Sou Fujimoto TOTO Lecture - 3 life lessons from an architecture superstar you might not have heard of

Sou Fujimoto is a young architect born in Hokkaido, based in Tokyo, famous for his 2013 Serpentine Pavilion and permeable private houses and currently working on competition projects his firm won in Paris, Budapest, Taichung, among other locations.


“You can feel a constant, gentle breeze,” marvelled Fujimoto-san at how the architects managed to regulate natural ventilation at The Star, where he addressed an audience of 3,000 at a lecture organised by TOTO, the leading bathroom brand from Japan.

His architecture lessons are best learned directly from him - conveniently he has a new book out titled simply "Sou Fujimoto Architecture Works 1995-2015."

But what struck me listening to Fujimoto-san was how articulate he was, even in English. When I was at MIT in 2007, I had the luck to listen to famous architects and designers including Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Cecil Balmond (Arup), Ai Weiwei and Olafur Eliasson. Possibly with the exception of Eliasson, almost no one else was that gifted in speech. I had thought along the lines of “God is fair”, since he had already blessed them with the talents of expression and execution in architecture.

So here are three life lessons I learned this evening:

1. Be your own spokesperson and salesperson
Sou Fujimoto not only knows how to design, he understands how to communicate his designs in words. His stage performance (including constant remarks with the word “Amazing!”) reminded me of the ultimate speaker of our times - Steve Jobs. He made a few deliberate half-joking comments of “I’m looking for a client in Singapore. You can just send me an email.”  You have to be willing and able to be your own spokesperson and salesperson. Your method might differ, but this should never be a job beneath you.

2. Be endlessly positive
On his failed “Souk Mirage” project, he humorously lamented that he had proposed such an audacious design because he thought “anything is possible in the Middle East.” He also poked fun at his own “public toilet” project in Japan (it got so popular it required porta-loos to service the crowds). His positive energy was infectious and made him very likeable. And never underestimate the importance of likability.

3. Recognise that money matters
A lot of criticism directed at starchitects is about how they are obsessed about form making and creating the next spectacle while not caring about the commercial outcome. Fujimoto-san specifically discussed how he was grateful at how well the Montpellier residences he designed is almost sold-out. Some might think of their architecture (or their profession / work) as art. Again, making sure your works succeed commercially should never be beneath you.


Image copyright:
1) Serpentine Gallery (c) Iwan Baan
2) Souk Mirage (c) Sou Fujimoto Architects

Read my other posts about career tips or head over to check out my project on architecture-focused walking tours in Singapore.