From Michelangelo, with Salvador Dali and after

The nice temperature, the bed, the TV, the new kitchen and the high-heeled shoes are the top five important things in the life of the architect

I met him for the first time. In front of me stood a genius. My time was limited and I did not know if I would ever see him again. I wanted to ask him about so many things and the time ran fast as in a sand-glass.

Art and architecture undoubtedly change but do people change today, are they different from those in your childhood in post-war Europe?
I am indeed a child of the post-war period in Spain. We were living under a dictator’s regime then but my memories often fail to coincide with the official version. Under the official dictatorship there was a cultural and civil movement, which was very exciting. Today, for the young people in my country everything is much easier but this does not automatically lead to the birth of better artists.

Will the 21st c. turn out to be a good time and place for the development of arts?
In principle I don’t like to draw general conclusions. I’d rather talk about the so-called “pure arts” like sculpture and painting. The video and the body-art are very boring to me. Maybe very significant artistic events are happening but we just do not think they are art. For example, the crucial moment with the mute American cinema that has always been just business and has never been perceived as art.

Why is the heel of the lady’s shoe in your project bifurcated?
I made this with Antonio Miro and De Mora like an anecdote. This is a walking shoe. We, the orthodox high-heels lovers, are going to found a club in Spain.

Beside the eroticism your lady’s shoe exudes, do you view it as a specific synthesised architecture lesson?
Actually I haven’t thought of the shoe as an object of art. But I think the essential thing about it is the instability. The beauty is in watching how a woman keeps her balance walking on this thing.

Which nature landscape is most close to your emotional world?
The sea, no doubt, the sea.

What do you know about Bulgaria, about us the Bulgarians, who are your public now?
I only know your Black Sea coast and Stoichkov as I am a fan of Barcelona Football Club. I have never been in Sofia before.

Is Salvador Dali still present in your mind in moments of inspiration?

My interlocutor averted his eyes. He was silent. I thought he didn’t want to answer my question. After a short pause behind the architect’s glasses I saw his eyes had changed.

Yes… he is part of my memory. But all my memories are alive. Besides, I have recently finished the book dedicated to my friendship with Salvador Dali. Only few people really knew him although many books have been written about him. My book describes our 10-years-long friendship. I am preparing a very big exhibition of Dali, which will be held in Venice from September 10, 2004, to January 9, 2005.

In terms of architecture, which is the most beautiful city in the world for you?
There are many beautiful cities but if we are speaking of the big ones, for me there are three: Rome, Paris and New York.

What didn’t you manage to understand about women in your life?
For me they have been determinant. A place without women seems dark and sinister. There are perhaps four women who have been important in my life. I am not one of those who say women are incomprehensible but I don’t think men are easier to understand either.

How do you imagine the bed you would design for me?
To do it, first I have to talk with you and design the bed of your dreams, and not of my dreams. I will have to know if you like to eat in bed, drink, read, let your dog climb up, be with friends, listen to music.

Do you examine everyone you work for?
When I do something for a certain person I examine him and comply with his taste.

As a writer, what interests you most in modern literature?
I win friends. I recall Felini, who drew the ideas for his films from friends. And I think my books are like having dinner with me.

What are you going to do in your next life?
Mistakes, probably, like in this one. I think I was quite lucky but I regret I don’t have more talent.

Raina Yotova