Maeda's SIMPLICITY

Leaks Are To Be Forgiven

Architects are not plumbers.

While MIT is busily suing Frank Gehry for issues regarding the nearby Stata Center, it gave me an opportunity to examine our own building here at the Media Lab. Indeed it's now an old building (20+ years), but in its time it was a true representation of Modern as a perfect white cube.

I was an undergrad when the Media Lab's building had just come up and was then nicknamed "the bathroom building" due to the large square white tiles that cover the exterior (and interior) of the building. Today, everytime I walk into the building, deep down inside I have a desire to hose down the entire exterior as the white tiles are now somewhat dingy like a questionable shower stall. And although the lawsuit wrt the Stata Center lists one of the issues as leaking due to inherent design flaws ... I have to say that my own office leaks every time it rains. Let's not forget that I'm in a perfectly cubic building and not within the swoopy and crumpled confines of Stata. You do the math.

So, as my alma mater and employer MIT engages in suing an architectural legend and icon, I can't help but feel it's sort of like suing Picasso for a bad painting or else like suing Paul Rand for a bad logo design. It's sort of embarrassing from my perspective as a creative really. Sure I get the whole business perspective and all ... but there isn't a single day when I see people photographing the Stata Center due to its incredibly interesting and innovative forms/moments. Innovation is by nature a risky business -- it's something I learned from MIT.

I recall the famous story of how Frank Lloyd Wright was telephoned by an angry client regarding his complaint that the home Wright had designed would leak when it rains. Wright replied to the effect, "Well then just step out of the way of the leak and you won't get wet."

Regarding the leak in my own office, I've learned how to move the electrical items away from the downpour and have managed to do just fine. IM Pei doesn't have to call his lawyer, yet (smile).

Posted by maeda at November 11, 2007 04:57 PM