The relevance of certain debates within Architecture is eternal, Architect Bill Chomik touches upon one such topic in this TED talk held at the Ampersand, Calgary. Architect Chomik explores the depths of “The Power of Architecture” and presents it eloquently to a wide range of audiences. The construct of discourse is such that it targets the common man as much as it targets Architects and Architecture students.
About the Orator
Architect Bill Chomik with over four decades of experience has designed over 700 buildings across the globe and served in important positions in several organizations including the President of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the chair of the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) Banff Sessions, chair of the Calgary Urban Design Review Panel, chair of the Calgary Downtown Business Revitalization Zone, and chair of the Calgary Science Centre. Throughout his career, he staunchly focused on the community and the socio-psychological potential of architecture. He believed in architecture for its power to enhance people’s lives. He is one of the few architects who advocates equal weight to the form and function of architecture. He has been awarded the AAA Tom Sutherland Award for Lifetime Achievement in Architecture, the AAA Awards of Excellence, and a Governor General Medal for Architecture for his professional excellence and dedication. He currently chairs the Calgary Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.
Dissecting the Discourse
Architect Bill Chomik initiates the talk with an array of questions which he answers towards the end, until then he lets the audience ponder upon these questions. The subjects, the people, in fact, immediate family members like mother, son, and daughter, take center stage in these questions and are carefully crafted without the use of words like “architecture”, “space”, or “built environment” which only professionals appreciate. By doing so, he amplifies the “The Power of Architecture”, the soci-psychological potential, the capability of architecture in making human lives better, and not the glory and beauty of architecture in itself.
Architect Bill Chomik believes that architecture has the ability to enhance the quality of life that people live which in turn increases longevity, enhances mental health, improves learning, and creates a sense of pride and community. However, he also admits that some buildings are “mundane” and only “great architecture, superior in quality” has that power. His assertion regarding the power of architecture stands on the grounds of the psychological impact that architecture creates. Architect Chomik reinforces his opinions by quoting others including Mies van der Rohe, David Allan Coe, and Winston Churchill, besides pointing out the Book “The Power of Architecture” written by Architect Louis Kahn. Further, he substantiates his assertion while also answering the questions that he asked initially by showing mundane and architectural buildings of the same functional typology, differentiating the experience in both the buildings and again questioning which environment will be more rewarding. Quoting Vitruvius, he claims that architecture should provide more than just shelter, it should provide pleasure, be of use, enhance optimism in the users, and move their spirit, which he further explains with the case studies of The Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, The Calgary Court Center, The Calgary Central Library and The National Music Center.
Importantly, he addresses the gap between architects, the built environment, and the common people who inhabit these spaces on a daily basis. He suggests ways in which people can be involved in making their surroundings better, how they can identify and appreciate good quality spaces, and how they can think and feel like architects. He narrates an episode from his life, his encounter with superior quality architecture, at one of Architect Louis Kahn’s buildings, the Salk Institute in California, which was humbling and transformative for him. By sharing the impact of architecture on him at Salk Institute, he suggests that everyone, even the common people, should indulge in identifying and exploring such architecture, as now they possess the “eyes of an architect” and thus their experience will be life-changing.
Final Thoughts
The space vs form debate, and the theory of Sensory Architecture, all narrow down to the psychological impact, an experience that architecture is capable of creating. With the careful articulation of architectural space, an optimistic psychological impact can be achieved which in turn enhances the overall satisfaction, health, productivity, and efficiency of the inhabitant. Architecture is majestic, architecture is powerful, yet has architecture changed the lives of the people? What is “mundane” and what is “superior quality architecture”? If architecture could initiate a change in the lives of people, then why the majority of the surrounding buildings are mundane? Maybe the gap between architects, architecture, and the people who inhabit them could be one of the reasons. As Architect Chomik culminates, if people actively participate in making design decisions, the quality of spaces around them could be improved, thus enhancing the overall quality of their lives. Thus, enlightening and empowering people, indeed helps architecture unfold its power.
Reference List
- TEDxTalks (2023). The Power of Architecture | Bill Chomik | TEDxCalgary. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgv0UFlb1Nw&t=7s [Accessed 23 Nov. 2023].
