ARCHITECT ADVOCATES TRADITION AS CORE ELEMENT IN BUILDING DESIGN AT QF TALK
(MENAFN- Qatar Foundation ) Doha, Qatar, 31 December 2023: Building living and working spaces using traditional models and construction methods was the focus of Qatar Foundation’s latest Education City Speaker Series, presented by Léon Krier, an architect, architectural theorist, and urban planner.
Krier is considered the “godfather” of New Urbanism and New Traditional Architecture, and during the talk, The Polycentric City, which was delivered in Qatar Foundation's Headquarters – the 2015 building – he spoke about how his traditional urbanism theories were shaped by his experiences growing up.
“Luxembourg was a near perfect traditional city when I grew up,” he said. “Even the Chinese love it so much that they rebuilt several blocks of my town quarter at the Huawei Campus, demonstrating that good design speaks a universal language. People need no explanation, justification, or translation to love built or natural beauty.
“The great thing about Luxembourg was that the historic center and 1900 quarter were perfect small towns all by themselves. People lived there, worked there, shopped there, went to the theater and to school there. We had a garden behind our house growing enough fruit, vegetables, and flowers for a family of six.
“True urban quarters are cities within the city. You take your car if you want to have a picnic out in the country or if you go on holiday – but you don’t need it every day. And I went to kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school, all on foot.”
That experience was to form the basis of his new urbanism theory, namely that “large towns are a family of small towns”, explaining: “There are differences of density, population and use for each quarter, each having a distinct character within the communal union.”
Krier also spoke about his ideal design for a building, saying that, if he could implement a rule, the height would not exceed three floors. “100 steps,” he said. “Because that is what is comfortable to walk. You use the lift because you so choose, not because you're obliged to.”
During the talk, Krier highlighted the reconstruction of Souq Waqif as an outstanding example of modern traditional architecture and urbanism.
The Education City Speaker Series is a Qatar Foundation platform for dialogue that allows the public to hear from and interact with local, regional, and international thought-leaders and experts.
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