philippe stark's house in a box

Although this artifact was created over a decade ago, I think it is still very relevant to our recent discussions on the microhouse. Stark addresses how one can disseminate quality architecture to the general public at a price that is reasonable. A whole generation of houses were available by mail through the Sears Roebuck catalog in the early 20th century, and that paradigm is arguably just as relevant now at the beginning of the 21st century.

From a lecture by Stark to the GSD in October 1997:

The Starck House (3 Suisses) [1994] is the best architecture I ever made, definitely the most advanced architecture. It doesn't look like something by Jean Nouvel or Zaha Hadid - it looks a little classic for the most advanced prototype of the modern house. This is because sometimes the modernity is not in the design, but somewhere else, and it's in the "somewhere else" that it's interesting. Lots of good architects make lots of beautiful architecture. You can call them - they have all money problems, so they will be very happy to work for you. But a lot of these good architects will design only a big thing, beautiful and costly. But now, especially in Europe, you can buy a house that costs $100,000 that looks like bullshit. And a young couple will work all their lives to pay for this bullshit. Retired people will have worked all their lives to pay for this bullshit. That's why I have to find a way to say, "OK, every twenty minutes people buy a house like that at $100,000 with 1,500 square feet. Abomination."

And I said, "OK, I shall take the same budget, the same measurement, the same program, and I shall show that there can be something else." In the U.S. and in France you can make a cheap wood house with a strong image. This was intended to be the best design you can get by mail order; it was a solution to oblige the big companies to change their designs. This design caused a big scandal in Europe. I received pressure to not do it. That's why this house is not architecture but political action, not about architecture but about people. Now I am only interested in doing something like that. The main idea was just to make it different and more honest and more human than the bullshit they sell every twenty minutes. When you have a good idea, try in all ways to make the best things for the most people possible. If you succeed, that means the idea was good. Popular is elegant, and rare is vulgar.







Wooden box including hammer, Philippe Starck's notes, blueprints, notebook, flag, and videotape. For 3 Suisses. Stamped "Starck chez 3 Suisses 1994 N° 501." Box: 3 ⅜ x 31 1⁄2 x 24 ⅜ in. (8.6 x 80 x 61.9 cm) Literature Bendedikt Taschen, ed., Starck, Cologne, 2000, pp. 28-33