Siamak Hariri: How do you build a sacred space?
Siamak Hairiri: Wie erschafft man einen heiligen Raum?
Siamak Hariri holds deep respect for the transformative potential of architecture, specializing in creating works of enduring value. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
that I studied at some 30 years ago
vor etwa 30 Jahren studiert habe,
from the wonderful art gallery
der wunderbaren Kunstgalerie,
architect Louis Kahn.
Architekten Louis Kahn.
and I used to visit it quite often.
und ich habe es oft besucht.
across the concrete wall.
über die Betonwand strich.
was moved by the building
den Wachmann bewegte
und weiß noch, wie ich dachte:
a reaction of the heart.
eine Reaktion des Herzens.
the emotional response.
und nach einer emotionalen Reaktion.
an open call for designs
Ausschreibung statt,
von Südamerika zu entwerfen.
in all of South America.
in ganz Südamerika,
for the Bahá'í community,
für die Bahai-Gemeinschaft,
of the continental temples
für einen ganzen Kontinent sein,
for national and local temples to be built
für Länder und Gemeinden
nine entrances, nine paths,
neun Eingänge, neun Wege,
from all directions,
Richtungen betreten werden kann.
in the Bahá'í faith.
gibt es keine Geistlichen.
walks of life, backgrounds,
Gesellschaftsschicht, Herkunft,
churches for Christianity
ersten Kirchen für das Christentum
Moscheen für den Islam.
what's sacred today?
was heute heilig ist?
from the Bahá'í writings,
aus den Bahai-Schriften gestoßen,
which is already very interesting --
was an sich schon interessant ist --
will become ashine.
zu leuchten beginnen.
of the inner and the outer,
von Innen und Außen,
and you say, "That person is radiant."
"Das ist ein strahlender Mensch."
how could we make something
wie könnten wir daraus
it becomes alive.
wenn man es durch Licht küsst."
a single form of emanation
eine einzelne Form von Ausstrahlung,
was looking too much like an egg.
ähnelte zu sehr einem Ei.
letting the process take you,
bei der man vom Prozess geleitet wird
of a plant moving in light,
die sich im Licht bewegt.
could have reach,
viele erreichen könnte,
could mean movement and stillness,
Bewegung und Stille bedeuten könnte,
as is humanly possible,
wie menschenmöglich ist,
well, what is perfection?
of this Japanese basket
dieses japanischen Korbes stieß.
of perfection need to be challenged,
von Perfektion müssten hinterfragt werden,
of this basket, this wonkiness,
dieses Korbes, diese Unvollkommenheit,
of what you might imagine a shoulder
wie man sich eine Schulter vorstellt
folding but torquing --
sondern auch von Drehung --
and the way it was reaching.
wie sie sich nach oben streckte.
an interesting form,
und der Eingänge.
were received from 80 countries,
aus 80 Ländern eingereicht,
of how to build it.
wie er gebaut werden sollte.
many experiments with materials,
this kind of shimmer,
Schimmer erzeugt werden könnte
as you know, is very strong,
ist Borosilikat-Glas sehr fest,
just so and melt them
about two years to make.
dessen Herstellung zwei Jahre dauerte.
something with a soft light,
etwas mit sanftem Licht,
but on the inside you touch it.
aber innen berühren Sie es.
in a huge quarry in Portugal
in einem riesigen Steinbruch in Portugal
for seven generations in his family,
Generationen in Familienbesitz behielt.
if you can believe it.
Projekt gewartet -- unglaublich.
es ist schön,
it has that translucent quality.
miteinander verbunden
wie das Gebäude errichtet wird,
all individual shapes,
alle individuell geformt.
with aerospace technology,
mit Raumfahrttechnologie,
wie Sie sich vorstellen können,
of our $30 million budget
überschritten wir nur um drei Prozent,
to that beautiful quote,
auf das schöne Zitat:
des Sonnenaufgangs eingefangen,
of mysterious ways.
mysteriöse Weise eingefangen.
14 years ago when we made the submission,
den Entwurf vor 14 Jahren vorlegten,
set against the Andes.
where we ended up,
waren wir am Ende genau dort.
nothing but pure nature,
vor nichts als unberührter Natur
nothing but the city below you,
sieht man unter sich nichts als die Stadt.
in alle Richtungen sehen.
bei der Eröffnungszeremonie --
from all over South America,
ihre Dörfer verlassen hatten.
belongs to people,
dieser Tempel den Menschen,
and walks of life,
und Gesellschaftsschichten,
is what it feels like on the inside;
das man im Innern hat,
von denen, die kommen,
as that security guard,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Siamak Hariri - ArchitectSiamak Hariri holds deep respect for the transformative potential of architecture, specializing in creating works of enduring value.
Why you should listen
Siamak Hariri is a founding Partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, a 120 person practice based in Toronto. His portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized buildings has won over 60 awards, including the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, celebrated as one of Canada’s Artists who mattered most by the Globe and Mail and with his Partner David Pontarini, the 2013 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Architectural Firm Award.
One of Hariri's earliest HPA projects, the Canadian headquarters of McKinsey & Company, is the youngest building to receive City of Toronto heritage landmark designation. He has recently completed public and private projects include the award-winning Richard Ivey Building, Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, the Jackman Law Building for the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, the Schulich School of Business at York University and the Integrated Health Sciences campus, with the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy and the McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in downtown Kitchener.
In the fall of 2016, Hariri completed a project he began in 2003, the Bahá’í Temple of South American, located in Santiago, Chile, the last of the Bahá’í continental temples. Won through an international call and a rigorous design competition (185 entries from 80 countries) the temple is poised to become an architectural landmark at the foothill of the Andes. It has already won some of the top architecture awards including the RAIC Innovation Award, the World Architecture News Best Building of the Year (selected by ninety-seven judges around the world); Architect Magazine’s Progressive Architecture Award (architecture’s top unbuilt projects award); the Canadian Architect’s Award of Excellence; the International Property Awards and was profiled by National Geographic Magazine.
Hariri is currently working on the complex Princess Margaret Space Transformation Project and has recently won two international design competitions, the first, the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, and the second, selected from over 92 international architects, for the new Tom Patterson Theatre, poised to become the heart of the Stratford Festival.
Born in Bonn, Germany, Hariri was educated at the University of Waterloo and Yale University where he completed a Master of Architecture. He has taught at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, as well as been a lecturer and guest critic for numerous organizations across North America. Hariri was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Architecture from Ryerson University for his contribution to architecture in Canada and abroad. The University of Toronto also honored him with an Arbor Award for his contribution to the University experience as a lecturer and adjunct professor. Hariri lives in Toronto with his artist wife, Sasha Rogers and their three children; Lua, Yasmin and David.
Siamak Hariri | Speaker | TED.com