THE STORY
According to Italian architect Renzo Piano, “a sandcastle’s relationship to water is more important than its appearance.” Piano argues that before building a sandcastle it's essential to study the surrounding water to give it the best chance of survival. The immediate environment is everything.
Piano’s philosophy extends to his more concrete structures. When designing buildings like The Centre Pompidou in Paris, The Shard in London, and the Whitney Museum in New York City, Piano always studied the wider context before putting pen to paper. For example, the Shard was inspired by the surrounding railway tracks, 18th century church spires and the masts of sailing ships on the River Thames. He then famously sketched an outline of his vision of the Shard on a paper napkin when meeting a property developer for lunch in a restaurant.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Consider the BIGGER PICTURE first before diving into the weeds. A creative architect always designs and develops the idea with the surroundings at the front of their mind. For example, in business terms, what are the macro trends? What are competitors doing? Which other brands are your target customers also buying?
The BIG PICTURE can often be expressed in rough and ready format. Remember the key thing is simply that your audience ‘get it’. Substance is more important than style, and less is often more, so just sketch something quickly and easily.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Identify an upcoming task or a project.
Step back and consider the wider context that surrounds it. What’s the BIGGER PICTURE that lies behind it and around it?
Articulate this simply and succinctly, either through words or images, on a piece of paper.
