GSAPP Conversations

Ayala Levin speaks in advance of her lecture on April 16, given as part of the Detlef Mertins annual series. Having completed her Ph.D. at GSAPP in 2015, Levin is now an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Art History department. Her research focuses on architectural knowledge exchange, with an emphasis on urban planning projects in post-independence African states.

In this GSAPP Conversations Bonus Episode, Levin discusses how she came to research architecture and her introduction to the field at GSAPP. She touches on her Ph.D. research on construction projects by Israeli architects during the mid-20th century in postcolonial Africa, as well current research on American construction in contemporary Africa.

"In a sense, I needed to be grounded in an art discipline that has a public weight – much more than literature and the arts … architecture really shapes people’s lives, and people really do relate to architecture in every aspect of their being."

—Ayala Levin

More information on Ayala Levin at https://www.arthistory.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/ayala-levin.html

More information on her lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/811-the-detlef-mertins-lecture-on-the-histories-of-modernity-ayala-levin

Jorge Otero-Pailos, Professor and Director of the Historic Preservation program at Columbia GSAPP, speaks with Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly, artists who use their performances as a form of inquiry and preservation, in advance of their lecture on March 22, 2018.

They discuss the architecture of intimacy and its intersection with queer identity, explored in their project Modern Living. They also touch on whether the ‘dream house’ ever really exists – or if it’s an invention of real estate agents.

"It is about a time spent, intimately, listening, passing time, noticing, observing, the different ways the environment affects the space. Trying really, I guess, feel what it felt like, to live in the space."

–Ryan Kelly

More information on Gerard and Kelly at http://gerardandkelly.com/

More information on their lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/922-on-modern-living

Jorge Otero-Pailos, Professor and Director of the Historic Preservation program at Columbia GSAPP, speaks with Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly, artists who use their performances as a form of inquiry and preservation, in advance of their lecture on March 22, 2018.

They discuss the architecture of intimacy and its intersection with queer identity, explored in their project Modern Living. They also touch on whether the ‘dream house’ ever really exists – or if it’s an invention of real estate agents.

"It is about a time spent, intimately, listening, passing time, noticing, observing, the different ways the environment affects the space. Trying really, I guess, feel what it felt like, to live in the space."

–Ryan Kelly

More information on Gerard and Kelly at http://gerardandkelly.com/

More information on their lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/922-on-modern-living

Jarrett Ley, a dual degree graduate student in the Architecture and Critical, Curatorial and Conceptual Practices program at GSAPP speaks with Keller Easterling on the occasion of her lecture on April 4, 2018.

They discuss her work investigating infrastructure space, which Easterling describes as “a set of rules and relationships in which buildings and activities are suspended”, and how it’s shifted since the 2016 election. They also touch on whether architects have to be right—and if not, what else should they strive for?

“Maybe space itself is the underexploited medium of contemporary innovation? One that allows for mixtures of information systems and really lumpy, really rich mixtures. That’s the thing I’m advocating for.”

–Keller Easterling

More information on Keller Easterling at http://kellereasterling.com/

More information on her lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/808-keller-easterling

Jarrett Ley, a dual degree graduate student in the Architecture and Critical, Curatorial and Conceptual Practices program at GSAPP speaks with Keller Easterling on the occasion of her lecture on April 4, 2018.

They discuss her work investigating infrastructure space, which Easterling describes as “a set of rules and relationships in which buildings and activities are suspended”, and how it’s shifted since the 2016 election. They also touch on whether architects have to be right—and if not, what else should they strive for?

“Maybe space itself is the underexploited medium of contemporary innovation? One that allows for mixtures of information systems and really lumpy, really rich mixtures. That’s the thing I’m advocating for.”

–Keller Easterling

More information on Keller Easterling at http://kellereasterling.com/

More information on her lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/808-keller-easterling

Luiza Furia, a first-year M.Arch student speaks with German architect Juergen Mayer H. of J. MAYER H. und Partner, Architekten, in advance of his lecture at the school on March 26, 2018.

They discuss Mayer’s work in Georgia, and how the pace of development in cities such as Berlin can affect the character of a city. Mayer also touches on his examination of the interaction between the digital world and the physical world, including the XXX in Times Square – as well as his interest in the color beige.

"I think [architecture] is the tool or the language I can use best to express something. It’s a tool that allows me to express certain aspects that are related to how we live together, how we see our society, how we find the moment of our time, right now."

–Juergen Mayer H.

More information on Juergen Mayer H. at http://www.jmayerh.de/index.php

More information on his lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/819-juergen-mayer-h

Luiza Furia, a first-year M.Arch student speaks with German architect Juergen Mayer H. of J. MAYER H. und Partner, Architekten, in advance of his lecture at the school on March 26, 2018.

They discuss Mayer’s work in Georgia, and how the pace of development in cities such as Berlin can affect the character of a city. Mayer also touches on his examination of the interaction between the digital world and the physical world, including the XXX in Times Square – as well as his interest in the color beige.

"I think [architecture] is the tool or the language I can use best to express something. It’s a tool that allows me to express certain aspects that are related to how we live together, how we see our society, how we find the moment of our time, right now."

–Juergen Mayer H.

More information on Juergen Mayer H. at http://www.jmayerh.de/index.php

More information on his lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/819-juergen-mayer-h

James Brillon, a third-year M.Arch student, speaks with European architects Giovanni Piovene and Ambra Fabi of PioveneFabi in advance of their lecture at the school on March 19, 2018.

They discuss how objects play into architecture and how they attempt to use local materials in their projects to see cities in different ways. They also touch on how teaching has shaped not only the creation of their practice but also how they now design.

“The reason we started this office is because we were each really thinking about process in a completely different way… almost opposite from one another.”

–Giovanni Piovene

More information on PioveneFabi at http://www.piovenefabi.it

More information on their lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/818-piovenefabi

James Brillon, a third-year M.Arch student, speaks with European architects Giovanni Piovene and Ambra Fabi of PioveneFabi in advance of their lecture at the school on March 19, 2018.

They discuss how objects play into architecture and how they attempt to use local materials in their projects to see cities in different ways. They also touch on how teaching has shaped not only the creation of their practice but also how they now design.

“The reason we started this office is because we were each really thinking about process in a completely different way… almost opposite from one another.”

–Giovanni Piovene

More information on PioveneFabi at http://www.piovenefabi.it

More information on their lecture at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/818-piovenefabi

Korean architect Minsuk Cho speaks in advance of his keynote lecture taking place during GSAPP Alumni Weekend. After graduating from the M. Arch program in 1992, he established Cho Slade Architecture in 1998, with fellow GSAPP alumnus James Slade. In 2003, Cho returned to Korea to open his own firm, Mass Studies, to great success - winning the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 2015 Venice Biennial.

In this GSAPP Conversations Bonus Episode, Cho discusses how his time at GSAPP and in New York changed his perspective and career and how contemporary Korean architecture differs from American equivalent. He also touches on some of his latest projects, including a publicly funded film and arts space.

"I actually looked back at my portfolio of six semesters worth of work and I was completely shocked at how each project has related to what I’ve been doing as a practising architect. It’s really like a preview of my career”

–Minsuk Cho

More information on Mass Studies at http://www.massstudies.com/

More information on the Alumni Weekend at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/900-columbia-gsapp-all-alumni-party