STUDIOWORK - Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo - AHO

SVERRE FEHN “THE THOUGHTS OF CONSTRUCTION”PER OLAF FJELDThe treea moment of passionate growthsprings into the lightbrightas the birth of the sunthe line of the horizonnever withdraws.The seaas a formis a tree that bendsis a bowlis a boatis a mystery told.The seaas a massis a form that bendsis a bowlis a boatis a voyage into light.The treeis the landbeyond the surface of nightthe church spireadds to an evening of stars.***“At one time the body had a meaning in relation to nature’s topography. Today, theearth has been withdrawn from the landscape. Life and death are no longer evidentin our built geography.”***“In acknowledging a constructive thought around death every room constructedaround life becomes a calculation. … In acknowledging a constructive thought aroundlife, the construction around death becomes that of a calculation. Its calculated roomis nature.”“The gardener and his masterIt was fallto recall a day.The green mattress now presentwith the fever of springturning color into magicfor fear of the frost.***The gardener rakes his blossomsof summer thoughts,and gathers them all in the way he was taught.He then rests like gardeners restuntil the masterasks him to gather those that are not.The gardener rakeshe whole day and into the nightuntil no blossoms are to be seen.So the master returnsand shakes the tree,the shiver blossomstake to the earth,and in their despairthe master speaks.Now my gardener, it has come to an end.”Sverre Fehn, The Thought of Construction, Per Olaf FjeldRizzoli International Publications, New York, 1983, pp27, 28, 33, 151, 152fourtyfourtyone