Giulia Weijerman, auteur op POM Magazine

The Creative Technologist

In an interview, POM Magazine’s editor Giulia Weijerman asked Nahuel Gerth how he would like to be presented. As an artist, a graphic designer or a coder? Gerth found a way to connect all three of these roles. Originally from Germany and living in the Czech Republic, he creates graphic design work for his clients as a freelancer. His Instagram followers know him from his funny graphic posts. Giulia Weijerman interviewed Nahuel to find out if he is truly a jack of all trades and why he likes to call himself a creative technologist.

By Giulia Weijerman

Nahuel, if you had to choose between never creating something or never being online again, what would you choose?
I would rather stop being online than not creating anymore. Creating is essential to me, it is a way of expressing thoughts. I have recently had a discussion with some people about the relationship between happiness and work. Our conclusion was that if you work in the creative industry it is much easier to be happy in your work. It is a difficult question though. My creative process is intertwined with the internet. Coding is an essential part of my work and I am constantly using the internet to do my research. But the internet is also a source of inspiration to me, it is an important part of how I design and how I perceive the world.

You call yourself a Creative Technologist. How does one become a Creative Technologist?
As a kid I was always drawing comic figures. People warned me that you cannot make a living from being a comic artist. They advised me to do something else. Studying Communication Design was the next best thing and that is my background. Communication Design mainly concerns commercially applied communication solutions. But with creative coding I found a way where I can follow my curiosity without a clear goal or purpose in mind.

What does it mean to be a Creative Technologist?
It means that I am telling stories visually by using technology. The term covers both artistic and commercial storytelling. I like the term creative technologist. It is a bit vague but still you can get an idea of what it could mean.

What is the role of creative coding in your work?
Traditional graphic design tools are sometimes a bit restrictive, once graphic work is finished it normally no longer changes. By using creative coding, a graphic design becomes interactive and reactive. Instead of a keyboard or mouse you could use your entire body to interact with a website. The website reacts to the movement of your body. I explore this method a lot in my work. It started with letters dancing across the display, in line with the movement of my fingers. These fun gestures make technology accessible. They show that something abstract like IT technology can also be fun. It evolved to a new form of communication. By using the human body as an interface to communicate with a computer, we link the digital world with the physical world.

Do you use artificial intelligence (AI) to create your work?
AI is a big part of my commercial and artistic work. If I have no clue where to start or what to do, I explain to the AI program my worries or the end result I have in mind. AI is like a smart person you can ask questions all the time. Sometimes I receive really good recommendations that open up new fields of research that I then explore together with AI guidance. It helps me save time.

What is your vision on the digital future?
I am a big fan of the writer Yuval Harari and his reflections on the history of mankind. One thing that stuck with me is that from a biological perspective our bodies are still made for the Stone Age. It is made for walking miles outdoors, collecting food, running around hunting, and then sitting by the fire together with family. That is what we are biologically made for. But it is exactly the opposite of how we are living today. We are sitting in the office most of the time, probably not seeing our family as much as we want to. It would be fantastic if we could find a way to reconnect with nature. I am not saying that we should no longer use technology. We need to find a way to live the life we were originally made for and connect with our environment, whilst preserving our technological advances.

Might Delete Later or Where is Derek?

I regularly stop my bike in front of a green traffic light because I am studying stickers and flyers on a lamppost. I am obsessed with them. Word jokes, people’s heads in the shape of an egg, love letters. To me, this is the ultimate form of self-expression, rebellion and street art. I found an intriguing example that sparked my curiosity. It is a yellow flyer that I encountered at several places. The flyer states in capital letters: LEAVE A VOICEMAIL AND I MIGHT MAKE A SONG OUT OF IT. At the bottom of the flyer you can tear off a piece of paper with a telephone number. This flyer was created by Might Delete Later, a project by an anonymous Latvian/Dutch music producer who creates songs from voicemails she receives from strangers. This artist has twenty-six thousand followers on Instagram and performed at major festivals around the world, including “Tomorrowland” and “Defected Croatia”. I decided to call her for an interview with POM Magazine to find out more about this project.

by Giulia Weijerman

What is Might Delete Later?
The idea behind Might Delete Later is that in a voicemail people can simply say whatever comes to mind. Their voicemail may or may not end up in one of my songs. Whatever they say on the voicemail may or may not be listened to by someone. The caller has no idea who will listen to the voicemail they leave. That is the charm of speaking to no one in particular, it offers the possibility of going nowhere. From the moment we put the first flyer with our telephone number on a wall in Amsterdam, this whole concept of may or may not, worked out well. Currently I receive 10 to 15 voicemails per day. Perhaps two of them I use for my music. Sometimes I use a voicemail that was left 8 months ago. So it really is about that “might” part.

