The architectural office of Robert Winkel, Mei architects & city planners Rotterdam released the first edition of the "Mei Krant" last month. I had to smirk about the lucid wordplays with the word Mei throughout the publication that has the format of a polemical imitation of commuter newspapers. Obviously the Meikrant-team must have had a great time editing the variety of articles, especially the riddle and gossip section. But Winkel does make a fruitful contribution to the debate on copyright and originality in architecture. Titled "Copyright is for loosers ©®" his essay dismisses the hopless 19th century idea of explicit authorship in architecture and pledges for an affiliation to the cut and paste culture that emerged in new media and Hip-Hop culture. He argues for the emergence of a regulated creative commons system for architecture opposed to the deperate attempt of architects to control every detail of the buildings appearance including the prohibition of changes a posteriori of which the most prominent example might be Richard Meyers The Hague City Hall. Instead Winkel accepts and embraces changes made by inhabitants as part of a normal cycle in a buildings evolution.
Winkel is also a practicing example of "open source architecture", drawing only principle schemes and rough details of certain façade parts in a big scale project Schiecentrale, deliberately leaving room for cheap and practical ad-hoc and on site solutions. This might be a more successful strategy than the desperate attempt to control every corner with a swiss precision. I think here in particular of Anette Gigons complaints about the sloppy nature of execution on big scale construction sites in the Netherlands related to their Housing project in Almere. Wikel and his team probably have a less stressful life and more leasure time - or time to produce entertaining publications.
Issues can be ordered on www.meikrant.nl
Office website: www.mei-arch.nl
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