I.M. Pei
貝聿銘
1917年4月16日 - 2019年5月16日
貝聿銘是華裔美籍建築師,被譽為「現代主義建築的最後大師」。1979年他設計了約翰甘迺迪圖書館(John F. Kennedy Library),此建築公認為美國建築史上最佳傑作之一,為此他獲得了美國建築師學會(AIA)金質獎章,而後在1983年,獲頒建築界最高榮譽的普利茲獎(Pritzker Prize)。
貝聿銘作品以公共建築、文教建築為主,非常擅長使用光線做設計,風格上帶有現代主義的精簡線條,卻也不失東方禪味。貝聿銘一生設計了許多作品,其中最具代表性為約翰甘迺迪圖書館、法國巴黎羅浮宮玻璃金字塔、香港中國銀行大廈。
貝聿銘曾多次來台設計建築,如合掌造型的東海大學路思義教堂(與陳其寬共同設計)、運用唯美玻璃帷幕打造的新北市八里焚化廠、和新竹市焚化廠,都成為不少新人婚紗拍攝勝地。
Success is a collection of problems solved.
將解決的問題積累起來就是成功。
Architecture is the very mirror of life. You only have to cast your eyes on buildings to feel the presence of the past, the spirit of a place; they are the reflection of society.
建築就是生命的反射。你只需看著建築物就能感受到過往,感受一個地方的靈魂,它們就是社會的倒影。
I understand that time has changed, we have evolved. But I don’t want to forget the beginning. A lasting architecture has to have roots.
我知道時代轉變了,我們成長了。但我不想忘記開端,因為經得住時間考驗的建築必須擁有根基
節錄自2010年由英國皇家建築師學會皇家金獎(RIBA Royal Gold Medal)釋出的訪談影片。
I am always fascinated by the West. It's not so much the education that I was looking to. I'm looking forward to seeing something entirely new. In all my life, I lived in China. I've never been outside of a very small confined area, so it's only natural that I would fancy myself going somewhere far away. I had my wish. I would say that the modern movement was very much ingrained in me because of the personalities that I associated with. I consider myself the second generation after Gropius, Speer and Otto. I thought I was very fortunate to be able to learn from these masters, but they turned out to be more than masters to me, turned out to be friends.
我一直以來對西方文化相當著迷,但對教育卻沒那麼大的興趣,我真正期盼的是看到全新的事物。我大半輩子一直都生活在中國,限制在一小塊區域中,不曾離開。所以很自然會想出去看看外面的世界,後來我的夢想成真。我認為現代主義的建築革新運動根深在我腦海中,這與我的個人特質關聯密切。我自認為是這場現代主義運動的第二代傳承,接續Gropius、Speer和Otto三位建築大師[註]。我真的很信幸運能向大師們學習,他們不只是老師,更像是朋友。
[註] Walter Gropius為國際現代建築的先驅、包浩斯學校創立者;Frei Paul Otto對現代建築的張拉膜結構的改造貢獻良多;Albert Speer為二戰希特勒的御用建築師,擅長大型公共建築及城市規劃。
When you think about urban renewal, you're not thinking about buildings. You're thinking about how to heal the wounds, so you have to be young and altruistic. I was then.
當我們想到都市更新,我們並不是在想建築建設,而是如何治療傷口。所以你必須保持一顆年輕又無私的心靈,我當時就是如此。
Kips Bay Plaza 基普斯灣廣場:1963年,美國紐約
Kips Bay is very important to me because I had nothing to show at that time in New York. At that time, Kips Bay was a very different area, a very poor neighborhood. In the very beginning, we looked upon Kips Bay not as a single piece of architecture, but as an organic whole to create a community.
基普斯灣廣場對我的意義非常重大,因為我當時在紐約還沒有任何作品或經驗。當時的基普斯灣附近和其他地區相比很不一樣,是個非常貧窮的社區。我們不曾將基普斯灣看作是建築物,而是視為一個完整的有機生命,打造一個社區。
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Society Hill Towers 社會山塔:1964年,美國費城
Philadelphia Society Hill at that time was a dilapidated area and that was a very good example of what urban redevelopment can do, I remember. It really took combination of civic and professional leadership. Society Hill luckily had it.
