Channelbeta - Interviews - Hans Ibelings - Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi

A sottoporsi alle domande è Il critico olandese Hans Ibelings, autore di libri sull'architettura olandese contemporanea e del fortunatissimo Supermodernism, l'architettura nell'età della globalizzazione è il direttore della nuova rivista di architettura, A10 che sarà diffusa in tutta Europa. Lo abbiamo intervistato in proposito ( l'intervista si trova nell'allegato n.1). La rivista sarà dedicata ai nuovi progetti e edifici che si costruiranno in Europa, con uno sguardo obliquo che cercherà di evitare ciò che si pubblica altrove. Così il prossimo numero presenterà una biblioteca nelle Azzorre e un museo a Tallin. Vi saranno inoltre interviste, articoli di fondo e guide alle singole regioni o a particolari città europee. Nel primo numero, per esempio, ne apparirà una sulla Sicilia orientale. http://www.a10magazine.com

LPP: Ibelings su A10. A chi è rivolta?

HI: I am an avid reader of architectural magazines, but it annoys me to see that so many of them pay so much attention to so little. Why do all those magazines always seem to publish the same buildings?
Of course one could say that each of them is of outstanding quality, but without denying their significance, I suspect that the main reason why so many magazines seem to be so similar is that they all have the ambition to cover the whole world. This often leads to obvious choices and typical reductions. Looking for something from Chile? Take a work of Mathias Klotz. Mexico? Enrique Norten of TEN.
Our feeling feeling, and conviction, is, and that is the main motivation why graphical designer Arjan Groot and I wanted to start A10, is that there is much more of interest.
In every country I know a little bit better I see that there are more architects and buildings that deserve international attention than they commonly receive. For this reason A10 does not cover the whole world, but only one continent, Europe, which makes it possible to show and discuss more than the mandatory handful of projects that become famous instantly.

LPP: C'è spazio in Europa per una nuova rivista di architettura?

HI: Of course you could say that there are already a hundred architectural magazines in Europe, but as far as I know until now there has not been a magazine specifcally dedicated to architecture in Europe. That is strange to me. I believe that no other the continent has a higher density of interesting architecture. Besides that, even Eurosceptics have to admit that a new European culture is starting to grow, also in the field of architecture, where it is nowadays so common to study, work and build outside your country of origin and to collaborate with fellow Europeans. A10 wants to play a role in the increase of all kinds of exchange among architects, by following what is going on, and hopefully stimulating contacts and exchanges.

LPP: Quale sarà la linea culturale della rivista?

HI: To put it simply, being open minded, without prejudice, without fashionable opinions and without obvious choices. You rarely see a work of Leon Krier and Nox in a single issue of a magazine. I would like A10 to be a platform for such a wide diversity of architectural approaches. Whatever happens in Europe and is of interest, I want to show it.
This European perspective distinguishes A10 from other magazines. The other thing is that it has a relatively low cover price of € 6,50 throughout Europe. I believe this is crucial for a magazine that aspires to be European.

LPP: Ogni quando uscirà?

HI: The launch issue will appear early November. From then on, the magazine is going to be published six times a year.

LPP: Descrivici brevemente il primo numero e dacci qualche idea dei numeri successivi

HI: The formula of the magazine is straightforward, A10 is mainly dedicated to new projects and buildings in Europe, but not the obvious ones you can already find in almost every other magazine. So the first issue for instance contains a library on the Azores and a museum in Tallinn.
Every issue also contains also interviews, background articles with a European perspective, under the heading 'Eurovision' and a architectural guide of a particular European city or region.

LPP: Chi saranno I collaboratori?

HI: The magazine depends on contributions of our still expanding network of correspondents everywhere in Europe, like Pedro Jordaõ in Portugal, Mirko Zardini in Italy, Xavier Gonzalez in France, Diego Caramma in Switzerland, Christian Welzbacher in Germany, Mart Kalm in Estonia and Bart Goldhoorn in Russia.
Also in this respect I would like A10 to be the opposite of narrow-minded. It should contain a variety of voices, and anyone who has something to say contrary to generally accepted opinions, is invited to contribute.

LPP: Si troverà nelle librerie italiane? Come ci si abbona?

HI: A10 will be distributed in 20 European countries, including Italy, where it will be on sale in the kiosks and bookstores in big cities and in university cities. For subscriptions: http://www.a10magazine.com

Intervista a cura di

Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi

Intervista pubblicata sulla PresS/Tletter n°27 del 2004

Lettera con notizie e eventi di architettura, cultura, arte, design

a cura di Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi