Richard Meier 2013 Architizer A+ Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard Meier seems to have cropped up a lot lately on the web, if you’ve been checking our twitter or facebook page you may have seen me linking to articles discussing his work and achievements. Lets face it, Richard is a master when it comes to architecture, he’s spent over 50 years dedicating his life to the craft and he’s always on the pursuit to further his skill level. I’m an admirer of his beautiful modern structures, those that explore light and texture in a variety of ways, also experimenting with risky exteriors that offer character and excitement at the same time.
Today’s video caught my eye and offered a small look at the personality that is Richard Meier, also giving us an insight in to his work and why he loves architecture. This video was produced for Architizer who has given Richard a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to architecture in general, with Meier’s long list of accolades including the Pritzker Prize, which he received in 1984, and the AIA Gold Medal, awarded in 1997. Although I found the short a great watch I was massively inspired by the models that the good folk at Architizer get close-up shots of. They’re incredibly precise and are works of art in themselves, never mind the finished build!
I’ve been toying with building a few models myself, I’d purchased a couple of sets from Lego’s architecture series, the Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House and the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier, which set me on a path of exploration. Although they look great in my office I wanted to experiment with some more complex shapes and structures, so I’ve been picking up inspiration on a mood board that might be able to give me ideas in terms of materials and construction methods. So this video below gives me some brilliant tips on how I can experiment with building in smaller forms and put some of my own ideas in to physical practice. If you’re wondering who else won awards, you can check out the Architizer awards section on their website. One thing that I do strongly agree with in this video is when Richard talks about the world being a hard place for a young architect, and it being like night and day compared to when he started. Still, if you’ve got a passion for something and work hard you can get to wherever you want to be. Enjoy.