On the Value of Conversation

written by Vera Grimmer

 
It is in the field of mediation of architecture where the format of the interview proves to be particularly appropriate as the most original and the most immediate commentary on image and planning documentation. Of course, it requires thorough preparation: the study of available literature, videos, data from electronic media and the like. Then, one needs to make a script of the conversation containing questions, which should not be simple and short, but a smaller text unit that will enable the dialogue and maybe give it momentum. However, all of this is only the backbone around which the fullness of dialogue will develop, perhaps in a completely different way than the one envisaged. Therefore, during the interview, a maximum concentration and a quick associative response are needed to make the interview itself successful. It is also important to suppress some kind of a stage-fright when talking to authors who are building our world, because the interview is also a kind of theater whose most commonly known stage is the studio of the architect, but also a public place such as a café or a restaurant, as well as a private apartment. And with all the necessary engagement, I am convinced that a quality interview is a valuable experience, even more so if it is possible to share it with many.