What about the “delete part? Do you delete the voicemails that you receive?
To be honest I don’t delete any of them. I save them all, I listen to all of them and I tag them all with categories like Love or Food. Somehow people like to call when they are eating their favourite snack or fruit and elaborately talk about it. Once, someone sent me a voicemail saying: “At the moment I’m calling and eating the best watermelon that I have ever had”. There are a lot of sad things people talk about but also a lot of amazing things that are happening in their lives. I don’t delete the voicemails but I may not use them.

Do you receive angry voicemails or with another kind of emotion that comes out strongly?
I receive voicemails with worries about how we are going to survive on this planet given issues like sustainability and global warming. I receive voicemails where people share their feelings about the effort put into affording a living. Those voicemails come from locations ranging from The Netherlands to America and Australia. The weirdest thing for me was during the time of the Dutch parliamentary elections. I received so many voicemails about the elections and how people felt about that. Voicemail captures a moment in time. If I use these voicemails for my music it would represent the time that we went through together. The voicemail I receive next year will probably be about different views and feelings.

Besides voicemail, do you use a more modern technology?
Well, I only use voicemail and that is a very old medium. You can leave a message but you will never be able to hear it back. It is just me who hears the message. I think people just need a space where they can drop their thoughts, just say how they feel. Last week I received a voicemail from someone who said: “Hi, so I called you last year, and I am calling you again, because I am feeling better, I feel myself again.” People remember what they said.

Do you blur the lines between public and private in your music?
When I started Might Delete Later, I always had this idea that perhaps one day someone who is sipping coffee somewhere, listing to the music in that place and suddenly jumping up from their chair saying: “That’s my voice on the speakers!” That’s exactly what I am after. Someone can say their thoughts and I use it in my music. It means that we are doing this together. The coolest things is that I receive a lot of random, phony voicemails. I received a voicemail that was like: “Hi, I lost Derek. Have you seen Derek?”
I would love to know what happened there. Who is Derek? How did you lose him?

Do you get in contact with your audience other than by voicemail?
My intention is to receive diverse voicemail messages in different languages and from different continents. On Instagram people can message me for flyers and on my website you can order them anywhere in the world and put them up there. This is how social media helped us. Some people placed the flyers in Rome next to the Colosseum. Someone in London put the flyers in Hyde Park next to a sign saying: “Do not feed the birds”.

I read on your website that you are a strong advocate for sustainability. Do you also prioritize this in the Might Delete Later project?
When I walk in my own city, Amsterdam, I see a lot of company flyers made of plastic. When I put up a flyer somewhere, I don’t want it to impact the environment there. Our flyers are biodegradable. It is a lot more expensive to make them sustainable, and it takes a lot of effort. I even want the paint on the flyers to be ecological, but it also shouldn’t wash away with the first drops of rain. The sticky stuff, the glue, I think it took me about half a year to find a supplier of non-toxic sticky stuff.

What are your future goals for Might Delete Later?
As an artist I love playing on as many stages as possible, because the more I can show, grow, and learn from how the audience reacts, the better. During the show we use a screen where people can see the text of these voicemails. Right now we are working with a couple of designers on a stand-alone expo, where voicemails will be transcribed real-time.

Would you ever consider delete, Might Delete Later?
Yes, because things can happen. Maybe after a million voicemails I cannot do it anymore for whatever reason and it just all goes down. I would like to continue this project forever. I would be the happiest artist on the planet. If I could give Might Delete Later to someone else then that would be amazing. Maybe then Might Delete Later, gets deleted if 10 other Might Delete Later ambassadors take over and then at some point we are in a different galaxy, and there are no more voicemails or phones. But for now, we are good.

Did they ever find Derek?
No. We are still on the lookout for him. If anyone reads this interview and has seen Derek, please call and send me a voicemail. I would love to know what happened there and who he is.