當時的費城社會山塔附近是個非常老舊的區域,但社會山塔證明了都市更新的潛力,我還記得那次的成功。當時真的多虧了市民與專家引導的合作。總之,社會山塔很幸運能有這麼多人參與其中。
Photo credit: Wikipedia
The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington國家藝廊東館:1978年,美國華盛頓
John Russell Pope, who did the original wing of the National Gallery, set the standard for all of us to look at the new classic. The East Wing, I would say, is a break from that tradition, and how to make that break and not lose the connection was my challenge. I never wanted to be a revolutionary, and I like to evolve along those lines. I wanted somehow the two to join.
原本的藝廊是由約翰.羅素.波普所建立,他是新古典主義建築[註]的模範。對於新造的東館,我認為是對傳統的突破,如何在創新與傳統之間維持平衡是最大的挑戰。我從未想成為建築界的革命分子,我只是喜歡在傳統上加些巧思。我希望這兩者能以某種方式結合在一起。
[註]新古典主義建築脫離了古典主義的繁複,保留了古希臘、羅馬的建築特色,但卻將線條簡化,反對華麗的裝飾,並以儉樸的風格為主。
(photo credit: National Gallery of Art)
Louvre 羅浮宮玻璃金字塔:1989年,法國巴黎
I think the East Wing was a new building, so therefore, I think that, in the East Wing, I was free to create, and make the connection really underground. The Louvre was a project where I had to take into consideration for its long history, so the challenge was very different. I think that the making of the public space was a challenge for the Louvre. The Louvre before that is just a scattering object. On the Parisian scene, I tried to join them together to make it whole. In some ways, the public space, where the pyramid is, was really the challenge. It was a challenge! I think that I did something there which at least tells you what Louvre is today.
我認為設計國家藝廊東館是去建造一棟全新的建築,所以我還能儘情發揮創造,讓傳統與創新用隱晦的方式連結起來。然而,羅浮宮的設計就必須考量背後長遠悠久的歷史,因此,這項挑戰異常艱鉅。我覺得為羅浮宮設計公共空間是項挑戰,以前的羅浮宮脫離了巴黎的市容,所以我想方設法將兩者結合為一幅完整的市景。某種程度來說,設計金字塔所在的公共空間是最大的難題。我也確實感到非常苦惱!但我認為我達到目的了,至少告訴眾人什麼才是屬於現在獨有的羅浮宮。
當初在1980年代初,羅浮宮的玻璃金字塔設計曾在法國掀起排山倒海的反對聲浪。
(Photo credit: Shutterstock)
It started with such promise, just like his life. As time went on, it fizzled. Yes, it was built. How long? 14 years. During those 14 years, the name Kennedy went up and came down. Can you imagine? Only 14 years! In the beginning, there were nickels-and-dimes from children that filled coffers within a matter of months. Toward the end, very few people even interested in it. We went all over the eastern seaboard, looking for a local site. In the beginning, everybody wanted us. Toward the end, we were turned down; Harvard even turned us down. Finally, we ended up in south Boston. It shows you something about memory: People's memories very short.
約翰甘迺迪圖書館當初從承諾中誕生,就像總統甘迺迪的人生。但隨著時光飛逝,承諾逐漸破滅。這棟建築的確被建造出來了,但前後總共花了多久?14年。這14年中,甘迺迪的傳奇崛起又衰落。你能想像嗎?只有14年!計畫起初,還有小孩特別捐了小筆小筆的錢,這些錢在幾個月內,裝滿了一個又一個的箱子。然而等到建築計畫完成時,卻沒什麼人願意再關注這件事了。我們當初為了選址,跑遍整個美國東岸,起初,所有人都搶破頭,然而,計畫完成之後,我們卻頻頻遭拒,就連哈佛也拒絕我們了,最終,我們才選定在目前的南波士頓。這經驗告訴我們,人們的記憶非常的短暫,稍縱即逝。
約翰甘迺迪圖書館(John F. Kennedy Library),被譽為美國建築史上傑作之一。
其原定的地點原本是選在哈佛,後來才改到多切斯特海邊(Dorchester)的泥濘地。
(Photo credit: Shutterstock)
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收錄於英語島 2019年6月號
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