Aldo ROSSI had wanted to develop this project in Milan, whilst his New York partner Morris ADJMI — with whom he had recently started the Orlando building — insisted on doing it in Manhattan**, more accessible for the client, who wanted to follow design progress with critical eyes.
Given the work I had furnished single-handedly for the Museum of Scotland competition, some in the SdA New York office were keen that I should integrate their team.
Besides, the project would be presented (along with a sizeable scale model) towards the end of the year at the Rockefeller Centre, in GENSLER ASSOCIATES’ offices. In the end I was there alongside colleagues presenting the project to Michael EISNER, towards whom however I felt no particular desire to introduce myself. Perhaps because I had worked all night colouring panels enlarged from my perspective drawings, elaborated in Paris.
In short, I worked on this project with local colleagues of Aldo ROSSI and his partner Morris ADMI, who had proposed to associate me (perhaps also because I was registered in France, an important advantage should we win) in three different cities : Milan, New York and Paris.
The idea to use the multi-storey carpark as a monumental screen along the (ca. 600m.) boundary with the Disneyland visitors’ parking lot was substantially mine. That move would reduce walking distances across the site to the offices, especially in the rush hours. The latecomer idea to cover that structure (on the visitors’ car park side) with fictional architectural sets was from ROSSI, who later exploited it successfully in Berlin (Schützenstrasse quarter).
The contractual conditions that DISNEY proposed would have been illegal in France, which establishes the right of architects to the paternity of their projects. The rule of territoriality applying in architecture, I resolved to keep the originals elaborated by myself on French territory. The project was for a site in France, the work was elaborated in France, and as external consultant based in France the framework of my architectural practice was subject to French law.
The client however claimed rights, of almost exclusive possession (hence the tongue-in-cheek apposition of the name ‘Eisner’ to Erin SHILLIDAY’s sketch, below) over even the slightest sketch developed by anyone at all that might have anything remotely to do with an object of study emanating from their brand. The pretense of such arrogance and hegemony is naturally to be resisted by anyone with an ounce of self-respect.
Site plan (from presentation filed in my project archives)
Perspectives elaborated by me (in French law, the originals are my property)
Sketches by Aldo ROSSI (fotocopie conservate da me in archivio di progetto) :
Sketch by Erin SHILLIDAY (copy filed in my project archives)
SdA masterplan proposal for the surrounding areas
** to graspe the tension this provoked, and how Aldo ROSSI would handle the situation, see here the wisecrack collage he devised with Luca MEDA whilst I was with them in the deserted studio of Santa Maria alla Porta 9, late august 1991.
Parent or related pages :
Associations for given projects
Architectural competitions
opus incertum 