人物访谈

1、可以和读者们分享一下您在学习建筑学方面的经验吗？有没有什么事情给您留下深刻印象？

因为我们俩都在各自的大学教建筑学，所以比较容易回想多年以前自己的学习情况。大学时期是一个探索发现的时期。幸运的是，我们的导师都比较有影响力。是他们激发我们对建筑学的兴趣，帮助并引导我们进行探索。

作为80年代初期的建筑系学生，我们不断地探索如何超越当时盛行的现代主义模式，明确建筑学的真正价值。然而实际上，我们更渴望在现实生活中去摸索和实践。所以，毕业后我们就立即成立了自己的公司。但现实让我们清醒地意识到，自己还有更多需要学习的东西。

2、自1986年创立Kimmel-Eshkolot Architects建筑事务所以来，已经有30多年了。能否和读者们分享您是如何保持对建筑设计的热情的？

最开始的时候，我们设计了一个很小的餐厅，后来承接的项目越来越大，获得的收益也日渐客观。于是事务所的规模开始逐渐扩大。虽然我们接到的任务越来越有难度，却也觉得非常有趣，乐在其中。

我们始终尽可能地让设计作品多样化，不局限于某些特定领域。这样我们可以涉及从室内设计到城市规划整个建筑领域的各种规模和类型的项目。我们相信，这样广泛涉猎，不固步自封，可以使我们保持一种敏锐性，不断丰富作品成果。

3、您是如何开始一个项目的设计的？一般设计理念源于哪里，是如何形成的呢？

好的设计可能有多种来源。设计的灵感可以来源于其地点——建筑所在地。

在建筑所在地寻找可能的启发（就像我们经常打比方说，建筑已经在那了，建筑师要做的就是发现它），认真分析周边的格局、地势、气候、以及城市和物理环境，充分发掘能够与设计项目相关联的因素。

另外，也可以从设计的需求入手，也就是明确建筑的功能——为什么建造这个项目。

深入了解设计项目的需求，是要建造一个实体的、精神的、还是象征性的建筑。要明确建筑的使用人群，及其与建筑功能之间的关系……

实践中，我们还发现了另一个途径——如何构建建筑。

我们该如何构建这个项目，建筑的构造应该是怎样的，可以采用哪些技术。如何让构建方法融入建筑理念，如何保证所选用的技术不仅仅可以支持建筑理念，更源自于建筑理念。

4、作为一家以色列公司，您大部分作品都在以色列，那么当地的文化和气候对您的设计有什么样的影响？

我们一直注重项目与其背景之间的联系，包括地点、气候、物理环境、城市环境和文化背景。我们所有的项目都是室内和室外空间的融合或组合，具有双重功能。另一方面，我们追求建筑的通用品质，例如：符合人类需求，具备空间移动性，完善照明质量等。

5、您在以色列完成了很多设计项目。关于建筑与不同城市环境的融合，您有哪些经验和想法可以和我们分享？

每座城市都会形成自己的独特环境，我们需要根据建筑所在环境去进行设计。比如位于Beer Sheva市工业郊区的“Beit Halochem”康复中心，就设计为一个内向型建筑，进而形成自己的空间。而Tel Aviv市的Gallery Forum则设计为外向型建筑，以更好地融入周边的城市环境。

6、您主要是侧重于建筑设计，那么对于大规模城市设计，您的工作原则是什么？您理想中的规模是多大？

多年来，我们越来越重视城市规划与设计的意义。因为城市规划与设计在很多方面影响着我们的生活，是决定一个城市品质的根本要素。比构成城市基础的建筑更为重要。也正因为如此，我们发现城市设计的规模是工作中重要且值得研究的一点。

工作中，我们研究如何实现不同的城市开发强度，如何将城市中各个方面（包括时间方面）整合到我们的城市项目中。

7、“Rishon LeZion城市大道”项目荣获2014年一等奖。这是您与荷兰建筑师和都市学家Hans Davidson的合作项目。能和我们分享一下您此次合作的经验吗？

