The WHY worldview – crossing borders and connecting cultures.
World of
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“Asian art is a phenomenon with a past, not of the past!"Lee Lawrence, The Wall Street Journal
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PAVILION PRESSA roundup of press highlights covering the launch of the Akiko Yamazaki & Jerry Yang Pavilion at the Asian Art Museum in San FranciscoBROWSE THE ROUNDUP
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HOW DO WE GATHER?As restrictions lift and public spaces come to life once again, members of the WHY team reflect on what makes an ideal place of gathering – from plazas for dancing, to cemeteries for picnicking…READ HERE
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“When we take a moment to observe our surroundings and notice how we feel, we each acquire a degree of creative agency. Architects and planners aren’t the only authorities when it comes to shaping and reimagining public spaces; by recognizing what we personally value in specific urban circumstances, we can each create a foundation for how we want to live – collectively."
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WHY X GCDNWHY facilitates a discussion for the Global Cultural District Network Conversations seriesWATCH HERE
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LANDSCAPE THINKINGDOES BEAUTY MATTER IN DESIGN?
Beauty is a surprisingly controversial topic when it comes to designing public projects. The WHY Landscape Workshop offers a new perspective, redefining beauty in terms of our inseparable connection with the natural world.READ HERE -
THE MASTERPIECES OF THE ASIAN ART MUSEUMHOW CAN GALLERY DESIGN MAKE SPACE TO SEE?
If you look closely, you’ll start to notice the significance of architecture in almost any film you watch. After all, architecture is one of the primary ways that we structure and make sense of our world: it’s the perfect scaffolding for a story.SPACE TO SEE -
ENTER THE FRAMEHOW CAN FILMS TEACH US HOW TO READ THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT?
If you look closely, you’ll start to notice the significance of architecture in almost any film you watch. After all, architecture is one of the primary ways that we structure and make sense of our world: it’s the perfect scaffolding for a story.ENTER HERE -
PROMISE, WITNESS, REMEMBRANCEHOW CAN MUSEUMS RESPOND TO CONTEMPORARY EVENTS?
We met up with Allison Glenn, curator of "Promise, Witness, Remembrance" at the Speed Art Museum, to discuss her vision for an exhibition centered on the life and legacy of Breonna Taylor.READ THE INTERVIEW -
ARCHITECTURE & CERAMICS: AN ONLINE EXHIBITIONWHAT CAN ARCHITECTS LEARN FROM CERAMICISTS?
Like a building, a ceramic vessel is a play of inside and out; it serves to contain, but also invites opportunities for overspill. We explore the possibilities in an online exhibition featuring work by Theaster Gates, Doyle Lane, and Magdalene Odundo.EXPLORE HERE -
WHY WALKSWHERE DO YOU DO YOUR BEST WORK?
For the WHY Landscape Workshop, walking is a way of working – a practice of retracing steps, allowing ideas to rise, and witnessing the continuity between the natural world and the built environment.
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PRECARITY & PLAYWHAT BRINGS A MUSEUM TO LIFE?
#MuseumFromHome digital programs allow everyone to be an architect of their own experience.
Now more than ever before, physical museum buildings must offer something equally enticing: an architectural environment designed for the collective while empowering the individual.
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“A museum is only as welcoming as its willingness not to be an authority – inclusive museums are more like good stewards, accepting the fact that interpretation and meaning is living and evolving – something precarious, and playful."Brian ButterfieldDirector of WHY Museums Workshop
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GREEN FUTURESWHAT IS THE MEASURE OF A BUILDING’S SUSTAINABILITY?
EPACENTER Youth Arts & Music Center has been awarded LEED Platinum (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design). But what are the impacts beyond the criteria – is LEED a measure of achievement, or a pledge for the future?
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AXIS MUNDIWHY DO CITIES THRIVE ON DIVERSITY?
WHY’s mission has always been one of unity through diversity, and we’re proud to represent the AAPI community within the field of architecture and design.
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LOOK FOR THE CHEECHHOW TO TRANSFORM A HISTORIC LIBRARY INTO A THRIVING CENTER FOR CHICANO CULTURE?
