesting, or at the behest of forces of commerce.
architecture britain lasting
Britain loves a bargain, but you don't get good, lasting architecture on the cheap.
engineering years cake
I do quite like Gehry's Guggenheim. But where in Bilbao it's seen as an outgrowth of years of investment in urban design and engineering, in Britain it's seen as the catalyst for urban regeneration rather than the icing on the cake.
art book wife
I like to be surrounded by books. My wife Evelyn has a Ph.D. in comparative literature, so we have a lot of her Spanish and German literature books which are wasted on me, plus a lot of novels and books on art and architecture shared by us both. Evelyn used to edit an art magazine called 'FMR,' so we have a common interest in design.
ideas luxury acting
I'm suspicious of the idea of architects acting like business executives, brand managers, or purveyors of luxury goods.
simple quality looks
If you look at a building by Mies van der Rohe, it might look very simple, but up close, the sheer quality of construction, materials and thought are inspirational.
design littles designer
I do very little industrial design. I'm asked a lot, but I certainly don't see myself as an industrial designer.
age trying architecture
I suppose I'm trying to build an architecture that's as timeless as possible, although we're all creatures of our age.
ideas historical criticism
Most architects work in studios largely divorced from academia, as if ideas, criticism and historical research were irrelevant.
creative important workplace
It used to be presumed that if you weren't at your desk working, you weren't working, But we said, 'Why can't we make a workplace where casual meetings are as important as working at your desk?' Sometimes that's where your better creative work happens.
trying looks actors
Often, architects work too hard trying to make their buildings look different. It's like we're actors let loose on a stage, all speaking our parts at the same time in our own private languages without an audience.
children believe book
Seeing architecture differently from the way you see the rest of life is a bit weird. I believe one should be consistent in all that one does, from the books you read to the way you bring up your children. Everything you do is connected.