Marion Weiss; Michael Manfredi
Weiss/Manfredi show both historic and contemporary examples of what they call “hybrids connecting multiple disciplines” as opposed to “single-use monolithic infrastructures”. The hybrid in architecture is intriguing because it suggests a kind of organism which can adjust and change without losing its form or its use. The ability of architects to create an open-ended approach to work is both challenging and demanding but the examples which inspire Weiss/Manfredi reveal their thinking: Specchi’s Spanish Steps, Plečnik’s River Walk in Ljubljana, the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade and the Galata Bridge in Istanbul. These wonderful reference points immediately communicate the key message to the visitor, since all these examples are vibrant social connectors be they staircases, bridges or a covered walkway.
The installation forms a ‘drifting’ space where three hybrid projects by Weiss/Manfredi are presented side by side with their chosen precedents. This work confirms Weiss/Manfredi’s philosophy that “there are no boundaries between city and garden, art and ecology, infrastructure and intimacy as habitable opportunities to create enduring public settings.”
There is a sense of calm authority both in the work and in the creation of the exhibit. There is also a wonderful sense of conviviality, joy and pleasure in all the projects presented, both old and new.
YF+SMcN