designboom interview with kazuyo sejima + ryue nishizawa of SANAA

designboom met kazuyo sejima and ryue nishizawa of SANAA at their exhibition in the basilica palladiana, vicenza, on october 29, 2005. read our interview with the duo below.

designboom (DB): what is the best moment of the day?

kazuyo sejima (KS): just before I go to sleep, everything is finished then!

DB: what kind of music do you listen to at the moment?

KS: classical.

DB: do you listen to the radio?

KS: no.

the new museum, new york by SANAA

DB: what books do you have on your bedside table?

KS: no books, just the magazines.

DB: do you have any preference in fashion?

KS: I often wear ‘commes des garcons’.

DB: what kind of clothes do you avoid wearing?

KS: nothing in particular; what I want to wear, I wear.

dior store, tokyo, japan (2001 – 2003) by SANAA

DB: do you have any pets?

RN: no, no pets.

DB: when you were a child, did you want to become an architect?

RN: I would never have imagined myself being an architect.

KS: me too.

RN: she wanted to be a grandmother! kind of funny! grandmothers always look like…

KS: …relaxed.

RN: happy and relaxed.

KS: yes when I was a child I really wanted to be a grandmother.

RN: to sit on the terrace and enjoy the sunlight.

zollverein school of design, essen, germany by SANAA

zollverein school of design, essen, germany (2003 – construction began 2005) by SANAA

DB: where do you work on your designs and projects?

KS: basically in the office.

DB: which project has given you the most satisfaction?

RN: every project has its own satisfaction, and reflection. we need both to move to the next step.

O-museum, nagano, japan 1995-99 by SANAA, image © SANAA

DB: who would you most like to design a building for?

KS: a school, but I have no experience yet.

RN: yes, she wants to build a public building for kids.

KS: he wants to make a church.

DB: do you discuss your work with other architects?

RN: yes, in japanese society, we often do organized discussions, ‘officially’ with other architects, and we try to critique each other.

KS: it is useful to have some comments.

RN: yes, at architectural meetings, or at a symposium, but also we do it sometimes at the bar… to compliment each other!

kanazawa museum of contemporary art of the XXI century, ishikawa, japan (1999-2004) by SANAA
image © SANAA

interior detail.kanazawa museum of contemporary art of the XXI century, ishikawa, japan (1999-2004) by SANAA
image © SANAA

DB: describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it…

RN: coherent, consistent, always doing the same thing. one of our constant big concerns is how to create a relation between the inside and outside, this is very important for us to think about.

KS: and also proportion. I mean not ‘good proportion’ but the size and if it fits into that area. when we use glass or a screen or a concrete wall, this depends mostly on the area.

DB: can you describe the evolution in your work from your first project to the present day?

RN: I don’t know where to start from, we founded the SANAA office in 1995 and ten years has past since. before most of our projects were driven by planning, through dimensional organization.

KS: probably our interest now is more how to organize ‘a program’ within a building — the layout of rooms and how people move inside. but also how to keep a relationship between the ‘program’ and the outside and then how the outside fits to the surroundings. in each project we have different requirements and the site is different, we try to find our way.

RN: recently I feel something is getting different, for example we are now working on the learning center project for the polytechnic university of lausanne in switzerland… and here we have more three dimensional changes, located outside of the two dimensional wall. this is what we feel recently as an evolution from the beginning period.

extension of the institute of modern art, valencia, spain (2002 – ) by SANAA

DB: are there any architects or designers from the past you appreciate a lot?

KS: a lot.

RN: le corbusier, mies van der rohe, oscar niemeyer. these are an unforgettable ‘trio’ for me.

chair for nextmaruni limited edition 2005, designed by SANAA

DB: and those still working?

RN: frank gehry, rem koolhaas, alvaro siza…

KS: it is difficult to rest within a few, there are so many we like.

civic center of onishi, gumma, japan (2003-05), kazuyo sejima & associates
image © SANAA

women’s dormitory saishunkan seiyaku, kumamoto, japan (1990-91), kazuyo sejima & associates
image © SANAA

gifu kitagata apartments , gifu, japan (1994-2000), kazuyo sejima & associates
image © shinkenchiku

DB: do you have any advice for the young?

RN: practice

KS/RN: continue!

weekendhouse, gunma, japan (1997-98)studio ryue nishizawa © photo shinkenchiku

house in kamamura, kanagawa, japan (1999-2001)studio ryue nishizawa © photo shinkenchiku

DB: what are you afraid regarding the future?

KS: I am always afraid of the future but at the same time I’m looking forward to it. we want to be able to contribute to it.

RN: well, personally I am very worried about my future, because don’t know what will happen! I make plans, but you cannot predict.