Architect Renzo Piano Interview: On the Shoulders of Giants | Louisiana Channel

In-depth biographical interview with the Pritzker prizewinning Italian architect Renzo Piano - known for celebrated buildings such as The Shard and Centre Georges Pompidou - who explains why it’s okay “to steal” as long as you give something back.
“What keeps people alive is not what you’ve done, what you’ve been, but what you will be and what you will do.” Piano feels that one must avoid falling into the trap of nostalgia by thinking too much about one’s roots and past. Born in Genoa, he feels that the sea and its connotations are part of what shaped him: “The sea is like a mysterious place to go one day, so you grow up with this idea to run away one day, and to discover the rest of the world.” Moreover, compares the sea to a soup, “a consommé of different cultures.”
“It’s very funny, because as an architect, at a certain age, when you travel you feel at home everywhere.” Piano, who considers himself to be a European rather than an Italian, feels that that travelling is extremely important, because it allows you to get away from what you’re doing, permitting you to see it more clearly when you return. As an architect, you can’t simply be “a tourist”, but you need to understand and listen - not only to people, but also to places, as places too have a story to tell. In continuation of this, he emphasizes that “young people should travel to understand how lucky they are to be born in a place where you live on the shoulders of giants. You live on the freedom that was build up in centuries.” If you don’t go away, if you don’t travel, you don’t understand how lucky you are. Moreover, it is important that you appreciate that diversity is a value, not a problem, and what makes us grow, learn - and steal: “Stealing, I know, is not nice, but if the condition is that you give back, it’s not that bad.” When young people come to work at Piano’s offices, what they’re told is to “take, take away - don’t wait for us to give you, take. But if possible, give back one day.”
“Architects don’t change history, but they witness the change of history.” Architects give a shape to the change, which is why public buildings are so important and apart from being good craftsmen, architects need to master the social aspect: “You are not just a builder, you are also a civic person, so you make a shelter for human beings and human communities. And this becomes even more interesting, because then you make buildings that are for people to stay together and to share values, which is the beginning of maybe making a better world.” In continuation of this, though the war didn’t affect him directly, Piano (b. 1937) grew up with a pacifistic attitude, which has stayed with him ever since: “Making a great building is a civic gesture - a gesture of peace.”
Renzo Piano (b. 1937) is a lauded Italian architect. His most known buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, The Shard in London, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. In 1998, Piano won the highly prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, the jury comparing him to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, praising him for “his intellectual curiosity and problem-solving techniques as broad and far-ranging as those earlier masters of his native land,” and crediting him with “redefining modern and postmodern architecture.” In 2006, Piano was selected by TIME as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. For more see: www.rpbw.com/
Renzo Piano was interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner at his offices in Paris, France in November 2017.
Camera: Mathias Nyholm
Edited by: Klaus Elmer
Produced by: Marc-Christoph Wagner
Cover photo: The Shard, London by Renzo Piano
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2017
Supported by Dreyers Fond
Photos:
Mathias Nyholm
Denancé, Michel
Sky Front's
Shinkenchiku-sha Co.
Nic Lehoux
Shunji Ishida
Sergio Grazia
Fregoso & Basalto
Studio fotografico Merlo fotografia aerea
Chris Martin
Christian Richters
Piano & Rogers
Vincent Mosch
Enrico Cano
JohnGollings - Gollings Photography
Laurent ZYLBERMAN
Francesca Avanzinelli
© Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop
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[@Score_up]

This is channel is a hidden gem on youtube.

[@sonalisignapurkar6906]

So sooo true..

[@suchithosecan7564]

I agree

[@markg1531]

Thank you. I enjoyed the interview and it gave me some food for thought. I appreciate it.

[@TedPope]

"When you talk about it poetry disappears" - Renzo Piano

[@trishhall4522]

i was totally enthralled by Mr Piano, what was he going to say next - brilliant inspiration

[@madhursrivastav]

he is a towering legend and so humble.

[@francescos7361]

Thanks one of my favourite architect , to me like all Nobel prizes in architecture and engineer . Beast .

[@jungchang-woo3487]

My gratitude towards the interviews that you people are doing. These phrases from the interviews from the old people are just invaluable.

[@johnferraz6417]

"Journey as Place...Becoming as End" This phrase has guided my own path into Architecture...it came by 'doing'...getting involved...risking not knowing the outcome...learning from the experience...from others. Thanks for the inspiration to continue evolving into 'the Architect'...we ought to be! "What can 'we' become...better than we were...yesterday." John Ferraz Architect

[@rubenparz]

Gracias por la entrevista! Genial! Thanks for the interview, great!

[@johnsonthe.8211]

Very divine to listen to the architect , as he says War should be abolished !

[@kenrickohlson1989]

Good video…I love this channel No money to travel Mr Renzo 💔😭💔

[@emmanuelortiz5632]

Fantastic interview, passion for the proffesion.

[@jennief2108]

Piano feels that one must avoid falling into the trap of nostalgia by thinking too much about one’s roots and past. And, he Sails always !

[@sahiljada9548]

Putting paper and pencil on desk and Just keep thinking is a trap… so better go out n travel to get off track for clear vision… thts how i interpret him but nice catch 😅

[@tarasilchyshyn4851]

I totally love this man on the screen. Very good film, thank you!

