Acclaimed architects and design commentators reflect on the cities, eras, inventions and trends that have inspired them.
Chris Bosse is the Asia Pacific director of LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) and adjunct professor and innovation fellow at the University of Technology in Sydney. He was part of the consortium that designed the Olympic Water Cube in Beijing for the 2008 Games, which won the Atmosphere Award at the 9th Venice Biennale. The city that provides endless inspiration for an architect… Masdar, the sustainable city being built in Abu Dhabi. It combines the best of Paris, New York, Rome and Istanbul, and is carbon-neutral, car-free and solar powered.
The holiday that rejuvenates creativity… Anywhere you can be under water, go snorkelling – from the Great Barrier Reef to Vanuatu to Malaysia. Coral reefs [suggest] cities of the future where species coexist and thrive.
Most useful design trend of the past decade…
The discovery of computation that allows for the simulation of natural behaviour such as growth and adaptation. The potential is in understanding the principles behind nature, not only the appearance. The aquatic centre at Beijing, for example, was based on the geometrical arrangement of soap bubbles, the most efficient way of filling space with structure.
The period that most chimes with you… I love the 1960s and ’70s, but would like to take my computer if I had to go there. Imagine Utzon and Saarinen with today’s tools.
Most innovative product design and/or designer… I have been a fan of Marc Newson for years. I think the next generation is due shortly [judging by] the talent currently coming out of design schools.
Image: Masadar in
Abu Dhabi, UAE.Source: Qantas The Australian Way July 2009