Donald Evans: My fellow regents, we are gathered here to make another step
towards selecting an architect to design a new Blanton Museum of Art. At this point, we have narrowed our possible
options down to a small list of highly qualified finalists. One of the most promising names on that list
is Jacques Herzog, cofounder of the renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog
& De Meuron. Mr. Herzog is here with
us today to present his visions and ideas for this project.
Jacques Herzog: I have come today to speak less about the
Blanton than I have to speak about the future of your campus in general. Over the last several months, I have spent
hours researching this project. I am
now quite familiar with both the master plan and the prevalent styles of
architecture on this campus. It is my
opinion that the current master plan will not serve the best interests of the
university. If the plan is followed, the
campus will never achieve unity and will continue to be haunted by fragments of
various architectural styles. I do not
want this to happen, and so I have come today to persuade you to revise your
master plan.
Evans: That is a bold statement, but please continue.
Herzog: Your master plan presents a noble goal, but the methods outlined to achieve that goal are flawed. Throughout the plan, the necessity for an architecturally unified campus is stressed. On this point, I cannot agree more. A university “campus needs to be seen as a whole.” [1] It is imperative to the continued success of an institution that its campus exudes unity and does not feel like “a series of disparate pieces.” [2] The problem is that the steps in your plan simply won’t work.
Evans: I must
disagree. “It was Thomas Jefferson’s
Herzog: You are suggesting that the proper path to follow is imitation of classical styles from the past. Mr. Evans, this is a university, and as such, this must be a place that encourages change; a place that values innovation far more than imitation. A successful professor does not stop at simply studying the work of his predecessors. He begins by studying them, but he then advances forward with new discoveries and research. This is the way intellectual progress occurs. In the same manner, art and architecture must recognize the past but then innovate and go beyond it. Pure imitation quickly becomes trite and meaningless. “Great art, whether expressing itself in words, colors, or stones, simply does not say the same thing over and over again.” [5] Innovation and change have fueled all previous styles of architecture. Let me remind you that at one point even the classical Doric column was a radical new idea.
Evans: I understand your point and can’t disagree with it. However, we are not willing to turn our campus into a proving ground for experimental modern design. Like I said, our goal is to create an academic village with a unified physical plan, and I do not believe that our goal can “be appropriately realized unless all buildings correspond in style.”[6]
Herzog: Allow me to explain. The goal at the core of the master plan—to reintegrate
the buildings on campus and to convey a unified sense of place—will not be
accomplished by reverting back to Paul Cret’s “grand classical tradition”[7]
from the 1930’s. What was done in the
sixties and seventies remains. It is
not feasible to tear down the PCL, the
Future designs should reflect Paul Cret’s buildings from the thirties, recognize the minimalist designs from the sixties and seventies, and continue to move forward. Like I said, the university is centered on progress and discovery. It must avoid stagnating in the past. In order to create a unified sense of place, we can ignore neither the LBJ Library nor Sutton Hall. We must create a recognizable continuum of architectural styles by fusing aspects of all buildings on campus with completely new elements of modern design. This is the only way to achieve unity without sacrificing progress and innovation.
Evans: If I may interject, remember that another important goal of ours is to connect this academic village back to nature. We are trying to avoid building a concrete jungle, yet we realize that most of the modern buildings on campus are large concrete boxes. Don’t you agree that these buildings pull us away from nature?
Herzog: The reality is that this
university is situated in the middle of a large urban area. During the course of development in
Evans: You are saying these concrete boxes make our students notice nature?
Herzog: In many ways, the stark
contrast between modern buildings and their natural surroundings forces people
to appreciate and bask in the nature that is still here. I found that the simple geometric and linear
design of the
Evans: Besides just
creating contrast, do you see any other ways that these buildings promote a
connection 
with
nature?
Herzog: Yes. From a distance, the
Evans: You are full of answers Mr. Herzog, but can you honestly tell me that Jester connects its inhabitants with nature?
Herzog: As far as how to
solve the problem with Jester, I must confess that I’m not a demolition expert
and, as such, I don’t have much of a solution.[8] While I’ll admit that not all the modern
buildings on this campus are beautiful, I also believe in “a kind of Aikido
strategy where you use your enemy's energy for your own purposes. Instead of
fighting it, you take all the energy and shape it in unexpected and new
ways."[9] I had
success with this strategy while transforming the towering brick Bankside Power
Station in
Evans: So you would employ this Aikido type strategy in designing a new Blanton?
Herzog: Well yes. That strategy is at the root of most of what I do. “The strength of my buildings is in the immediate, visceral impact they have on a viewer.” [10] I will not design another building with a pitched red roof and a “clearly defined basement, body and attic,” [11] because the finished building would fail both at achieving unity and impacting viewers. These requirements in the master plan will only deepen the stylistic schism and result in trite, recycled designs.
Evan: I understand what you are planning not to do, but can you explain exactly what it is you are planning to do?
Herzog: If I’m chosen to design the Blanton, I will take characteristics of all the buildings on campus and mold them with elements of my own style into a design that builds on the past without sacrificing modern innovation. The finished design, regardless of its compliance with specific requirements in the campus master plan, will be a work of art and a major step towards achieving architectural unity on this campus.
Evans: Quite honestly, I am
not convinced that we need to rewrite our master plan, and I’m dubious of your
methods for promoting unity. “We want
to ensure that the museum is a cultural institution that serves all of
Herzog: Sir, I urge you to reconsider your master plan.
Word Count: 1404
List of Illustrations:
1. “Donald Evans”
Image care of: http://www.nndb.com/people/
2. “Jacques
Herzog” Image care of: http://www.pritzkerprize.com/
3. “Sutton
Hall” Photo: Will McDonald
4. “
5. “Lydon Baines
Johnson Library” Photo: Will McDonald
6. “
Available online at http://webspace.utexas.edu/wem237/P1A/P1A.htm