WHY’s design for the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is envisaged as an open, continuous Zócalo – an inside-out environment defined by radical hospitality.
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ACUPUNCTURE ARCHITECTUREHOW TO HEAL A BUILDING FROM WITHIN?
We don’t believe in dramatic facelifts. That’s why we developed our acupuncture approach to reenergizing existing buildings: by identifying key areas of weakness, we’re able to pinpoint a series of architectural interventions which heal the building from the inside out.Energizing a museum -
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“The process of renovating the Speed Museum was acupuncture architecture in practice. We recognized that we only touch the museum for a short time: it has had a life long before us, and will continue to live long after us. Instead of trying to fix the building in its final form, our goal was to let it breathe and thrive."Kulapat YantrasastFounder and Creative Director, WHY
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COOK FROM WHAT YOU FINDWHAT MAKES A GOOD CHEF?
High quality, locally sourced ingredients, expertly prepared, and intuitively combined - with guests and good conversation in mind.A recipe for LA -
AN ECOLOGY OF DISCIPLINESHOW TO DESIGN A LIVING SYSTEM?
As an ecology of disciplines, our workshops strengthen one another through exchange of ideas and resources. Every project has a different ratio of input from each workshop, allowing for complexity while maintaining clarity.Introducing the WHY workshops -
THE ARCHITECT'S DILEMMASUSHI OR PAD THAI?
You can work with minimal ingredients, perfect a single technique, maintaining absolute control of the diner’s experience.
Or you can combine multiple ingredients, flavors, textures, and colors, creating a dish of contradictory clarity and delicious complexity…Our menu of projects -
WHY OBJECTS WORKSHOPWHAT IS A WHY OBJECT?
Our objects are often answers to questions in the design process. They arise from the context of a particular project, a place, or material palette. An object might serve a particular function, or exist as art. They are experiments at home in their environment. -
GOODBYE, MASTER ARCHITECTWHY ARE ARCHITECTS MORE LIKE CONDUCTORS?
Gone are the days of the genius creator – a skilled architect is more like an orchestra conductor, someone who facilitates connections between different individuals and elements to create a harmony of relations.Learning from art and music -
'MA' IS MAKING SPACE TO LISTENWHY DOES DESIGN START WITH SILENCE?
We often refer to the Japanese concept of ‘MA’ which evokes the well-placed space – pause – gap – which allows for new ideas and forms to enter. It guides our design process, which starts with close listening to our clients and project stakeholders. -
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“As museums seek to engage wider audiences and communicate a sense of collective belonging, they need to be designed for inclusivity. We work closely with our clients to envisage how the visitor experience plays out both within and outside the museum building, exploring what it means for an institution to welcome all ages, genders, races, cultures, interests, and abilities."Brian ButterfieldDirector of WHY Museums Workshop
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INNOVATIONWHERE DO NEW IDEAS COME FROM?
Good ideas are the product of their context. These faceted terracotta tiles for the Asian Art Museum’s new pavilion are inspired by the original Beaux Arts façade. The geometric forms are a reinterpretation of the original rusticated granite, connecting to the past while creating a rhythmic and compelling new form.Explore the Asian Art Museum -
ART & WILDINGCAN WE DESIGN FOR WILDNESS?
The WHY Landscape Workshop’s strategy of Art & Wilding is a way of negotiating human agency in the natural environment. Each site calls for a different approach to balancing creative intervention and organic growth, generating new and evocative landscapes designed to evolve with a place over time. -
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“I’m fascinated by that intersection between human artistry and the processes of the natural world — the WHY Landscape Workshop is constantly testing that space, seeking new and intuitive ways to foster biodiversity while celebrating human presence and creative potential."Mark ThomannDirector of WHY Landscape Workshop
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OFFICE CULTUREWHERE IN THE WORLD?
We set up our first office in LA, our point of intersection between east, west, and the global south. We then branched out to New York, adding an outpost in San Francisco and a pied-a-terre in Paris. Stop by for one of our salons next time you’re nearby.