@mightdeletelatermusic

Jazz Montez- Jazz Jewel of Frankfurt

Thinking of Jazz? Then think of Frankfurt, specifically of Jazz Montez, the club housed in a building named Montez, situated close to the river Main. With concerts and its own record label, Jazz Montez offers Jazz music of today: new, contemporary and brilliant. In an interview with Giulia Weijerman, founder and director Lorenzo Dolce explains what makes this club so special.

by Giulia Weijerman

Lorenzo, how was your passion for Jazz music born?
I have been a saxophone player since I was 6 years old, and because there are many more saxophone players in Jazz than other genres, I listened a lot to Jazz music. When I was about 8 years old I switched to tenor sax and got interested in free Jazz like Albert Ayler or John Coltrane, and later in other styles of Jazz.

Did listening to Jazz made you decide to start Jazz Montez?
I have been organizing concerts since I was 14 years old. I looked for new stages, not in normal Jazz clubs of course, but in youth centres or other community centres. I always organized my own concerts, whether I played in them myself or not. Then one day I found this location here in Frankfurt, this building called Montez. It’s a big place, I think we have room for 400 people. It’s not a standard concert hall where musicians play on a stage high and above, far away from the audience. In Jazz Montez you can sit up close, almost on the stage. The place has art work everywhere and a lot of daylight. It adjoins a beautiful park, where people play basketball and football. Young people come in with their skateboard to buy a Coca Cola or something. It has a happy vibe.

Does Jazz Montez have a sense of community as well?
I get this question a lot. I think Jazz Montez is in some way a community. Since the start in 2016, we have been inviting musicians who are also our friends. They sometimes visit us 3 or 4 times a year to play here. We have residency programs where we invite people to come to Frankfurt and work with us on music programs. So, frequent visitors will always recognize musicians because they have seen them before in Jazz Montez. I notice that people think it is important to have a community, but it doesn’t really affect us. Our goal is not building communities because that comes automatically with the music. You cannot create and play Jazz on your own. You need other people, musicians, organizers and audience, to achieve this.

Do you think the Frankfurt culture is reflected in Jazz Montez?
If you walk through Frankfurt you will notice that it is super multi-cultural. This mix of cultures is part of the Jazz Montez culture. It would not be possible to do what we are doing, if the people of Frankfurt were not open to our music. Jazz is also a music form that is open to any kind of instrument. It happens that a Turkish saz musician plays improvisations here in Jazz Montez, even though the musician doesn’t have a Jazz background. Frankfurt has an interesting history in Jazz music. During the Second World War there was a lot of Jazz in Frankfurt, even though Jazz was forbidden then. Frankfurt knows a lot of famous musicians like Albert Mangelsdorff and Emiel Mangelsdorff. They protested against the Nazis, they met and played here in Frankfurt, in hidden places. Then in the 50s and 60s the American military was based in Frankfurt. They listened to Jazz and brought their music to Frankfurt. The power of all this history is still in many of us here. It keeps us motivated to do what we do today, because Frankfurt has always been spectacular when it comes to Jazz.

Have you seen the Jazz movement change since Jazz Montez opened in 2016?
The worldwide number of people listing to Jazz is rising, with musicians going viral on social media and having a huge number of followers. I also notice that young people are mainly listening to UK Jazz at the moment. And for a couple of years now, a young American Jazz scene has been influencing European Jazz. So yes, I think the times are changing. Institutions like music schools, universities and festivals are managed by the older generation Jazz people. However, in the coming years young people will replace them. When I look at the young generation, their values and taste, I think a clash is about to come in the Jazz scene.

Maybe Jazz Montez can help somehow to avoid that?
I hope to connect the musicians in the best possible way, because the Jazz scene it is too small to fight each other. If someone is truly interested in documenting, teaming and programming Jazz then it doesn’t matter to which generation you belong. What’s important is the quality of work and what it means for the Jazz scene. I think that everybody should work together. Then the older generation will get what the new generation thinks is important. And the new generation will learn from what already happened, because the history of Jazz isn’t something young people should miss out.

Is there a performance or event that Jazz Montez hosted, that stands out as a defining moment?
Jazz Montez hosts every summer a program of open air concerts called Holidays. The concerts are free of charge and the musicians play in the park that is adjacent to Jazz Montez. People can sit on the outside stairs of the Montez building and the bands play in front of these stairs. There are parties, bars, nice food and inside there are art exhibitions. It’s a summer program that lasts for 7 weeks. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are 2 concerts of international, national or local bands. A lot of people visit these concerts, especially young people. Thousands of visitors come to dance and listen to the music without knowing upfront who is playing. I think that’s so interesting, these people don’t visit us just for the drinks. They are focused on the music. Holidays is a unique Jazz festival that I am very proud of.

