Kaplicky Brings His Vision Of The Future To Detroit

Some believe a futurist seeks fulfillment in the years ahead rather than the present. During a Mar. 16, 2000, lecture at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Prague born Jan Kaplicky provided ample examples of his visionary architecture, including structures that seemed to bring the pages of science fiction novels alive.

With partner Amanda Levete in the United Kingdom, Kaplicky heads a London based architectural and design practice called Future Systems. His talk was part of a series organized by the University of Detroit-Mercy with sponsorship provided by the Great Lakes Fabricators & Erectors Association.

Kaplicky's work has been described as "organic modernism." Indeed, using two images projected side by side on the lecture hall's screen, he displayed examples of plant and animal life on the left that inspired Future System designs shown on the right. His firm was founded in 1983 and has become recognized for such diverse facilities as a media center for Lord's Cricket Ground, a Millenial exhibition hall, an earth sheltered home on a cliff overlooking the sea, and a special pedestrian bridge.

He punctuated his lecture with observations about banal adaptations of 18th and 19th century architectural styles in modern English buildings, the dire impact of pollution within the world, and the need for more conservation. All the while, he also displayed a number of textures and colors drawn from nature, to "put the beauty against the ugliness of the world," along with a sense of streamlining drawn from aeronautics.

A modernistic home wedged between two 19th century London residences was displayed. Kaplicky said it was constructed on a site that went fairly deep but was only 20 ft. wide. With sloped faces, the homeĖs design makes extensive use of insulated glass and glass block, giving it somewhat of a modernistic greenhouse appearance. Aluminum framing and a prefabricated bathroom helped to speed its construction.

On an isolated cliff on the coast of Wales, Future Systems designed an earth sheltered home with a wall of glass facing the sea. Even the roof of the structure is covered by a three inch layer of soil, topped with sod. The home, Kaplicky said, "is designed to disappear into the vegetation" with only the glass wall visible. A system of portholes mounted in the wall assist in ventilation.

For his design of a 100,000 sq. ft. exhibition hall in Duncastle, Kaplicky made use of a cable supported roof. The use of solar cells in the roof help augment the buildingĖs electrical supply and the roofĖs skylights and interior design allow natural light to penetrate into the hall's three exhibit levels.

Perhaps Kaplicky's most interesting design was the cricket groundĖs media center. Although it can hold nearly 200 reporters, announcers, and technicians, from a distance the rounded structure vaguely resembles a white, oblong alarm clock with a flat face. Aluminum was a major building component for the center. Much of its structure and skin was pre-assembled off site, dismantled, then shipped in sections for re-assembly at the sports facility.

Besides electronic and print news media areas, the media center includes a small restaurant, a camera platform, and elevators. It projects over the cricket stadium's stands like a space age pod, painted a dazzling white.

In addition to architecture, Kaplicky also displayed slides of a number of furniture items he'd designed. The most interesting was a rounded, lifeboat shaped couch/conversation pit nicknamed "the dingy" that found dual use -- as with many couches -- for sleeping.

In describing his interest in the designs of nature, Kaplicky said beauty was its principle motivator, but he could not discount some of its more practical aspects. Nature recycles. Nature conserves. Nature does not pollute. And Nature is an abundant source of design ideas that have withstood the ravages of time.

The problem with the practice of architecture is that no room is provided for experimentation, Kaplicky observed. "Testing doesn't exist in the building of good architecture," he stated. "That's the biggest thing, the biggest problem you face in architecture -- you have to risk."

What has helped him to at least partially reduce the risks he takes in his designs have been "natural forms that are absolutely fantastic." According to Kaplicky, architects will find an endless supply of these design forms if only they can train themselves to properly look into Nature and capture the richness of the architecture contained within it.

Perhaps if more architects were to seek such inspiration there would be more permanence in today's designs, he continued. He contrasted images of such classical architectural examples as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Roman coliseums and theaters that incorporated features of their site's topography in their designs, and ancient domed churches and mosques, with such grotesque items as Hitler's plans for Nazi Berlin, public buildings constructed by the Soviet Union, and contemporary retail structures. In Kaplicky's view, buildings that are quickly put up then pulled down in 30 to 60 years may not be enduring simply because of owners who are misguided. Such uninformed owners encourage a pseudo-traditional approach to architectural design that results in buildings that are static. Boring. Too quickly made obsolete.

Money can be spent wisely. At least, in theory, if not too often in practice.

Ironically, rather than slow development this approach has sped up architectural styles to a nearly frantic pace over the last sixty years, Kaplicky said. Architects find themselves scrambling to come up with something "new" to appease fickle, difficult to educate clients.

Trends come and go, too rapidly. Modernism used for be promoted within the United Kingdom, he said, but within his own lifetime he has seen the British flee from it. Such critics as Prince Charles have been promoting a more "traditional" style -- a return to classicism -- complaining that modernism has generated buildings that are too often inhumane and downright oppressive.

The prince has a point.

Kaplicky's approach to modernism, however, is an attempt to infuse natural forms that enhance life experiences while taking advantage of renewable resources. He works hard to develop "living" buildings that "breathe" rather than suffocate.

He displayed designs of unbuilt "green" structures that not only incorporated solar panels but wind generator turbines as well. One design of a proposed 100 story office tower featured graceful curves that brought the pistil of a tulip to mind. He also advocated greater allocation of parks and green spaces within urban settings, to bring Nature back to the city.

As with all architects who stretch design boundaries, Kaplicky's personal style -- as well as those of his associates at Future Works -- will occasionally spark controversy. To the students and design professionals who gathered at the Detroit Institute of Arts, however, he provided an evening stimulating and thought provoking conversation.