White paper on creativity - ebla center

Chapter 12individuals, then the greater theproduction of talents.In order to foster a climate thatencourages creativity we must reflect onthe factors which in some waycontribute to “stifling” it: culturalobstacles due to individuals’ tendency toconform to present standards andeconomic difficulties forcing them toaccept far from ideal workingconditions or unavoidable excessiverestrictions. Similarly, there areintellectual or emotional obstacles andan incapacity to renew. All of thesefactors force architects into a“conservative” attitude, to repeat ratherthan innovate – just as some peoplereplicate the model of their parents’house.In the architectural world, the economicinterests at stake and pressure due tospeculative interests exercise a greatinfluence. Anyone wishing to optimiseprofits calculates costs and benefits veryaccurately ahead of the project, andtherefore tends to play safe and avoidrisks.Architects with strong personalities whoare tenacious and very able in handlingrelations manage to overcome thesefactors and convince clients to set outon the risky road of innovation. Andthey must continue to defend theirchoices at every crucial stage until thebuilding is completed. This attitude issummed up in a famous film icon whichhas influenced more than onegeneration: in Fountainhead, inspired bythe life of Frank Lloyd Wright, GaryCooper plays an architect who destroyshis buildings because his designs havebeen warped by changes to formintroduced by the client.But if we wish to promote quality andinnovation on a wider scale, we cannotonly count on strong personalities,capable of overcoming conservativetendencies thanks to their charisma. Wemust promote models which encouragecreativity and foster the acceptation ofinnovation. This is the way to removethose “obstacles” found at everycrossroads which force designers to fallback on familiar ways rather thanventuring into the at times obscure andnot easily traversed territory ofcreativity.To foster a climate more favourable tocreativity, we must ensure that architectsare not penalised when they experimentand innovate but, on the contrary, areencouraged.Quality public commissionsThe great innovative works come intobeing through collaboration withrefined clients, who have a clear visionof the needs for visibility and prestigeand are interested in conveying animage reflecting a spirit of innovation.But clients can also be influenced by thelatest tastes and trends. Seeinginnovative ideas applied with goodquality results makes potential clientsbolder. Even though the press at timeshype up controversy surrounding therole of “archistars”, often foreignerswho are commissioned works to thedetriment of Italian architects, we mustbear in mind the positive impact ofthese operations on taste and oninducing customers to “open up to thenew”. Seeing that the innovative ideasof pioneers, of the more courageousvisionary architects, are accepted canmake designers bolder and build upWHITE PAPER ON CREATIVITY 287