此次与荷兰城市规划专家Hans Davidson（已故）的合作很成功，项目耗费的时间也很长。我们在以色列3个重要的城市竞赛中胜出，其中一个获奖作品是耶路撒冷政府宿舍。Hans专注于研究城市规模，对我们的设计给予了很大帮助。

8、20世纪80年代您对Neve Tzedek进行了翻新和保护，是什么促使您进行这个项目的呢？

1986年我们大学毕业（海法理工学院）的时候，正是以色列经济萧条最严重的时期。建筑师几乎接不到任何项目，我们只能自己找出路。Neve Tzedek是Tel Aviv市一个破旧的老街区，住在那里的居民能搬走的都搬走了。但我们认为老街区有着独特的魅力和巨大的潜力。因此，我们找到留在那里的五户人家，跟他们说了自己的计划，然后说服他们和我们一起把这块地买下来，由我们进行设计。这一项目标志着这一老街区高档化的开始。

事实证明这是一个明智的决定。Neve Tzedek越来越多的人找到我们。随着业务的扩展，我们有了资金，成立了自己的公司。几年后，我们负责设计了当地的社区中心。Neve Tzedek变成了Tel Aviv市的时尚区，很受欢迎。我们也留在那里生活和工作。

9、能否和我们的读者分享一下您从事这个行业以来最具挑战性的项目？

毫无疑问，最具挑战性的项目肯定是Har Herzl Memorial纪念馆，因为当时在政府事务方面遇到了很大的阻力。那是一个漫长的过程，我们要与很多委员会沟通，以征得各方的理解和同意。对我们来说，进行一个各层面都成功的项目非常重要，从个人到社会，从普通到深刻。

10、您如何看待中国当代建筑？如果有机会，你想设计什么样的项目？

我们对中国的当代建筑很感兴趣，它带给我们一种新鲜感，体现出中国伟大的文化和精神底蕴。如果有机会，我们将很乐意设计文化和教育项目以及城市规划项目。

11、您认为建筑领域有哪些发展趋势和方向？

参数化设计将成为主导。无论是建筑设计还是城市规划，计算机都将成为关键。随着高度复杂的三维“绘图表”技术的发展，计算机无疑成了不可或缺的设计工具。 关于这一领域未来的发展方向，我认为是寻找能够优化建筑方案的算法，或者寻找可以帮助我们应对城市设计复杂性的算法。

1. Would you like to share with our readers your experiences in learning architecture? Is there anything that impressed you most?

Since we both teach architecture in various universities - we always can refiect to our own learning experience many years ago.Those years were a period of discovery. Luckily, we had some infiuential tutors that inspired us and helped us to steer our passion for architecture.

Being an architecture student in the early eighties – we were very busy exploring how to reach beyond the modernistic paradigm that ruled the profession and it’s sober functionality.However, we were eager to explore the profession in real life so immediately after graduating we have started our ownfirm just tofind out that we have so much more to learn.

2. It's been over 30 years since you founded Kimmel-Eshkolot Architects in 1986. Could you share with our readers how you have maintained the great passion for architectural design?

The office gradually grew with projects starting from a design of a very small restaurant and slowly getting bigger and bigger commissions, we enjoyed the process of receiving more complex and interesting projects with the time.We always kept the variety of projects, never confining ourselves to specificfields, this way we can enjoy the different scales and types of projects in the full spectrum of architecture from interior design to urban planning.We believe that by doing so we also keep a certain sensitivity that enriches the projects, as knowledge and informationfioat between the scales.

3. How do you start the design of a project?And how the design concepts are activated and generated?

There are many possible generators for good architecture. The way that can lead to the design could start from the site – the WHERE

Discovering what are the hints coming from the site (following the well-known paraphrase that the project is already there and the architect only has tofind it..) carefully analyzing the site, the landscape, the topography, the climate,the urban and physical context and understanding the possible connections to and from the project- this will generate the design.

