A quiet documentary directed by Mark Noonan, on the career of Irish-American architect Kevin Roche, considered one of the most prominent and influential architects in the second half of the 20th century, in America.
In the film, Roche talks about his philosophy of melding his projects with the environment where they're built, trying to bring nature into the city, and keeping in mind the community of people who will work and visit them. Indeed, the doc points out that he designed the first of the atrium office buildings with the Ford Foundation complex.
There's a brief history of Roche's upbringing in Ireland, where his father raised thousands of pigs on a farm in Ireland, and even then Roche as a youngster designed certain improvements for the piggery. Roche would later go on to the only architectural school in Ireland, and then attend post-graduate courses in Illinois.
He landed a job with the renowned architect Eero Saarinen and eventually rose to chief designer for the firm. So after Saarinen suddenly died at the age of 51, Roche formed a partnership with John Dinkeloo to finish the myriad of projects that Saarinen still had pending upon his death.
Roche's sense of humor as well as his love and devotion to architecture comes through loud and clear in his interviews in the movie. Also, there are well edited clips of interviews with his contemporaries in the field. We also get a tour of some of Roche's most acclaimed buildings, including the United Nations Plaza, Oakland Museum, 60 Wall Street, renovations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Convention Center in Dublin, and the aforementioned Ford Foundation building.
All in all, to be honest I had never heard of Kevin Roche prior to viewing this doc. So it was a learning experience for me to see his importance in the architectural field as an innovator and problem solver, as well as to view some of his remarkable works. To note, Roche passed away in March of this year at the age of 96.
In the film, Roche talks about his philosophy of melding his projects with the environment where they're built, trying to bring nature into the city, and keeping in mind the community of people who will work and visit them. Indeed, the doc points out that he designed the first of the atrium office buildings with the Ford Foundation complex.
There's a brief history of Roche's upbringing in Ireland, where his father raised thousands of pigs on a farm in Ireland, and even then Roche as a youngster designed certain improvements for the piggery. Roche would later go on to the only architectural school in Ireland, and then attend post-graduate courses in Illinois.
He landed a job with the renowned architect Eero Saarinen and eventually rose to chief designer for the firm. So after Saarinen suddenly died at the age of 51, Roche formed a partnership with John Dinkeloo to finish the myriad of projects that Saarinen still had pending upon his death.
Roche's sense of humor as well as his love and devotion to architecture comes through loud and clear in his interviews in the movie. Also, there are well edited clips of interviews with his contemporaries in the field. We also get a tour of some of Roche's most acclaimed buildings, including the United Nations Plaza, Oakland Museum, 60 Wall Street, renovations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Convention Center in Dublin, and the aforementioned Ford Foundation building.
All in all, to be honest I had never heard of Kevin Roche prior to viewing this doc. So it was a learning experience for me to see his importance in the architectural field as an innovator and problem solver, as well as to view some of his remarkable works. To note, Roche passed away in March of this year at the age of 96.
