TED2019
Brandon Clifford: The architectural secrets of the world's ancient wonders
Brandon Clifford: Siri za maajabu ya Usanifu Majengo ya dunia ya zamani
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Jamii za zamani zilihamishaje mawe makubwa kujenga Stonehenge, mapiramidi na sanamu za Kisiwa cha Easter? Katika mazungumzo haya mafupi , TED Fellow Brandon Clifford, anafumbua siri za zamani na kuonyesha jinsi tunavyoweza kutumia njia hizi kujenga kwa ajili ya siku za baadaye. "Katika zama ambazo tunasanifu majengo kudumu kwa miaka 30, au labda 60," he says, " ningependa kujifunza jinsi ya kutengeneza kitu kitachoburudisha milele."
Brandon Clifford - Ancient technology architect
TED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures. Full bio
TED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Do you think the things we build today
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Je unafikiri vitu tunavyojenga leo
00:15
will be considered wonders in the future?
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vitahesabika kama maajabu miaka ijayo?
00:19
Think of Stonehenge,
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Tafakari kuhusu Stonehenge,
00:20
the Pyramids,
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Mapiramidi,
00:22
Machu Picchu and Easter Island.
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Machu Picchu na Kisiwa cha Easter
00:26
Now, they're all pretty different
from what we're doing today,
from what we're doing today,
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Vyote hivi ni tofauti sana
na vile tunavyofanya leo,
na vile tunavyofanya leo,
00:30
with those massive stones,
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na yale mawe makubwa,
yakiwa yamepangwa katika hali ya kiutata
hali ngumu kuelewa
hali ngumu kuelewa
00:32
assembled in complex
but seemingly illogical ways,
but seemingly illogical ways,
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00:38
and all traces of their construction
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na mabaki yake yote ya ujenzi
00:41
erased,
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yakifutwa,
00:43
shrouding them in mystery.
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ikiyaacha katika hali ya kutojulikana
00:47
It seems like people could not
have possibly built these things,
have possibly built these things,
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Inaonekana kama vile watu hawakuweza
kujenga vitu hivi,
kujenga vitu hivi,
00:52
because people didn't.
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kwa sababu watu hawakujenga.
00:54
They were carefully crafted
by a primordial race of giants
by a primordial race of giants
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Vilitengenezwa kwa uangalifu na
jamii ya majitu
jamii ya majitu
00:59
known as Cyclops.
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yajulikanayo kama Cyclops.
01:00
(Laughter)
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(Vicheko)
01:01
And I've been collaborating
with these monsters
with these monsters
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Na nimekuwa nashirikiana na
majitu haya
majitu haya
01:04
to learn their secrets
for moving those massive stones.
for moving those massive stones.
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ili kujifunza siri zao
za kuhamisha mawe hayo makubwa.
za kuhamisha mawe hayo makubwa.
01:08
And as it turns out,
Cyclops aren't even that strong.
Cyclops aren't even that strong.
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na ni kwamba,
Cyclops hawana nguvu kivile,
Cyclops hawana nguvu kivile,
01:13
They're just really smart
about getting material to work for them.
about getting material to work for them.
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Ni wajanja sana katika
kufanya vitu kufanya kazi kwa niaba yao.
kufanya vitu kufanya kazi kwa niaba yao.
01:19
Now, the videos you see behind me
of large, stone-like, wobbly creatures
of large, stone-like, wobbly creatures
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Video, ambazo mnaziona nyuma yangu
za vitu vinavyobadilika vikubwa,kama mawe
za vitu vinavyobadilika vikubwa,kama mawe
01:23
are the results of this collaboration.
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ni matokeo ya ushirikiano huu.
01:26
OK, so Cyclops might be
a mythical creature,
a mythical creature,
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SAWA, inawezekana Cyclops
vikawa ni viumbe vya kufikirika
vikawa ni viumbe vya kufikirika
01:30
but those wonders are still real.
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lakini maajabu haya bado ni halisi.
01:33
People made them.
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Watu waliyajenga.
