GREAT CLIENTS

We are adept, as a profession, about describing Great Buildings. But what about Great Clients?

This occurred to me as I sit here in Lisbon and make another drawing of Casa Battlo. The previous page introduces Casa Battlo.

As a result of touring the house yesterday, I learned that this was for one Barcelona family. And I also learned that this was a renovation. Gaudi took an ordinary 6 floor residence and did this.

But who commissioned this masterpiece? Who, exactly, were the Battlo family? What sort of client did this in 1920? Where did they get their money? Did they collect art? What was their favorite composer? Did they go to the opera? What house did they live in before moving into Casa Battlo?  Did they have a piano?  Did they read to their kids?  How did they interact with Gaudi?  Did they input any of the design decisions?

Imagine that we would learn about this great client, as part of learning about this great building.  How would that change things?

Well, first of all, it would reinforce the concept that, indeed, it takes money to build buildings.  And this money is typically spent by people.  It might give an awareness to what goes into being a great client.  It might give young architects a sense that there are enormous psychological variables that comprise a client, any client.  And it would reinforce the fact that getting a building, great or not, built is ultimately the result of the architect’s ability to work with their client.

All most architecture students know is that clients are simply money bags.  And this mindset ignores an incredibly rich part of this profession.