You know why this floor is like this? Because the offices down below, by code, have to have a certain amount of light. And the only way we could get it and to have this balcony was to make it a glass floor.
– Frank Gehry, from Sketches of Frank Gehry
I was intrigued by this explanation. It speaks to his creative approach to problem solving. And I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise, except that I’m so used to architects telling me that the City’s design guidelines or the building code is too restrictive – that it stifles creativity. The opposite, Gehry applies creativity to find interesting solutions.
I’m sure it could have been easy to whine about how the requirement for natural light was unusual or unnecessary, or that there are bulbs that can mimic natural light. Instead, he found a way to achieve what he wanted and still comply with the regulation – and the end result is better for it. Mounting that challenge resulted in a better design – it caused him to look for a solution that met everyone’s needs. What he found made for an even better, more interesting design than he had originally intended.
Perhaps it is that pragmatic approach to creativity that makes Gehry an exceptional architect. If fewer architects compromised their designs to spite the regulations, maybe Gehry wouldn’t be so extraordinary?