But one can choose a route that derives from understanding the need for this project, its functions – the WHY

A deep understanding of what is the reason for this project - whether it’s a physical need or a spiritual or symbolic one, it’s to understand who this project is for, what is the relationship between the functions…

But we alwaysfind another interesting route in our design process and that is- the HOW

How should we build this project, what is the tectonic of the building, its technology, how can wefind a building method that is a part of the architectural idea, a technology that comes not only to serve the idea but to be part of it .

4. As an Israel-based firm, you carry out most of your designs in Israel. How would the regional culture and climate affect and influence yourdesign?

We strongly believe in connecting the project to its context whether it is the site, the climate, the physical or urban context and the cultural context.We see all our projects as compounds or assemblies of interior and exterior spaces– functioning together.On the other hand we search for the universal qualities of architecture, Such as the human scale, the motion in space and quality of light, etc.

5. You accomplished a lot of projects in Israel. What experience and ideas do you have for integrating architecture into different urban environments?

Urban context varies - There are projects such as the rehabilitation center "Beit Halochem" in Beer Sheva which is situated in an industrial suburb of the city – thus generating a more introverted project- so as to create its own surrounding were on the other hand our Gallery Forum in Tel Aviv is a very extrovert building celebrating the urban life around it.

6. Your projects mainly focus on architectural design. What is your working principles for a larger scale urban design? What is the ideal scale for you?

With the years we tend to better understand the importance of thefield of urban planning and design. It is effecting our lives in so many ways, and in the end it is the urban quality that will define the city’s quality, much more than the architectural qualities of the buildings that create the urban setting. This is the reason that wefind the scale of urban design so interesting and important, to work with.

In our work, we research how to create different urban intensities, and how to overlap all the layers of a city including the layers of time into our urban projects.

7. The project "Rishon LeZion Urban Avenue"won the first prize in 2014. And you cooperated with Hans Davidson, the Netherland architect and urbanologist. Can you share the feeling of this cooperation experience?

Our collaboration with the (late) Dutch urbanist Hans Davidson was a successful collaboration taking place for a long period of time. We have won together 3 important urban competitions in Israel including the design of the government quarters in Jerusalem. Specializing in the urban scale Hans certainly contributed depth to our urban solutions.

8. What prompted your interest in the renovation and conservation of Neve Tzedek in the 1980s?

1986 the year we came out of the university (the Technion in Haifa) was the peak of a financial recession in Israel with absolutely no work for architects, so we had to invent our own path, Neve Tzedek was a rundown old neighborhood of Tel Aviv abandoned by whoever could leave this area, but we found it charming and full of potential, this is why we have gathered a group of 5 families, made some sketches for a vacant site and convinced them to buy the land together with us, and let us be the architects, It was thefirst project that marked the gentrification of this neighborhood.

It turned out to be a fantastic decision – and we started to get more and more small commissions in Neve Tzedek that helped us to establish ourfirm and after a few years to design the community center of the area. Neve Tzedek became a very fashionable desired area in Tel Aviv and we live and work there ever since.

9. Would you like to share with our readers the most challenging project since you took up the profession?

Undoubtedly the Har Herzl Memorial, being a project that deals with painful issues on the national level. It was a long process, where we had to meet many committees and build up a broad understanding and consent. It was important for us to have a project that’s interpretable on many different levels, from the personal to the social, and from the prosaic to the abstract.

10. What do you think the contemporary architecture in China? If you have a chance, what kind of project you’d like to design?

We are fascinated with contemporary architecture in China when it brings out something new and fresh, with local infiuence of the great Chinese culture and spirit. We would love to design projects of culture and education programs, as well as urban planning.

11. What do you think the trend and development direction of the future architecture?

Parametric design is the future– both in architecture and in urban planning, the computers arefinely becoming this amazing tool from the stage of being a highly sophisticated 3 dimensional "drawing table" they become a true tool of the design work. Finding algorithms to optimize an architectural solution or even morefinding the algorithms that could help us to master the complexity of urban design is what we see as the future of our wonderful profession.