Zoka I Love You

architect Zoka Zola
project Single Family House, Chicago, USA
written by Vedran Mimica

 

The human will pass through another decisive step, in which the subject, despite its satisfaction, fails to be sufficient unto itself. Desire metamorphosed into an attitude of openness to exteriority. Openness that is appeal and response to the other. The proximity of the other, origin of all putting into question of self. 
Emmanuel Levinas: Alterity and Transcendence. Columbia University Press, 1999.

 

I do not respect Mies, I love Mies.
Rem Koolhaas: Miestakes. Content.Tashen, 2004. p. 183

 

The Pfanner House is the embodiment of Zoka’s understanding of the concept of open space. It is a unique architectural concept of freedom. In establishing the relationship between architectural expression and the concept of freedom, Zoka relies on recent research in philosophy, art and social sciences. These disciplines address the issue of individual or group opening up toward other entities, as opposed to making them the same or similar. Zoka believes that architecture is the ideal medium for exploring the opening of “one” toward the “other”, because it involves the constant “opening” of one space to another space. Quite expectedly, in Zoka’s interpretation there are few genuinely open spaces in the history of western architecture: Wittgenstein’s house, Melnikov’s spaces, Asplund’s houses and some of Alberti’s and Bernini’s spaces.