The short answer:
work for Rem Koolhaas.
The (very) long answer:
Unless Rem himself decides to respond to this question, I have to warn you about the fact that my answer, just like any other one you will most likely find is entirely speculative. However, I have studied many famous architects biographies and would like to share with you what I have learned from them.
let’s first begin by defining what “Famous Architect” means by differentiating between a prosperous architect and an influential architect, knowing that one does not necessarily go with the other: There are plenty of architecture firms that are extremely profitable but do not publish their work, earn the accolades of the critiques or win the honors from their peers.
So we will be focusing mainly on this category of architects who have had an impact on the discipline and that we remember through history.
I would then divide this category further down into two subcategories, the skyrockets, and the late bloomers:
The skyrockets:
Of which Bjarke Ingels is probably the most impressive case. By 25 he had already set-up his practice and started working on his first big commission — the notorious VM houses in Copenhagen — by the age of 29.
How did he do it?
A very clear vision of what he wanted and an extremely proactive attitude. He studied the greats early-on and modeled himself and his projects after them. He then adopted Rem Koolhaas as his guru and committed himself to working for him. He did land an internship with OMA and worked there for two years before splitting off.
Where his proactivity comes into play, is that he was also participating in open competitions throughout his academic career, thus building credibility and confidence in his skills.
The late bloomers:
Here, you have the likes of Louis Kahn who opened his office at the age of 50, or Frank Gehry who was producing pretty average projects until his 40s. Both of them had an awakening moment that changed the way they approached their work and liberated them from self-imposed constraints.
- For Kahn; it was a trip to Rome where he was deeply influenced by the ruins he saw there and got a glimpse into what his architecture could represent.
- For Gehry; it was a mixture of therapy, his formative years in France and mostly his close relationship with artists and sculptors in California, who inspired him through their freedom of expression.
THE PATH TO NOTORIETY
Here is the pattern that I have noticed in almost every Influential Architect’s story:
1Choosing an Architecture guru
or acquiring a valuable expertise.
That is the most efficient way to get into the starchitects club. Because make no mistake, it is a private club: Unless you have studied under a starchitect in one of the top schools of the world, worked with one of them as an intern, or otherwise have some highly valuable expertise to offer, there is no way you will be accepted later-on into a high-profile office.
I have to mention though that there are exceptions to this rule, who did not need to work directly with a famous mentor.
- Sou Fujimoto for example; chose to devote himself to introspection and research after his graduation, in order to define his personal approach.
- Peter Zumthor who trained as a cabinet maker and an industrial designer, worked for many years in historical monuments preservation before winning his first competition.
- Dominique Perrault followed a more academic approached and earned a high level of expertise through his post-graduate studies in town planning and history, which was instrumental in him winning a major competition in France by the age of 40;
- Tadao Ando is probably the most spectacular case: At the age of 25, he boarded on a Siberian train to Europe, fell in love with Le corbusier’s projects and decided to study for his license and open an architecture practice when he returned to Japan.
2 Proactively gaining recognition
- Rem Koolhaas did it through his thesis project first, and by writing a highly influential book.
- Bjarke Ingels by winning open competitions very early on.
- Thomas Heatherwich by building an impressive installation for his thesis project.
- Le Corbusier by methodically promoting/marketing his views on modern arts and architecture through a magazine he co-founded, and pioneering a new style.
3 Going through the drought
Basically, being able to sustain yourself while you work for an undetermined period on open competitions until one of them catches. But also to afford being picky about your prospective clients.
Most architects, if they didn’t come from a wealthy family do it by relying on a teaching position, cutting their expenses down and living in below-average standards for a few years.
- Steven Holl lived and worked in a studio for 12 years, not having a single client for that whole time.
- Zaha Hadid lost competition after competition for a decade.
- And Louis Kahn was only able to provide for his family by teaching and relying on his wife’s income.
AN ALTERNATIVE PATH
So, what if you didn’t have enough foresight to get into a top rated school, to strategically seek entrance into the starchitects club through an internship, or to proactively realize projects outside of your academic projects? What if you have already graduated and are working in an average office, making average projects and wondering how to still make it to the top?
The first question you have got to ask yourself is: How bad do you want it?Nobody can answer this question for you, it can only can only come from an objective assessment of your talents, confidence and level of commitment.
One thing is for sure, working full-time in an average office while criticizing starchitects will not get you there.
In my opinion, the first step is to establish the source of income that can enable you to cover your expenses while you dedicate yourself to following your own interests and gaining recognition: Writing a paradigm-shifting book, winning a big competition, or initiating and building a groundbreaking project. That source of income can actually be your full-time job, if you are willing to scarify some sleep, and have a supportive partner. or it can be a parallel endeavor, which preferably is linked to Architecture and is legal.
From there on, it only depends on your talent, patience and hard work. But also on an external factor that seems to play a considerable role in all of these success stories, and that is luck. I can only wish you plenty of it.
You can find more stories and words of wisdoms from the masters themselves, on my instagram feed: Archiwisdom or at http://archiwisdom.tumblr.com/
