Archi-ideas by GLR

Architecture: synthesis among globalization, communication, speed and green thinking We have now come to see the future as a first-hand exploration of polyglot multi-ethnicities, where architecture has a very important role as the volumetric expression of this way of life. Globalisation means there is no longer time for sedimentation and reflection, and everything happens at the speed of a click on our keyboards. Communication is of incalculable importance, since it is the true core of our daily routines. The infinity of routes for communication provided by the web, which has grown to cover the whole of the five continents, enables us to share anything and receive a flood of replies on any topic our mind may dwell on during our day. The infrastructural communications provided by roads, cities and above all airports, railway stations and ports has almost totally revolutionised the way we live. The keyword is speed; everything happens and must happen at once, as quickly as possible. Distances are cut and waiting times shortened. Within a few years we will be able to travel to America or Asia in less than 3 hours, and this will practically allow us to commute overseas. As if this were not already possible through the virtual presence offered by the web. When we consider this, it becomes clear how important it is for us to protect our old planet, which will soon have to provide for the lives of 2 or 3 billion people. Being Green is no longer a trend; it is a real necessity, the subject of research in almost every area, from aesthetics to economics and above all the social sciences. During the last few years, the focus of research and development has been on new production technologies, and new eco-friendly, recyclable materials obtained from renewable resources. We need only think of Lavoisier’s key principle that ‘Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed”, to appreciate that the underlying concept of our recycling had already been understood as long ago as the 18th Century, and above all that it can be applied to everything around us, from the tool we use every day to the dullest or most precious raw material. Nowadays, global awareness has led to an intense focus on what used, until a few years ago, to be defined as the latest fad, and has enabled us to adopt the Green approach in many areas, from the use of the energy needed to produce motion to the new concept of the home that is completely self-sufficient, or rather passive, meaning that it does not require any external energy input. The Green world is therefore now paying a great deal of attention to energy saving through more intelligent, careful building techniques, so this is the scenario for the coming years as I see it: medium-sized cities, quick and easy to get around, served by fast transport links, the sharing of huge databases, architecture that is easy to sustain and maintain, lots of parks and gardens, free wi-fi everywhere, allowing people to log on anywhere on the planet, prefabricated buildings, the development of dry building, and a strong emphasis on the consumption of water, the planet’s most precious resource. In detail, our homes are already often controlled by domotic systems linked to our smartphones or tablets, and this has enabled, and above all will enable, us to live and manage our living-spaces anywhere on the planet. The world’s great showcase of everything useful and available will be Expo’ 2015, which will bring all the world’s countries to Milan through their installations. It will be a major opportunity for the operational export of our Italian-made products, which reflect our value and a heritage of internationally respected, sought-after know-how that we still need to protect. Our Italian identity is, in fact, the unique, original key to our country's development in its relations with immensely large, wealthy states. It is through the famous Italian flair for business that we will be able to export our famed Italian lifestyle, in demand in every area from food to our unending creativity, always in continual renewal in the most widely varying fields, with Italian Style appearing in fashions, cars and design. Moreover, our ability to interpret the latest materials will open our way to a vast range of applications in many fields, including home decoration. For example, we provide colourful, attractive floor and wall coverings of unrivalled class and elegance. An elegance which cannot be cloned, the envy of all the world, an Italian secret since the most remote, ancient times. Genuine Italian-made style and quality is an immense heritage and source of wealth, which we must safeguard and protect with great care and the highest professional standards. Gianluca Rossi