Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect
Director: Mark Noonan
Released: 13 October
Universally revered, with a constellation of awards to his name, architect Kevin Roche is at the centre of this documentary, directed by filmmaker and architecture graduate Mark Noonan. Still working at the age of 95, Roche is responsible for such startling structures as the Convention Centre Dublin, Oakland Museum of California, and the Ford Foundation in New York. Showing no sign of yielding to old age, Roche insists that the only way to stay sane is to work.
The film visits many of Roche’s buildings, from museums to a post office, office blocks and car parks. What becomes clear as the film progresses is that the person is just as important as the structure. Several of Roche’s peers and admirers chime in on his unshakable empathy when it comes to architecture. He builds with the constant knowledge that the finished product will have to cater to its inhabitants needs – he sees no logic in designing twisted, molecular behemoths if it means sacrificing comfort or practicality. That is not to say that his designs are in any way dull or unimaginative: they may not be loud, but they retain a mythic kind of presence, such as The Pyramids in Indianapolis, glass-sided glimpses to the past. One anecdote describes how he would follow workers inside as they enter a conference centre, noting where they hang their coat or eat their lunch, ever vigilant of human’s need for community and comfort.
In the smooth, gliding visuals of Roche’s many achievements, what stands out is his staunch refusal to impose upon nature. Recalling Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace of 1851, which incorporated trees into its structure rather than ripping them out of the earth, Roche is malleable and adjusts his designs to whatever shape nature has taken. Part of this documentary’s charm, and Roche’s saving grace, is this abstinence from grotesque over-statement: when asked what he thinks the term bestowed on him of “Star Architect,” Roche promptly rejects it with a laugh.
Words: John Vaughan
