Del Sobe 25 na Summer session, AA School of Architecture, London, 1972
Zakaj Soba 25?
Marija Cerar
Zakaj Soba 25? Najbolj 'kur, inventivna, svobodna, kritiška, 'in', odprta, aktualna, liberalna, drzna.
Zakaj profesor Ravnikar? Pojem avantgarde? ... brez predsodkov, humoren, stimulativen, jedernat, zbadljiv, pronicljiv, nikoli povsem zadovoljen, iščoč novih rešitev - zato ni čudno, da si sam kot študent drzne v študijski nalogi podtakniti svojemu učitelju Plečniku na praporju stolpa gasilskega doma napis »sej je vse glih« ali pa v Cankarjevem domu, ki ga je projektiral še v svinčenih časih, izzivalno vključi v ornament opečne stene simbol križa - verjetno z namenom, da povzdigne prostor, namenjen kulturi v sakralno dimenzijo.
In moja izkušnja? Ko smo kot nadebudni študenti zgrabili vsako možnost izražanja svojih idej, smo se udeležili tudi natečaja za idejni projekt izrabe prostora pred 'Šumijem'. To je bil poseben izziv, saj so bile dane možnosti nekonvencionalnih predstavitev projektov. Moj predlog je bil 'kulturni bazar' in predstavila sem ga v obliki zgodbe opremljene s humorističnimi ilustracijami. Komisija je mogoče imela ta način predrzen in moj projekt zavrnila, profesor Ravnikar pa je v njem spoznal vizionarske ideje in ga kot predsednik komisije izbral kot najbolj zanimivega in naprednega.
In potem se je zgodil še London - mednarodna poletna šola za arhitekturo, kjer je predaval znaminiti arhitekt-filozof Ce-dric Price, ki nas je takole nagovoril: »Ne vznemirjajte se, če me ne boste razumeli, saj me tudi Angleži ne razumejo!«. Zanimiva
predavanja. Ko sem mu v pogovoru omenila, da pripravljam diplomsko nalogo (rekreacijski center), me je povabil v svoj studio, kjer sem večkrat v njegovi knjižnjici lahko širila svoje obzorje in med drugim srečala tudi arhitekta Buckminsterja Fullerja. V zahvalo za to možnost sem gospodu Pricu v njegovem striktno črno-belem ambientu pustila presenečenje: 'inštalacijo' prostovisečih metaliziranih barvnih plošč, ki so v rahlem gibanju odbijale barvno svetlobo. Drzno? Zakaj pa ne!
1972
Why ^ Room 25?
Marija Cerar
Why Room 25? The most 'cool', inventive, free, critical, 'in', open, contemporary, liberal, daring.
Why Professor Ravnikar? A synonym for avant-garde?... without bias, humorous, stimulating, concise, teasing, insightful, never completely satisfied, seeking new solutions. Therefore, it is not surprising that while a student working on the fire station project, he dared to foist his teacher Plečnik by inscribing 'it is all the same' on the fire station tower's flag. Or, in the cultural center Cankarjev dom, which he designed during the times behind the iron curtain, he provok-ingly included a cross into the brick wall's ornament - probably with the purpose to rise the cultural space into a sacred dimension.
And my experience? As promising students grabbing every chance to express our ideas, we also participated in the competition exploring the purpose of the space in front of Šumi. This was a special challenge because we were given the possibility to use unconventional presentations of our solutions. The concept of my project was a 'cultural bazar' and I presented it as a narrative containing humorous illustrations. The committee perhaps considered my approach too bold and it rejected my project. However, Professor Ravnikar who headed the committee saw my project as a visionary idea and chose it as the most interesting and progressive. And then London happened - an international summer school for architecture where the famous architect and philosopher Cedric Price lectured. He addressed us thus: »Do not worry if you do not understand me; the
British do not understand me either!«. Interesting lectures. When I mentioned to him that I am preparing my diploma project (a recreational center), he invited me to his studio. In his library I could broaden my horizons and among others, I also met the architect Buckminster Fuller. In his strictly black and white ambient, I left Mr. Price a surprise as a token of my gratitue for giving me this opportunity: an 'installation' of free-hanging colored metal discs, which in gentle motion reflected the colorful light. Daring? Why not!