[@sonalisignapurkar6906]

Every line was so meaningful..thank you😍

Un maestro!!...toda su obra y actitud están basados en la ética y la exploración, el conocimiento y la innovación; el trabajo colectivo y la navegación del velero o proyecto, para hacer o construir un mundo mejor!!

[@SoSo-wb6gt]

I love Mr Piano's way of seeing architecture and the world around us. Hope one day I can reach his level of understanding and his equilibrium. Thank you for uploading this marvellous video.

[@littleafterall]

I can't remember hearing so many commonplaces from someone so celebrated.

[@raymondpurwanto6191]

Thank you, this video is very insightful to understand philosophy behind the master's work

[@jennief2108]

Beautiful ! Thank you !

[@marcocresci]

"Architecture is everything coming together." 9:04

[@callumpettitt8192]

This is a good one! Very enlightening

[@marimokid9985]

This video is beautiful. Also, I appreciate the summary in the description - made it easier to keep up with the intervew. Thank you!

[@thanglee1704]

One of the best architect on the world...my favorite

[@starjeweller]

Thang Lee 💭👍😇true.

[@alexpaktjeterug]

Great piece!

[@conor3000]

So humble and wise! what a great interview

[@CrankyHermit]

Humble is the last word I would choose. He has the Italian honey-tongue of a Vito Corleone, but when you look at the work ...

[@AlGangstaVlore]

Grazie Maestro!

[@yaraahmad302]

My dream is to meet this great architect just one time😭😭 , each word it's an art and a story

[@FA-th4ie]

This is such a superb interview - generous and inspiring and. It pretentious. Thank you!

[@renzomarsanochumbez3571]

without doubt one of the best living arquitects

[@babastructuralbim]

The video is so good. Thanks you

[@henriquethomasfranco4182]

You are great Renzo

[@starjeweller]

I love your glass-roof building of Beyeler Foundation in Basel. Essentialistic architecture Mr. Renzo👍😇💭💭💭💓💞

[@palava8500]

Its like a Solar oven. They bauen literly money with the cooking system

[@RAFASUAREZ13]

Awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@carloscabrera4763]

this guy's wonderful

[@mohammadtaghibagheri7628]

WOW

[@angelmatos9143]

Inspired by the universe. Anything else falls short.

[@cathoderay305]

I saw his building at the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It's beautiful and very indicative of the power of buildings to elicit reverence and awe. Glass, long beams, high ceilings, architectural concrete, wood, and light (a lot of light)... just a wonderful work.

[@sweetfruit7769]

great intro-music! what is the song called?

[@boxfullofmangoes]

enlightened mind

[@canweng5546]

great

[@PsychiatryonlineITA1]

The Whitney Museum of American Art - VirtualTour, New York City kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqLNq2ukZbN9j6M Designed by architect Renzo Piano and situated between the High Line and the Hudson River, the Whitney's new building vastly increases the Museum’s exhibition and programming space, offering the most expansive display ever of its unsurpassed collection of modern and contemporary American art. Music by Paolo Conte live in Genoa

[@speedtribejp]

Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan.

[@joelquinto8718]

Mi idolo!

[@ENGBriseB]

A great building hopefully he can build another 400ft taller in dark grey.

[@melon5345]

Can anyone tell me the name of the building at 9:08? Thanks

[@auroshivarch]

The New Whitney Museum of American Art in NY. @Tim Homingway

[@AliAhmed-hl8io]

who else is wondering what pencil he uses (36:53)?

[@michaelmurray8491]

Yeah me too

[@angelmatos9143]

Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello & Renzo.

[@Ozblu3y]

how come this was removed?

[@Ozblu3y]

ok ^_^ thank you so much for making this content!

[@babacarsoumare8593]

ok renzo piano is a techologue architect of the word he open technology in architecture studie when i wa studiant in PARIS BEAUBOURG CENTER was boon in my draem and i was very happy in my young study school in ESA PARIS now thank you for RENZO PIANO a biger of word your friend architect BABACAR SOUMARE in SENEGAL

[@babooppa6833]

How to spell 41:40 “Bodega(?)” in itallian? Is there any Italian here 😄

[@giulianoilfilosofo7927]

Bottega

[@danranquist502]

Thumbs up @ 29:00 and on..

[@evelynramos445]

Imperfect at the, Spanish

[@auroshivarch]

what the master says at 24:52 channelises us to a better person.

[@user-nv8ec4et9h]

열왕기하소리는 왕을 하인으로 둔 백성소리

[@herrwarum5969]

why doesn't he use the "s" with plural names?!!

[@herrwarum5969]

@Amed Zaxo you cannot explain anything if you don't make the effort to use language properly.

[@herrwarum5969]

@Amed Zaxo he may be a great architect but if he speaks english very well then I am a nobel prize

[@santiagomansilla6613]

Voyage beast?

[@danranquist502]

Thumbups @ 32:00

[@Bonserak23]

How could you complain about being born in Italy or the Mediterranean in general, the weather is always nice, the buildings are pretty the people are almost always pretty, the food is good, no one looks at you funny for drinking during a lunch break, better than like Youngstown, Ohio lol

[@danielcaceres9971]

his body language is so constricted... is he comfortable doing this interview?

[@williamwallace2278]

One ugly building, but brilliant engineering

[@kayem3824]

The tower in London, the Shard is too steep, looks wrong. In fact, only one project, a small gallery in the US is interesting.

[@stefanmironov6405]

what a waste.... if I had to use one word to describe his work, I would say appalling!

[@rexmundi7811]

Disgusting.