Gang – Hollwich – Rojkind

This Saturday, I had the pleasure to participate in a panel discussion at the Art Institute of Chicago, moderated by the indefatigable Iker Gil. Jeanne Gang, Matthias Hollwich, and Michel Rojkind presented aspects of their work, and a group of local architects acted as respondents.

At the end of 2.5 hours of exchange, 3 things stood out to me: first, how much focus there was on people when discussing architecture, as opposed to, say, materials or proportions or scale; second, how one audience member posted a comment on facebook saying “did anyone else note that, for the most part, all of the presenters and participants made a point of speaking in plain english, and not "archi-speak" , and lastly, how the successes of these firms prove them right in the argument over being relevant: they render a service that is wanted and valued by their customers. If the definition of innovation is the new and useful, the works of these 3 architects are remarkable in satisfying current needs and anticipating future ones.

I have been wrong many times before, but somehow, I believe our profession is on the brink of a great comeback. A few firms are leading the way in reclaiming the role in society we architects ought to play.

For the rest of us architects, let’s follow suit. Let’s speak out, advocate, design, organize. There is no other professional group that is as passionate, broadly educated, able to embrace constraints, and sincere in the desire to create livable environments, both built and natural.

Our times need architects. Let’s go.