Håkon Matre Aasarød

The paradox of the ideal

“The utopian” or “the ideal” is hardly appreciated during prosperous times. Confronting the established is not likely appreciated when everything is seemingly OK. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Only in times of crisis and despair, we turn to confront the “impossible past” and embrace ideas and dreams of the “possible future”.

The nature of utopias represents a paradox to the architect. In terms of employment and economy, there have hardly been better times for architectural practices in Norway. Whether Norwegian architecture has become better or more interesting during this “Klondike period” is yet another question. Stuck in between a pile of commissions and deadlines, the best business is not to question the flow, but to ride on it. By accepting the role as merely the developer’s footman, the designer escapes the pain and the time-consuming business of being a critical architect. This is also how you succeed economically. This is your opportunity to get rich. But this is also how the field of contemporary architecture stagnates and embraces repetition and standardisation.

This is why the unbuilt needs extra attention during times of growth and construction. It’s in times like these designers and architects needs to be reminded that “It takes a solid back to carry prosperous times”. In that sense the project “Norwegian Collection of Potential Architecture” is right on time.

So why is the unbuilt important? What is the power of the unbuilt?

The main strength of a utopian or an ideal project is its infeasible nature. Deliberately ignoring risks or economic consideration, the “ideal project” escapes the consensus of cynicism and realism, and enters the realm of the imaginary. By choosing the imaginary as narrative, the designer is enabled to address aspects of belonging, dreams and identity. Terms such as “fanciful”, “imaginary”, and “fantastic”, are tools to navigate through this landscape.

During the last 4 years our office, “Fantastic Norway Architects”, have explored this field. We started out with ambition of using architecture as a tool for discussion, and soon learned how the unbuilt had the power of creating awareness and discussion. A struggling community, facing vacancy and unemployment, needs “fantastic” visions and “fanciful” illustrations of possible futures. By either presenting ideal -, provocative - or beautiful visions in the local newspaper (in addition to a weekly stand in our caravan at the local square), the conceivable image of possible architecture stimulates discussions and awareness on issues at hand. More than anything, visions of an alternate future stimulates reflection on the notion of local identity.

Some of our fictive proposals have created enthusiasm, some discussion, yet some have created anger. Local identity is powerful stuff, and architecture is a tool to unleash this energy. During the last years we have received several death threats (as well as tributes), for projects never meant to be built.

In terms of acting as an architect, it’s important to realise that the physical proposal itself often is insignificant next to the importance of the agenda the project addresses. Architects are constructor of societies, not just a designer of objects. Hence the notion of “building” includes the building of the non physical: The building of unity, - diversity, - relations and - identity.

Håkon Matre Aasarød is partner in Fantastic Norway Architects AS.

24.09.07

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