Chris Elliott, founder of Chris Elliot Architects, established the firm in 1992.
Born in Wollongong, NSW, where the drama of the natural environment and the man-made had a profound impact on him, Elliott studied at the University of New South Wales and the Architectural Association UK.
Architecture & Design spoke to him about what makes a city well-designed, why Canberra could have been designed better and what he finds inspiring.
What do you think a city should be? What traits and characteristics should it have?
The best cities are made up of layers of co-existing building, structures and spaces from all periods. Sustainability and re-using what we can is important. Making cities compact so that excessive energy is not expended by commuting, travel and transport is very important, and that can mean high-density areas and high-rise.
The residential cell is the building block of the city. These living cells need to be compact and close to all the action – the workplaces, facilities, arts and cultural life that only a city can provide. We must ensure that individual living spaces – suburban houses or apartments – are oriented so that inhabitants enjoy sunshine, air, light, and outlook, even if its a very urban view.
In the public arena, the focus changes to the way that groups of buildings create space and to the spaces between them. In designing cities we have to balance many competing claims and agendas. It’s a challenge not to generate unpleasant leftover spaces. Of course, technological change that leads to social changes, such as working from home, affects the way we plan our cities, so urban thinking is a ‘movable feast’ constantly evolving over time.
What is one city that you think has been well designed?
Venice is a personal favourite. It is composed of many layers that have accreted over time. The city is quiet and safe because cars are banished. The canals are beautiful and it makes the most of the pre-dominant aspect of the locale – water. Moving through the city on foot or by water is a very civilised way to live. It is an uplifting and happy place – a wonderful city.
What is one city you think has been badly designed?
It’s hard to name one city, but I would say that Canberra was designed largely around car movement rather than people movement. Its spaces are vast – easy to navigate in a vehicle but not so great on foot. It has a number of delightful small centres, but no really great centre. It was a fine utopian ideal – a wonderful design with beautiful drawings, but now the criteria for judging cities has changed. Canberra is a young city and there’s time to change and improve, like a good wine!
What is one key feature of well-designed cities do you think designers often forget?
We forget to notice the ordinary – things that add colour, texture and interest to cities. The gritty elements – steps, a crumbling wall, letterboxes, old signs – should be kept as a part of the fabric of renewed areas. When designing our Green Square project I spent a lot of time wandering around the area. I found all sorts of amazing and beautiful old things – the woolsheds on Alexandra canal and large steel frame structures – the bones of old factories and warehouses. We incorporated these ‘found objects’ into our design.
Sadly, most of these old things are being swept away in the rush to redevelop. If we used more imagination and incorporated these neglected elements in the new, it would reduce the need for commissioning ‘public art’ to try to enhance the sterile new spaces.
Whose approach to urban design do you admire?
I am always interested in brave and bold experiments. My eclectic collection of historical favourites includes Filarette, Bernini and moving through Camillio Sitte and onto Corb and Mies. The futurist Sant' Elia and the constructivist Leonidov captured the romance and daring of building tall and dramatic modern structures 100 years ago. They are a constant source of inspiration to me.
Rem Koolhaas is a stimulating thinker on cities. Leon and Rob Krier’s analysis of the different types of urban space is still valid. Closer to home, Thalis and Cantrill have conducted profound studies of Sydney's development. Lacoste and Stevenson often produce quirky and surprising urban projects. On the more experimental side is LAVA, which design new sustainable cities based on biomimicry. Terragram’s Vladimir Sitta is a creative genius at the vanguard of making cities greener, both metaphorically and literally.
What has been the greatest influence on your design?
Mies – his Farnsworth House is one of the most beautiful, ethereal and perfect buildings I have ever been in. Peter Zumthor is extraordinary and inspiring to me. But I must not forget Jorn Utzon! We are very lucky to have the Opera House – one of the great buildings of all time – as the centrepiece of our great city.
