Elizabeth Diller: a range of senses

Though best known for her innovative and interdisciplinary approach to architecture, following conversation with Elizabeth Diller, it’s clear she should also be known for her enduring optimism. The studio she co-founded, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), is responsible for the renovation and extension of MoMA (2019), and the design of The Shed (2019), The Broad (2015), and the High Line (2019), among others. The work of DS+R distinguishes itself by seamlessly integrating intangible elements such as light, sound, and scent into designs that almost always diverge from the expected.  

hube: MoMA exemplifies the comprehensive and ever-evolving role of museums in society. It has been a number of years since the expansion and renovation by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) was completed. How do you feel about the project now?

Elizabeth Diller: I try to view MoMA objectively, though when I visit I tend to revert to my role as an architect and focus on the unfinished punch list. This is the curse of an architect working in one’s own city! Despite that, I believe the museum has greatly improved in many ways. Prior to the renovation, MoMA was opaque and felt transactional on the street level. It’s now better connected to the street and the city. The lobby level is open with ticketing tucked out of the way and the store lowered into a dramatic double-height space. You can see from 53rd Street straight through the lobby to the Sculpture Garden, making the museum feel more democratic and inviting. Previously you had to walk half a mile from the entrance to see artwork. Now art is closer to the street—the entry lobby is double-height and serves as a space for installations. The Projects Room and Street Gallery are off of the lobby and free of charge. The Sculpture Garden is accessible to all. The public has responded well, but we’re still observing and seeing some areas for improvement.

One of the most significant changes in MoMA was the decision to abandon discipline-specific galleries in favour of a more cross-disciplinary approach, allowing stories to be told without being confined by chronology, discipline, or medium. In parallel, the collection is becoming more diverse, departing from its Euro- and male-centric weighting. 

One of MoMA’s biggest problems was the combination of limited gallery space and the stasis of its collection due to cost and complexity. The expansion provides 33% more gallery space and a lot of flexibility, de-clogging galleries and circulation spaces while making navigation more intuitive. With the gallery expansion, MoMA is able to show more of its collection and in new ways. The museum is now committed to rotating one third of its collection spaces every six months. There’s a refresh happening throughout the year. It feels vibrant. The expansion facilitates seamless movement between old, new, and renovated galleries—it doesn’t hide its layered architectural histories, it puts them into conversation with one another and in alignment with the museum’s 21st-century goals.

h: You have worked extensively in exhibition design. What attracts you to the creative interpretation of art?

ED: Our research-based practice has always been at the crossroads of architecture, art, performance, and theory. Delving into topics like the American lawn, or fashion and Catholicism, allows us to learn new branches of knowledge and invent techniques of display that allow us to rethink the interface between objects and viewers.

One of our latest exhibitions was Paris Moderne 1914-1945 at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, which highlighted the emergence of modernity in Paris. The era between WWI and WWII marked a pivotal moment of innovation in architecture, design, fashion, film, and urbanism. At the time, revitalised by the end of WWI, there was an explosion of intense creativity, catalysing a fascinating global dissemination of French influence. Exploring this period was particularly intriguing for me, considering the multitude of inspiring architects and designers involved, including Le Corbusier, Pierre Chareau, Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, and Fernand Jacopozzi. We worked with the architect, historian, and curator, Jean-Louis Cohen.

Another recent exhibition was Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity, which explored the influence of Islamic culture and art on Cartier’s designs in the early 20th century. It was initiated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Another version was presented at the Dallas Museum of Art and just recently opened at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Each installation was site-specific, with a different emphasis and a slightly different object list, but all within the same thematic framework. 

Here, we were interested in the succession of interpretations. Louis Cartier was first drawn to Islamic art in a curated museum exhibition in Germany. The early Cartier designs were interpretations of his first exposure to the work. That’s already two layers of interpretation. The curators of our show interpreted the Cartier pieces as a third layer, and then we came in interpreting the curators’ interpretation of the Cartier designers’ interpretation of Louis Cartier’s interpretation of the museological displays of the original Islamic art. With each layer, new information is added. 

We also wanted to broaden the audience that would naturally be drawn to this subject matter by introducing new media, radical scale changes, animated content, and analytical dynamics. This additive process highlights the constant evolution of history and being a part of translating it, which is a creative process.

Right now, we’re working on a show devoted to Coco Chanel that is also for the Power Station of Art. We’re also doing a show at the MAXXI museum in Rome that is centred around motion and architecture. As we will be both curators and designers, we will be in a dialogue with ourselves.

h: The High Line is a public park built on an abandoned elevated railroad that stretches from the Meatpacking District to the Hudson Rail Yards in Manhattan. The project is a compelling symbol of modern cities’ progression towards the future. Simultaneously, many speculate that new modes of social communication may lead to detachment from reality. How might this paradox impact urban structure?

ED: It was predicted that the internet would replace in-person life, from shopping and travelling to visiting museums and having sex [laughs]. High-speed communication and social media have brought about significant social change, but in-person experience is still very much alive. Why is the High Line so incredibly popular? And why are there so many popping up all over the world? The viral effect of the High Line has proven that, despite our addiction to digital media and screens, we thrive on social experience. On one hand, we can no longer live without technologies, but their ubiquity has inadvertently secured the preservation of public space. 

The new concern is AI. The first moment it became widely available, I feared that I wouldn’t be able to distinguish my students’ papers from an automated bot or chatGPT, but I feel much more comfortable now. I even use it myself. It’s an adaptive process. Early technologies challenge our habits, but we’re adaptable beings and these technologies are now extensions of our bodies and brains.