Are there goals for Jazz Montez to realize in the coming years? Any plans you want to make happen?
Keep doing what we are doing right now is important. But not as much as doing the next interesting thing, that’s always our main goal. We will put more focus on our record label and produce more music. We have already invited a lot of good musicians to work this summer in our studio. As for our concerts, we recognize our position in the Jazz scene as the one that is there for the newcomers, and that will always be our goal.

Lorenzo, who is your favorite Jazz artist?
My personal favorite? Well, I really like the music of Norwegian saxophone player Mette Henriette. She plays atmospheric, minimalistic tenor saxophone music. She was in Jazz Montez last year and I loved her concert. She knows that, I told her at least 100 times. Another saxophone player whose music I really like is Chelsea Carmichael, she also played in Jazz Montez and I loved her concert. Jasmine Myra made an album I enjoy very much. She is from the UK and plays alto saxophone. But if I am only to have one favorite, well, difficult to choose, maybe Mette Henriette because I mentioned her first.

Neon Muzeum Warsaw

Warsaw has a unique museum that exhibits neon signs from the Cold War era. Graphic designer David Hill and his photographer wife, Ilona Karwinska, are the founders of Neon Muzeum Warsaw. David and Ilona became accidental curators, and what started as a stroll through the city of Warsaw ultimately resulted in a collection of more than 300 neon signs. POM Magazine’s Giulia Weijerman spoke with David Hill to find out what is so special about Polish neon lights from this particular time period. During the interview, Giulia fell from one surprise into the next.

by Giulia Weijerman

David, why are you so interested in Polish neon lights?
When I met my then future wife Ilona in London in 2005, she invited me to visit Warsaw. Ilona is originally from Poland, but she moved to the UK as a teenager and spent most of her adult life there. She then knew as much of Poland and its design history as I did. When we walked through Warsaw’s streets and boulevards, I immediately noticed these fantastic, but rather dilapidated neon signs on the buildings. I am a professional graphic designer and typographer. It struck me that these neon signs seemed so fresh and original, with letterforms I had never seen before. I found them exciting and incredible and at the time nobody seemed to have any interest in them at all. Ilona is a portrait photographer and she had just finished a major anthropological project in Syria and the Lebanon, and wondered what she was going to do next. So rather cheekily, I suggested: ‘why don’t you go from photographing people to photographing neons?’ This ultimately led us from photographic documentation, to preservation and restoration of these historical neon signs. We now have more than 300 neons, the first and largest such collection in Europe.

So you were the first ones to recognise that these actually are important pieces of art?
We would love to say that we immediately recognised the inherent cultural value of these neons. But it was initially just a graphic design project, during which we discovered a lot of unusual typography and designs which eventually led to the publication of a book and an exhibition. That is what opened flood gates for us. People began contacting us, asking us: ‘would you like to have these signs?’ We also noticed that many of the signs were being taken down by workers and thrown into skips or lorries. We were horrified that these neon signs, that had been on the buildings since the 1950s, were being taken down and destroyed so thoughtlessly. We always asked the workers if we could have them. Of course, they thought we were quite crazy, but they gave them to us anyway. So initially, the neon signs were either donations or we had saved them from destruction. It was then we started to emotionally invest in the project instead of considering it simply a transient documentation project.

What makes the neon signs in your collection so special?
What’s interesting is that they were created within strict rules and regulations established by state authorities. Graphic designers had to work within these parameters, there was no ‘carte blanche’. Despite this, the signs were so avant-garde and many were absolutely wild. It was a carefully controlled medium, which is why it is incredible that these designers created such beautiful, expressive neon signs. Each neon sign was designed for one purpose; so for one building, one product, one service or one factory. The signs were completely original letterforms and symbols that were created once, never to be used again. Until later, when the original designers had retired and the technicians were charged with making the remaining neon signs. That is when they started using the Swiss fonts. They started using, Grotesk Neue or Helvetica fonts everywhere. All these newer letter forms appeared in the late 80s, which is when the originality of the early style started to fade. The later signs don’t have the same visual or emotional impact, in my opinion.

How did you come to start a museum?
My upbringing was very much geared around collecting and documenting. It prepared me for the museum, I think. It just seemed like a natural process, collecting neon artefacts and showing them to the public in a museum. We found a space in the building that we now occupied for almost 12 years. Ilona originally said to me: ‘let’s open a pop-up exhibition for a few weeks and see what happens.’ Luckily, we were participating in the European Museum Nights Event called The Long Night Of The Museums, back in May 2012. We put an advert out and 6,000 people came to visit the museum in a single night! We were taken aback by the positive public response. We had expected negative commentary from people, since the neon signs were symbols of the communist occupation. Yet they were designed by the best graphic artists, but the initiators of the neonisation campaign were the communist authorities.