01:35
But they also made the myths
that surround them,
that surround them,
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Lakini pia waliunda dhana
kuhusu hayo
kuhusu hayo
01:39
and when it comes to wonders,
there's this thick connective tissue
there's this thick connective tissue
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na kuhusu maajabu, kuna kiunganishi
kinene
kinene
01:43
between mythology and reality.
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kati ya dhana fikirishi na uhalisia.
01:47
Take Easter Island, for example.
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Chukulia mfano wa Kisiwa cha Easter.
01:49
When the Dutch explorers
first encountered the island,
first encountered the island,
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Pale wavumbuzi wa Kidachi
walipokifikia kwa mara ya kwanza kisiwa hiki,
walipokifikia kwa mara ya kwanza kisiwa hiki,
01:53
they asked the people of Rapa Nui
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Waliwauliza watu wa Rapa Nui
01:55
how their ancestors could have possibly
moved those massive statues.
moved those massive statues.
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Vile mababu zao walivyoweza kuhamisha
sanamu hizi kubwa
sanamu hizi kubwa
01:59
And the Rapa Nui said,
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Na watu wa Rapa Nui wakasema,
02:01
"Our ancestors didn't move the statues,
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"Mababu zetu hawakuhamisha sanamu hizo,
02:05
because the statues walked themselves."
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kwa sababu zilitembea zenyewe."
02:09
For centuries, this was dismissed,
but actually it's true.
but actually it's true.
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Kwa karne kadhaa, hili lilikataliwa,
lakini ni kweli kabisa.
lakini ni kweli kabisa.
02:13
The statues, known as moai,
were transported standing,
were transported standing,
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Sanamu, zijulikanazo kama moai,
zilihamishwa zikiwa zimesimama,
zilihamishwa zikiwa zimesimama,
02:18
pivoting from side to side.
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zikishikiliwa pande moja hadi nyingine.
02:21
OK?
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SAWA?
02:23
As spectacular as the moai are
for visitors today,
for visitors today,
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Pamoja na uzuri wa moai kwa wageni leo,
02:27
you have to imagine being there then,
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unahitaji kuwaza kuwa pale wakati ule,
02:29
with colossal moai
marching around the island.
marching around the island.
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na moai makubwa yakitembea
katika kisiwa.
katika kisiwa.
02:32
Because the real memorial
was not the objects themselves,
was not the objects themselves,
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Kwa sababu kumbukumbu halisi sio
vitu vyenyewe,
vitu vyenyewe,
02:38
it was the cultural ritual
of bringing a stone to life.
of bringing a stone to life.
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Ilikuwa ni utamaduni
wa kulifanya jiwe liwe hai.
wa kulifanya jiwe liwe hai.
02:43
So as an architect,
I've been chasing that dream.
I've been chasing that dream.
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Kwa hiyo kama msanifu majengo,
nimekuwa nakimbizana na ndoto hiyo.
nimekuwa nakimbizana na ndoto hiyo.
02:47
How can we shift our idea of construction
to accommodate that mythical side?
to accommodate that mythical side?
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Tunawezaje kuhamisha dhana yetu ya ujenzi
ili kutoa nafasi ya dhana hii fikirishi
ili kutoa nafasi ya dhana hii fikirishi
02:53
So what I've been doing
is challenging myself
is challenging myself
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Kwa hiyo kile nimekuwa nafanya
ni kujipa changamoto mwenyewe
ni kujipa changamoto mwenyewe
02:55
with putting on a series of performances
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kwa kufanya maonyesho kadhaa
02:58
of the ancient but
pretty straightforward task
pretty straightforward task
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ya zamani lakini
yaliyo na jukumu la wazi kabisa
yaliyo na jukumu la wazi kabisa
03:01
of just moving and standing
big heavy objects,
big heavy objects,
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ya kuhamisha na kusimamisha
vitu vikubwa vizito,
vitu vikubwa vizito,
03:05
like this 16-foot-tall megalith
designed to walk across land
designed to walk across land
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kama vile jiwe hili kubwa
lililosanifiwa kutembea ardhini
lililosanifiwa kutembea ardhini
03:09
and stand vertically;
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na kusimama wima
03:12
or this 4,000-pound behemoth
that springs itself to life
that springs itself to life
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au jiwe hili kubwa lenye uzito
wa 4,000 linaloibuka likiwa hai
wa 4,000 linaloibuka likiwa hai
03:16
to dance onstage.
