Stephen Phillips: Kiesler’s robots (September 30, 2011)

John Enright introduces Stephen Phillips, the head of the Cal Poly LA Metro program at San Luis Obispo, the author of “Elastic Architecture” on Frederick Kiesler, and principal of the office SPARCHS. Phillips describes Frederick Kiesler’s most significant proposals, including the Universal Theater concept for a show in 1962 at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York. Kiesler believed that traditional architecture lacks the adaptability, and flexibility necessary to meet the demands of modern society. Kiesler’s proposals incorporated the temporal variation of space and shapes in order to synchronize with the human body’s rhythms. While teaching at Columbia and Yale, Kiesler researched human motion and perception. Philips presents several of Kiesler’s installations that employ that research to engage the viewer in novel ways. Beyond employing movable elements, Kiesler proposed flexible expanding and contracting spaces. Stephen Phillips and Todd Gannon discuss Kiesler