SAF:  Your designs touch upon different fields such as architecture, art space or even dresses, highways etc. How do you describe yourself?  A designer?  An artist?  Or other?

Daan: Yes, as you listed, we cover every aspect of life.  And the world is changing, so maybe we could no longer use an existing word to describe a designer.  I could be an architect, an artist, or even a math teacher…. So, maybe we need to create some new words, just like innovation in designing.

SAF:  Among all the different designs, is there a common idea in your inner mind that you would like to convey to others?

Daan:  I think design is the second language of human beings. The purpose of designing is to improve people’s life.  So designer’s responsibility is to continuously serve the people’s needs with innovation and sustainability.

SAF: Interaction and technology feature many of your designs.  Why do you think they are important and what are the latest trends regarding this?

Daan: Yes. We attach great importance to interaction and innovation.  People’s life should not be like robots.  It should be lively, interactive and communicative.  The increasingly developing technologies also raise people’s awareness of sustainability.  The “Sustainable Dancer floor” could generate electricity when people dance on it.  And the “SMART HIGHWAY” will supply power for the road lamps.

SAF: You have your studio in Shanghai and you often come to China.  Do you see any differences between east and west in terms of designing?

Daan: Shanghai’s economy is developing rapidly and the rhythm of life is also very fast.  Besides, Chinese people have great passion for future. So, there would be more different projects in different fields that would generate the needs for designing within a certain period of time.  But before my each creation, I would think Europe is a better place for me to do research because research and innovation needs time.  Meanwhile, Chinese people emphasize more on “collective” and European people emphasize more on “individual”.  That’s the difference.  So I will do a lot of “self-criticism”, thinking how I could make my designs better. It’s all about balancing commerce with creativity.

SAF:  The theme of Shanghai Architecture Fair 2014 is “Rethinking the Future”.  What do you expect the future architecture and the relationship with human being to be?

Daan:  The architecture in future must be sustainable and more innovative, and more importantly, more interactive with people.

SAF:  What topic or idea will you share with the audience at SAF 2014?

Daan: It is my pleasure to be invited by the organizer of Shanghai Architects Fair 2014 and share my ideas, the application of various materials and my latest works.  A serious of audio-visual things will be presented to explain the idea of “interaction” and “technology”.  I will introduce some details in the designing process of my works like SMOG, SMARTHIGHWAY etc. and tell the interesting behind-scene stories.  And I am happy to take up any questions from the audience.  Thanks!

There is a short description on Daan’s name card: interactive art, fashion and architecture.  It could be the best answer for the first question.  More interestingly, after “Daan Roosegaarde”, a Chinese interpretation meaning “rose garden” was also printed on the name card.  So, rose garden, this is the interpretation of himself.  Let’s explore the glamour of the “rose garden” at Shanghai Architects Fair in March 2014.

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Daan Roosegaarde

Daan Roosegaarde is an outstanding Dutch architect and artist.  In projects ranging from fashion to architecture, Daan Roosegaarde and the designers and engineers at Studio Roosegaarde in Rotterdam and Shanghai create interactive and social designs that explore relationships between space, people, and technology inrenowned projects,such as Dune, Intimacy, Smart Highway and Sustainable Dance Floor. He has won numerous design awards, and his work has been exhibited at the Tate Modern and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the National Museum in Tokyo, and other venues. (www.studioroosegaarde.net)