The architect and the plantsman

The Architect and the Plantsman – short piece on the collaboration of Peter Zumthor and Piet Oudolf, first on last year’s Serpentine Gallery (2011, image shown below; source) and now on the transformation of a former factory, De Meelfabriek, in the Dutch city of Leiden into high-end lofts.

From Zumthor on Oudolf:

I’m looking for a plant-knower and lover. This is exactly what Piet is. And then he is more, and you can see it: His work is very aesthetical and beautiful, but it is really about the prima materia. That’s what I love.

From Oudolf on Zumthor:

Meeting people in architecture has been a very positive development in my career. … But working in a world of architects means working in a world of big egos. …  the best people you don’t really have to fight. You find a way to communicate, and they try to understand you.

Via Manuela Papa on LinkedIn.