Siamak Hariri: How do you build a sacred space?
Siamak Hariri: ¿Cómo se construye un lugar sagrado?
Siamak Hariri holds deep respect for the transformative potential of architecture, specializing in creating works of enduring value. Full bio
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that I studied at some 30 years ago
en la que estudié hace unos 30 años
from the wonderful art gallery
de la maravillosa galería de arte
arquitecto Louis Kahn.
architect Louis Kahn.
and I used to visit it quite often.
visitarlo muy a menudo.
pasar la mano sobre el muro de hormigón.
across the concrete wall.
la expresión en su rostro...
was moved by the building
estaba conmovido por el edificio
esa capacidad de conmover.
"Guau. ¿Cómo hace eso la arquitectura?"
aprendiendo a diseñar,
una reacción del corazón.
a reaction of the heart.
la respuesta emocional.
the emotional response.
y lo inconmensurable.
una oportunidad para intentar.
abierta para enviar diseños
an open call for designs
in all of South America.
en toda América del Sur.
for the Bahá'í community,
para la comunidad bahá'í,
of the continental temples
de los templos continentales
de templos nacionales y locales
for national and local temples to be built
nine entrances, nine paths,
nueve entradas, nueve caminos,
from all directions,
desde todas las direcciones.
plenitud, perfección.
pues no hay clero en la fe bahá'í.
in the Bahá'í faith.
con su forma, todo lo contrario.
walks of life, backgrounds,
todos los ámbitos, orígenes,
previos de los que partir.
churches for Christianity
iglesias para el cristianismo
mezquitas para el Islam.
lo que es sagrado hoy?
what's sacred today?
from the Bahá'í writings,
de los escritos bahá'ís,
Lo cual ya es muy interesante...
which is already very interesting --
will become ashine.
corazón se iluminarán.
de lo interno y lo externo,
of the inner and the outer,
and you say, "That person is radiant."
y piensan; "Esa persona es radiante".
how could we make something
algo arquitectónico a partir de eso,
it becomes alive.
besado por la luz, cobra vida.
intermedia capturando la luz.
a single form of emanation
una sola forma de emanación
se parecía demasiado a un huevo.
was looking too much like an egg.
letting the process take you,
dejando que el proceso les lleve.
de una planta moviéndose en la luz,
of a plant moving in light,
could have reach,
podía extenderse,
could mean movement and stillness,
podía significar movimiento y quietud,
como sea humanamente posible,
as is humanly possible,
well, what is perfection?
¿qué es la perfección?
of this Japanese basket
de esta cesta japonesa
de perfección necesitan ser desafiadas,
of perfection need to be challenged,
of this basket, this wonkiness,
de esta canasta, cómo se ladea,
of what you might imagine a shoulder
imagina en el hombro o en el pómulo,
en la parte superior,
y en velos translúcidos y plegables,
plegar, sino retorcer,
folding but torquing --
y la forma en que se extendía.
and the way it was reaching.
an interesting form,
en una forma interesante,
como cortinas luminiscentes.
were received from 80 countries,
fueron recibidos de 80 países,
fase de cómo construirlo.
of how to build it.
many experiments with materials,
experimentando mucho con materiales,
this kind of shimmer,
obtener este tipo de brillo,
as you know, is very strong,
como saben, es muy fuerte,
borosilicato así sin más
just so and melt them
about two years to make.
cerca de dos años hacer
que nos encantaba,
something with a soft light,
algo con una luz suave,
interior de una chaqueta.
but on the inside you touch it.
pero en el interior se toca.
veta en una gran cantera en Portugal
in a huge quarry in Portugal
for seven generations in his family,
durante siete generaciones en su familia,
if you can believe it.
adecuado, si pueden creerlo.
it has that translucent quality.
tiene esa calidad translúcida.
simbólicamente fuertes;
y la geometría.
all individual shapes,
todas con formas individuales,
con tecnología aeroespacial,
with aerospace technology,
de manera robotizada,
como pueden imaginar,
of our $30 million budget
establecido en 2006.
moviéndose en el espacio,
to that beautiful quote,
a aquella hermosa cita
of mysterious ways.
de maneras misteriosas.
14 years ago when we made the submission,
cuando hicimos la presentación,
set against the Andes.
where we ended up,
ahí es justo donde terminamos.
nothing but pure nature,
nada más que la naturaleza pura,
nothing but the city below you,
que la ciudad a sus pies,
desde cada uno de los nichos,
las ceremonias inaugurales...
from all over South America,
abandonado sus aldeas.
belongs to people,
pertenece a la gente,
y ámbitos sociales, muchas creencias,
and walks of life,
is what it feels like on the inside;
es lo que se siente en el interior;
de los que vienen
que ese guardia de seguridad,
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