The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein

Moshe Safdie: Reflections and Ideals in Architecture

8 snips
Oct 5, 2022
Moshe Safdie, a renowned architect behind iconic projects like Habitat 67, shares insights from his remarkable career and new memoir, "If Walls Could Speak." He reflects on overcoming obstacles in innovative architecture and the pivotal mentorship of Louis Kahn. Safdie discusses the importance of integrating nature into urban design, drawing from his experiences in Asia, particularly the Marina Bay Sands project. He also contemplates architecture's role in confronting 21st-century sustainability challenges and the balance of personal and familial expectations.
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INSIGHT

Scaling in Architecture

  • Designing large building groups requires different disciplines than designing a house.
  • Successful small-scale architects can fail when projects scale up.
ANECDOTE

Early Life Memories

  • Moshe Safdie's early memories include wartime experiences in Haifa, like air raid shelters and safety measures.
  • He also remembers traveling to Lebanon during wartime for his sister's birth, recalling the landscape.
ANECDOTE

Kibbutz Influence

  • Before architecture, Safdie was immersed in the kibbutz and youth movement culture during his youth in Israel.
  • This included agricultural work, hiking, and a socialist ideology which influenced him greatly.
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