Does the museum tell us something about the history of the signs itself? Or is it mainly focused on the aesthetic?
We are big on history! We have an archive of thousands of original drawings, project packs and blueprints. In the museum we display a lot of information on text panels alongside the neon signs; information about the history, the designer and the original location of the building the neon once adorned. In the 1950s the public was restless in Eastern Europe. They wanted their freedom back and remembered life in the interwar period. The Soviets and communists were very concerned they were losing control. Some genius must have stood up during a conference in Moscow and suggested- let’s neonise, to make the cities look like they did in the interwar period. Early on we were concerned that the public would perceive our exhibition as a big statement about communism, which it certainly isn’t. Over the years, we’ve managed to carefully strip away the political connotations. We wanted people to focus on the design and aesthetic. It is amazing that a society that was so restrictive and controlled, created such beautiful images in neon.

Do you only collect signs from the Cold War era?
We are specifically interested in the designs from the time period running from 1955-’56 to the end of the regime in 1989. It was initiated by the communist authorities, it was a state project and it was run by an internal trade body. These are not commercial neon lights and they were not advertisements as such. They were socialist messages. They were symbols to ‘inform, educate and amuse’. The state refused to allow competition and in Poland there was just a single company handling all the neon sign production. We discovered that other countries in the Eastern Bloc behind the iron curtain, were also engaged in their own neonisation propaganda campaigns. So there was a vernacular style in Poland, Hungary had a style, and the former Czechoslovakia had its own style of neons.

What do you think the museum will look like in 5 or 10 years?
Well, much bigger! We are currently exhibiting and have fully restored, about 125 neon signs. But in our storage we have hundreds of neon signs just waiting to shine. Some of them are quite large in size. We have for example, both the largest and the oldest neon sign from the former Eastern Bloc. It was made during Stalin’s life who, famously hated Western neon advertising. Why on earth the authorities would build a neon globe of 5 meters in diameter and place it in the heart of Warsaw in 1950, is beyond us. We have the original in our collection and we would love to present it as the centre piece of our exhibition, since it represents the genesis of the neonisation campaign. We currently have about 500-600 m2 of space but we would like to double that. Next year, we hope to move the museum to a new building, located closer to the centre of Warsaw. People visiting us now, are determined to come and see us. We don’t have many accidental walk-ins. Visitors have ventured all the way across the city to find us. The Neon Muzeum is on the eastern side of Warsaw, across the Vistula river, and a fairly long journey across the river to find us. Despite attracting more than 100,000 people per year, by moving to the centre of Warsaw we hope to attract even more visitors.

Do you have a favourite neon sign?
The neon signs are like children to us, we love them equally. But secretly I do have two favourites. One is a large blue circle with an electric red word ‘Mydlła’, meaning Soaps, and to the lower right the word ‘Farby’, which means paints. This is my favourite because people are always so surprised that it was made for such a mundane set of products, soap and paint. When they see this neon, they immediately think it’s a sign for a jazz café or a cocktail bar, it just looks so spectacular. My other favourite neon displays the word ‘Syrena’ in dazzling bright blue. I simply love it because the typography is just stunning. It was found in Elbląg on the Baltic coast, in an abandoned movie theatre that was due to be demolished. The workmen of the demolition company went into the building to check if there was anyone left. All they found were pieces of a neon sign that once adorned the building. The real estate developer offered not only to donate it to us but also to completely renovate it. It was such an unusual and generous act that we had a special lighting up ceremony in the museum, for this neon.

Are there new exhibitions planned for the near future?
We recently won a grant to create a pioneering new exhibition highlighting the work of the many women neon designers of Warsaw – we have called it, Women Designers of Light. Despite the fact that the neon sign companies employed thousands of women tube benders at the time in the late 50s and early 60s, the neon designers tended to be men. Later on however, many talented women began designing neons. On November 21 we opened this fascinating and original exhibition. Going forward, it will remain part of the Neon Muzeum’s permanent exhibition.

