TED Talks: Building Wonder Season 1 Episode 6 Liz Diller Plays with Architecture

Ted Talks: Building Wonder season 1 episode 6, "Liz Diller Plays with Architecture," provides an engaging glimpse into the structures and vision that take the form of art and architecture with the help of Liz Diller, an award-winning architect, and co-founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Liz Diller has made a name for herself as both an architect and educator, using technology, economy, and culture to expand the form and performance possibilities of architecture. In this episode, she discusses several of her noteworthy designs, including the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, Lincoln Center in New York and the Shed.

The episode begins with Liz Diller discussing her attempt to change the relationship between people and the buildings around them. Her focus is on how we interact with buildings and how we can create more meaningful interactions between people and architecture. Diller believes that architecture is never static, but always evolving, evolving with the people that use it.

The episode shows a primer on designing buildings and how to take context into account. Diller also discusses the story behind the High Line, a 1.5 mile-long park located in Manhattan that is built on a former elevated railway line. The designers of the High Line created a new way to see the city from above, creating a public space in the sky - a gift to the city that keeps on giving.

Through a series of slides and animations, Liz Diller shares her approach to designing buildings that connect with the people who use them. She talks about how they embrace the constraints and opportunities of a site, which includes the social, cultural, environmental, geographic and even physical conditions of a location.

Diller gives examples of the importance of flexibility in contemporary architecture: buildings should adapt to multiple and constantly changing uses, such as the the Teatro del Lago in Chile. The building was designed to hold different events and could be modified to adapt to various needs.

The episode also touches upon her way of working with clients, whom she sees as collaborators rather than just clients. Diller and her team ensure that their clients share their vision so that they both attain the designed building goals.

Within the episode, Liz Diller demonstrates her famous designs, including The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York – an eight-level structure with a kinetic outer shell that can expand and contract to create a different performance environment for each show or event.

"Liz Diller Plays with Architecture" is an excellent episode that shows the heart and soul of ambitious architecture. Liz Diller takes audiences through her design process and showcases her approach to creating meaningful, innovative, and beautiful buildings that provide users with new experiences and interactions with the world around them. Reflecting the goals of the TED Talk brand, the episode seeks to inspire viewers to approach architectural design in a more thoughtful, innovative, and collaborative way.