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ili kucheza stejini
03:19
And what I've found is
that by thinking of architecture
that by thinking of architecture
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na nilichojifunza ni kuwa kwa
kuwaza kuhusu usanifu majengo
kuwaza kuhusu usanifu majengo
03:23
not as an end product but as a performance
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si kama bidhaa ya mwisho bali kama onyesho
03:26
from conception to completion,
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kutoka wazo mpaka kukamilika,
03:30
we end up rediscovering some really smart
ways to build things today.
ways to build things today.
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tunajikuta tunagundua njia bora sana
za kujenga hivi leo.
za kujenga hivi leo.
03:35
You know, so much of the discussion
surrounding our future
surrounding our future
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Unajua, sehemu kubwa ya mazungumzo
kuhusu zsiku zetu za baadaye
kuhusu zsiku zetu za baadaye
03:38
focuses on technology,
efficiency and speed.
efficiency and speed.
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yanaangazia zaidi teknolojia,
ufanisi na uharaka.
ufanisi na uharaka.
03:42
But if I've learned anything from Cyclops,
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Lakini kama nimejifunza chochote kuhusu Cyclops,
03:44
it's that wonders
can be smart, spectacular
can be smart, spectacular
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ni kuwa maajabu yanaweza
kuwa ya kijanja, mazuri sana
kuwa ya kijanja, mazuri sana
03:48
and sustainable --
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na endelevu --
03:50
because of their mass and their mystery.
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kutokana na uwingi na kutoeleweka kwake.
03:54
And while people still want to know
how those ancient wonders were built,
how those ancient wonders were built,
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na pamoja na kuwa wanahitaji kujua
jinsi maajabu haya yalivyojengwa,
jinsi maajabu haya yalivyojengwa,
03:57
I've been asking Cyclops
how to create the mystery
how to create the mystery
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Nimekuwa nikiwauliza Cyclops
jinsi ya kuunda sintofahamu hii
jinsi ya kuunda sintofahamu hii
04:00
that compels people
to ask that very question.
to ask that very question.
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ambayo inawalazimisha watu
kuuuliza swala lenyewe hasa.
kuuuliza swala lenyewe hasa.
04:04
Because in an era
where we design buildings
where we design buildings
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Kwa sababu katika zama
ambazo tunasanifu majengo
ambazo tunasanifu majengo
04:06
to last 30, maybe 60 years,
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kudumu kwa miaka 30, labda 60,
04:09
I would love to learn
how to create something
how to create something
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ningependa nijifunze
jinsi ya kutengeneza kitu
jinsi ya kutengeneza kitu
04:12
that could entertain for an eternity.
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ambacho kinaweza kuburudisha milele.
04:15
Thank you.
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Asante
04:16
(Applause)
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(Makofi)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Brandon Clifford - Ancient technology architectTED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures.
Why you should listen
Brandon Clifford is best known for bringing megalithic sculptures to life to perform tasks. He is the director and cofounder of Matter Design, where his work focuses on advancing architectural research through spectacle and mysticism. He creates new ideas by critically evaluating ancient ways of thinking and experimenting with their value today. This work ranges from an award-winning play structure for kids to a colossal system of construction elements that can be guided into place with ease by mere mortals. He is dedicated to reimagining the role of the architect, and his speculative work continues to provoke new directions for design in the digital era.
Clifford is also an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His most recent authored work, The Cannibal's Cookbook, demonstrates his dedication to bringing ancient knowledge into contemporary practice with theatrical captivation. He received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech. For his work as a designer and researcher, he has received recognition with prizes such as the American Academy in Rome Prize, the SOM Prize, the Design Biennial Boston Award and the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers.
Brandon Clifford | Speaker | TED.com