Nino Ferrari Mathis-Mister Concrete

Nino Ferrari Mathis brings with his Instagram channel, Ninosbuildings, brutalist architecture to the social media audience. With his posts he shares his love for architecture, particularly brutalism. Nino is originally from Paris, he grew up in Brazil and lives at the moment in New York, where he studies architecture at Parsons School of Design. POM Magazine’s editor, Giulia Weyerman, interviewed him to find out about his passion for architecture, his love for brutalist buildings and what’s so special about concrete.

by Giulia Weyerman

Nino, what is your vision on concrete?
I love concrete, whether it is finished, whether it is polished, whether it is raw. It just has always been esthetically pleasing to me. Especially in the brutalist style of the 1960’s. Having visited places in different climates I would say that concrete looks best when it is near nature. Concrete has such a stark look to it. When it is contrasted with nature, it creates a lot of beauty.

On your Instagram channel you show a lot of brutalist architecture. Why does brutalism appeal to you so much?
Not necessarily because of its esthetic but because of its mentality. At the time when brutalism architecture was at its height in the 60s and 70s, its creativity was also at its height. So, I see brutalism rather as a means of expression than an architectural style. A lot of brutalist buildings have extremely experimental spaces and forms, that are just not present anymore. People tend to overlook that. They don’t allow themselves to actually experience what the architects designed for them. To be in a space like that is very special. That’s why I have fallen in love with brutalism.

I noticed several posts on Brazilian brutalism. What do you like about Brazilian brutalist architecture?
Most people think of Eastern Europe and Soviet architecture, when they think of brutalism. Perhaps that is why there is a preconceived notion of brutalism being dark, sad and covered in gray skies. But Brazil and Latin America as a whole have always had beautiful brutalist architecture surrounded by vegetation and natural light. Whenever I post videos about these buildings, people alter their brain chemistry. They thought brutalist architecture dark and depressing, and now they are starting to like it. It’s funny, I have been seeing people slowly getting addicted to brutalism.

With your Instagram channel you bring brutalism to people who never heard about it before and who come to appreciate it. Why don’t you focus on other styles?
The Instagram channel didn’t start as a brutalist Instagram. Actually, I am a bit worried that brutalism is becoming my personality. As much as I love it, it’s a small scope of architecture. It’s such a niche. It didn’t last long but it caused such a ripple effect. When I started the Instagram channel I focused mainly on contemporary and modern architecture, especially modernism from the 1960s. What’s so interesting about the architecture of the 60s is its contrast in designs. Some building show nothing but concrete while others use a lot of glass. The posts vary back and forth between light, airy constructions like glass houses, and buildings with a lot of concrete. These posts seem like a conversation starter.

Do you have a favorite building?
One of my favorite buildings is Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC), near Rio de Janeiro. It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. It is shaped like a UFO and when I’m in MAC, I feel like I’m on another planet. It is the most beautiful building I have ever visited in my life. Every time when I am in Rio, I visit this building.

Do your followers influence your posts on Instagram?
Whenever I visit a city, the first thing I do is post a story asking what do you guys want me to film. Quite often when I visit a building it is with one of the followers of my channel, who organized access to the building or gives me a tour. When I was in Brazil, all of the buildings I visited were referred to me by followers. So, I am not the only decision maker. Obviously, I like to prioritize the buildings because I only have so much time to film. But I always listen to what the people want.

Does brutalism influence your architectural designs?
It does, but it is quite controversial. Last semester I designed a building made out of concrete, inspired by my new found love for brutalism. When I was preparing the presentation, the professor came up to me and said: “Nino you can’t make this building out of concrete.” I replied: “Why, that’s so sad.” She explained: “Because it’s not sustainable.” Today’s architecture schools are teaching about sustainability. An important reason why brutalist architecture stopped in its prime is because it wasn’t sustainable. The buildings consist of a lot of concrete, they cost a lot and require a lot of carbon emission. However, architecture school is all about learning what you like and how to apply it. I explained that my design is just a concept, it is not going to be built. I just want to show my means of expression when it comes to architecture and style. Then I got the greenlight to do the presentation and everyone loved it. Concrete is still used everywhere. But in order for brutalism to come back they have to find a way to make it sustainable, which is a challenge.

Do you think there might be a material that could replace concrete but still has the brutalist mentality?
Nothing compares to the way concrete can be used, because it makes such a fluid form. You can literally put it into a cast and it will create anything you want. It was such an expressive way of showing creativity way back in the 60s, whereas wood and brick are more rectilinear. But I think it’s possible to create the same forms with them. They will give a warmer feeling to the people because concrete always gives a cold look to a building.

Do you think we can still call it brutalism then?
No (laughs). Maybe the form, but that will be a stretch because brutalism is so associated with concrete and also with the 1960s. It’s hard to put it back on the map like that.