About this talk

Running time: 36 minutes

Bernard Tschumi defies categorisation. He is an author, architect, urbanist researcher and teacher, based in New York where he carries out the dual role of practising architect and Dean at Columbia University, while regularly crossing the Atlantic to deal with his European projects.

Son of a Swiss father (the architect Jean Tschumi) and French mother, he was educated at the ETH in Zurich. He taught for many years at the AA School in London under Alvin Boyarsky (see The AA School & Projects), before going to New York.

Deeply influenced by film makers like Eisenstein, he came to realise that the simultaneous transcription of image, movement, sound and narrative was a parallel to what architecture was: space and action. This idea he explored in his book "The Manhattan Transcripts", and later tested in the scheme with which he won the international competition for Parc de la Villette, Paris, in 1982.

His next prize-winning project, the design for Lausanne, consisted mainly of four inhabited bridges that span the valley, connecting both sides from top to bottom.

For his Groningen video gallery project, he explored the idea of the dematerialisation of architecture by building it entirely of glass.

For Tschumi, constantly questioning and challenging architecture is the most interesting part of his research.

He has also spoken about his work for the Acropolis Museum in Acropolis Museum, Athens.

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