Skorka Architects אדריכלות ישראלית Architecture of Israel #140 February 2025 | 24 | me WhatsApp chat between Ami Ran and Roy Secker: Ami Ran: Let’s begin with something that encapsulates your way of thinking. Roy Secker: I would say, without hesitation, that the way we respond to a place is based on deliberation and examination, research, and reaction. These elements accompany our work process and help us uncover the internal truth that lives within each place. "Internal truth" sounds too subjective - what does it mean, objectively? We aim to create things that harmoniously integrate the programme with the context - encompassing everything from physical variables like topography and climate to the cultural and symbolic heritage of the site. When you say that ״architecture is about creating something from nothing through a real dialogue with the environment, isn’t that the essence of any architectural creation? Perhaps, but I interpret the question as an attempt to explore the core motivation behind my actions as an architect. I believe that a dialogue with the environment requires observation (a seemingly simple action.) Let me share an example that, for me as an architect, was a generative step in my career... …When I was a student at Bezalel, 30 years ago, one of our studio assignments took me on a walk through my ״childhood landscape״ - the hills of Sheikh Abrik near my parents' home in Kiryat Tivon. I found myself climbing toward the famous bronze statue of Alexander Zaid on horseback. To my astonishment, the statue seemed oblivious to my presence. Since the legendary guard was not paying attention, I moved closer and, for the first time, noticed the power of his gaze directed eastward, to the valley, toward the sunrise. Although I had visited this statue countless times before, this was the first time I recognized the composition's relationship to its context. It revealed an enduring alignment between the hill where the statue stands and the Sheikh’s grave at its eastern slopes. A hill, a statue, and a grave - a seemingly simple yet profoundly meaningful arrangement. You previously quoted French poet Paul Valéry, who reflected on the interaction between melody and lyrics in songs. How does that connect to your architectural philosophy? Valéry’s emphasis on hesitation as a generative stage resonates deeply with me. It highlights the immense potential of pausing to explore rather than rushing to solutions. In architecture, like in poetry, the process involves an infinite inventory of human-made elements. Yet the paradox is that the more skilled you become, the faster you reach solutions. And this is where hesitation introduces a temporal space, one that invites deeper contemplation and allows for a unique creative response. This dialogue between physical space and the written programme enables us to identify not only what is ״there", but also the connections between unseen elements. These latent links often define the distinctive syntax of a site, from which a unique language of design might emerge. Paul Valéry passed on the essence of the dimension of time to T.S. Eliot who
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