A conversation with Ricardo Bak Gordon. "PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE"
14/06/2019.
[VIDEO] by Itinerant Office
metalocus, ASIER GOICOECHEA
metalocus, ASIER GOICOECHEA
Itinerant Office presented this week the seventh chapter of the second season of "PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE: about being an architect, yesterday, today and beyond". During the days 10, 12 and 13 of June each one of the 3 interviews made to Ricardo Bak Gordon, founder of the firm bak gordon arquitectos was premiered.
Ricardo in the beginning of his career. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia model. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia model. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia project plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia project plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia project plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Brasilia project plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Ricardo with Paulo Mendes da Rocha, 1996. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Boliqueime House plans. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Bak gordon arquitectos. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Bak gordon arquitectos. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
School Romanshorn. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
School Romanshorn. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
School Romanshorn. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
House in Costa do Castelo. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
House in Costa do Castelo. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
House in Costa do Castelo. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
House in Costa do Castelo. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Residence at Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Residence at Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Residence at Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Roman Theatre Miradouro Romano. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Roman Theatre Miradouro Romano. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
Roman Theatre Miradouro Romano. Image courtesy of Itinerant Office.
On this occasion, Gianpiero Venturini interviewed the architect Ricardo Bak Gordon with the aim of investigating his career and finding out his opinion about the ever-changing profession of architect. In addition, he ended with a piece of advice to inspire new generations.
PAST questions the conditions that allowed him to embark on a path of success that led his study to be among the most internationally recognized. Ricardo tells us that he took him to study architecture, anecdotes and some of his first commissions.
PAST questions the conditions that allowed him to embark on a path of success that led his study to be among the most internationally recognized. Ricardo tells us that he took him to study architecture, anecdotes and some of his first commissions.
Gianpiero Venturini: What are some of the themes that you were interested in the beginning and how has it evolved throughout your career?
Ricardo Bak Gordon: “I think that we balance very much between architects that stress on continuity, on processes of adding and continuing the meanings of the constructive world and those that feel a need of invention, of permanent complete invention - I am not one of those architects. I like to feel that continuity, the dialogue and keep adding small elements that would be understood in the process of time. That is something more important for me”.
Ricardo Bak Gordon: “I think that we balance very much between architects that stress on continuity, on processes of adding and continuing the meanings of the constructive world and those that feel a need of invention, of permanent complete invention - I am not one of those architects. I like to feel that continuity, the dialogue and keep adding small elements that would be understood in the process of time. That is something more important for me”.
PRESENT helps us, through knowledge of the unique characteristics of his firm, to understand how his firm works and how it has grown over time. With this interview we get an overview of your practice and can understand the reasons for your success.
GV: In my opinion, today, architects of any generation - from the youngest to the more experienced - are not perceived as close to the people and not good at communicating to the rest of the world what architects do. What do you think about this issue?
RBG: “I think that architects have been, for different reasons, put aside of the most strategic decisions of the construction world - cities, planning, urban planning, political decisions about development, etc. Architects once played an important role in these strategic moments, either designing cities, thinking about housing, putting together politics and architecture. (…) The architects have been pushed more and more every time to the end of this line and just asked to come to make the beautiful things. I think it’s very dangerous that architects allow themselves to play that role because that’s how we will become more put aside from society”.
RBG: “I think that architects have been, for different reasons, put aside of the most strategic decisions of the construction world - cities, planning, urban planning, political decisions about development, etc. Architects once played an important role in these strategic moments, either designing cities, thinking about housing, putting together politics and architecture. (…) The architects have been pushed more and more every time to the end of this line and just asked to come to make the beautiful things. I think it’s very dangerous that architects allow themselves to play that role because that’s how we will become more put aside from society”.
FUTURE seeks to deliberate on issues of today and tomorrow. The architect deals with a series of key concepts that represent his approach, while at the same time trying to anticipate future trends in architecture. The interview closes with a piece of advice given to new generations of architects and students.
GV: What is a message you would like to tell the younger generation who are facing the profession today?
RBG: “As I said before, I trust very much in continuity. And continuity means to try to see in the best way you can, in a sensitive way, to look around and to see what are the questions the world is asking you. And try to be a participant in this process, in a sensitive way, and not trying to come up with this ultimate invention. (…) If someone can come up with an invention like that in architecture, it’ll be very welcome, but I don’t think we all can do it. So for the new generations: I think you have to find enthusiasm in being a part of a process of continuity”.
RBG: “As I said before, I trust very much in continuity. And continuity means to try to see in the best way you can, in a sensitive way, to look around and to see what are the questions the world is asking you. And try to be a participant in this process, in a sensitive way, and not trying to come up with this ultimate invention. (…) If someone can come up with an invention like that in architecture, it’ll be very welcome, but I don’t think we all can do it. So for the new generations: I think you have to find enthusiasm in being a part of a process of continuity”.
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
More information
Ricardo Bak Gordon. Bak Gordon Arquitectos
The studio Bak Gordon Arquitectos was founded in 2002 by Ricardo Bak Gordon (1967). He graduated in 1990 from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. During his studies he also attended Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto and Politecnico di Milano. He was teaching at the Integrated Master Degree (MSc) in Architecture at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon between 2009 and 2019, and at the Escuela de Arquitectura da Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, between 2017 and 2019.
He was also a Visiting Design Critic between 2015 and 2017 at Harvard GSD, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He lectured (and/or attended as a visiting teacher) at several universities and institutions such as Universidad de Navarra, Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, IUAV di Venezia, and Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona.
His activity as an architect has been developed since 1990, and in the year 2002, he created the studio Bak Gordon Arquitectos, where currently works.
He was the author of the Portugal Pavilion in ExpoZaragoza 2008, the Portugal Pavilion in São Paulo Biennale 2007, and the exhibition project of Lisbon International Architecture Trienal 2007. He has designed, in co-authorship, the new National Coach Museum in Lisbon.
He has built work both in the private and public domain, which stands out as processes in schools, carried out in Portugal and Switzerland.
His work as an architect was present in several exhibitions in Portugal, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Macau, South Korea, and Japan; and was published in prestigious editions of the specialty.
He was a nominee for the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2009, 2011, and 2022; winner of the FAD Prize 2011 (Barcelona, Spain), BIAU Prize 2012 (Cádiz, Spain), CICA Prize BA2015 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and APCA Prize (São Paulo, Brazil). He was one of Portugal’s representatives at the Venice Biennale in 2010, 2012, and 2018, and in the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial. His work integrates the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) architecture collection.
In 2019, he was awarded a prize by the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) for his work as a whole.
In 2021 he was awarded the international prize BIGMAT and in 2022 the Portuguese National Prize for Architecture FORMA.
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