Architecture is Awesome #28: Creation is a Patient Search

Notre Dame du Haut, by Le Corbusier (photo by Pino Musi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

This is another in my series of posts inspired by 1000 Awesome Things, the Webby Award-winning blog written by Neil Pasricha. The series is my meditation on the awesome reasons why I was and continue to be attracted to the art of architecture.   

The moment or inspiration that ignites the design process in architecture—the creative spark—is only the beginning. It may come suddenly from a variety of sources, such as personal experiences, the site and context of the project, advances in technology, or even random thoughts. By tapping into these sources of inspiration, the best architects meet the needs of their clients and the community through designs that are thoughtful, functional, and beautiful.
 
That making architecture requires creativity is axiomatic, but the creation of architecture also demands that architects possess technical know-how, an attention to detail, problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate ideas, and a passion for the profession. Patience is another valuable trait. The process of designing and constructing a building can be lengthy, and architects must have the patience to see the project from conception through completion. Patience is also a function of time. Patience is repaid by an accumulation of life experiences and inspirations. Architects spend their entire professional careers learning, amassing an immense body of knowledge. This knowledge informs and enriches their work.  
 
The influential Swiss French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965) memorably described creation as a “patient search.” He believed true innovation could not be rushed or forced. He maintained that a deliberate approach to the creative process was necessary, one that involved careful consideration of form as well as function, and a deep understanding of the social and cultural context in which the architect was designing. Le Corbusier wrote in a passionate and polemical style, often using metaphors and analogies to illustrate his ideas. On the matter of creativity and patience, he said:
 
“I live in an archipelago. My sea is thirty years of accumulation, variously related to intellectual and manual activities. On the ground, here and there, are groups of objects, gear, books, texts, drawings—such are my islands!” (from “Albums Nivola”)
 
The islands Le Corbusier spoke of were the inscription of his life’s experiences upon his consciousness. Placed in the “interior of memory,” they awaited concretization in the form of his buildings and art. He referred to learning as a process of “[seeing] things come to life,” and as the progressive conservation of a bank of interior memories, to be tapped later during the patient search for creativity.
 

“Totem” by Le Corbusier (1963). Painting was a source of creative inspiration for Le Corbusier throughout his life.

 
While Le Corbusier’s brilliance was evident at a young age, he evolved continuously, his work changing profoundly over the course of his long career. He learned from and built upon his previous experiences and output. Frank Lloyd Wright’s prodigious talent likewise progressed as technology and the world around him advanced by leaps and bounds. Neither great architect stood still. Each added to their bank of memories throughout their lives, drawing upon it for the creative spark most appropriate to the design problem at hand. Both understood architecture to be a beneficiary of their patience and experience.
 
Louis Kahn is a notable example of an architect who achieved success relatively late in his career. Despite working in the profession for many years, Kahn would not gain widespread recognition until he was in his 50s and 60s, when he completed a series of highly acclaimed buildings, among them the Salk Institute and the Kimbell Art Museum. Before his success, he dealt with a series of financial and personal setbacks. Despite his struggles, Kahn worked diligently to refine his notions on architecture. Ultimately, his success stemmed from ideas he formulated as a professor teaching. He found inspiration reinterpreting the fundamentals of architecture he learned during his own early studies and travels to historic sites. His personal, patient search for creativity bore its most splendid fruit when his ideas were in their most complete and mature form.
 
Creation requires dedication and perseverance. Architecture is simply not a matter of coming up with a good design concept and executing it quickly. The process is not always easy or straightforward. It requires a willingness to constantly challenge and refine one’s ideas over time. What makes a career in architecture AWESOME is that it rewards persistence and acquired experience in the pursuit of inspiration and new ideas. Learning is a constant, as are moments of frustration. Creation requires exploration, experimentation, and reflection. It truly is a patient search.   
 
Next Architecture is Awesome:  #29 Frozen Music