Cooking up some (Classical) Architecture

Francis Terry, speaking for a TEDx session at the London Business School has an interesting take on where architecture should fall in the spectrum of the arts:

I think that one of the problems with architecture is that it is very closely aligned to painting and sculpture where being cutting edge and new is how you make your name. But I think that architecture should more correctly be associated with cooking, which is a domestic art, and when you cook you follow a recipe and a recipe is just a form of copying. And no one would deny the amount of creativity you need when you cook because you have to interpret recipes…

I have also felt that architecture is too often considered an avant garde art with overwhelming emphasis placed on originality and individual creativity. Architecture, particularly in urban contexts, is a vital part of a civic infrastructure and is therefore very public in nature. In addition, architecture is very permanent in nature which doesn’t respond well to the fleeting whims of an avant garde art. Mr. Terry is correct, architecture is more appropriately a domestic art whereby domestic means public. The thousands of years of collective wisdom ought to be applied to architectural design as they are in the culinary arts. There is certainly room for interpretation, innovation, and creativity, but that should be progress in advancing the art rather than contrary to everything that has come before.

The talk also featured George Saumerez Smith and overall was a great discussion about the continued relevance of classical architecture today.

via arcilook and Christine Franck