Culture is when you do more than what is necessary.
A good cook does more than what is necessary.
A good host does more than what is necessary.
A good father does more than what is necessary.

You can make savings everywhere, but the rest will no longer have any culture. Just think of the Chinese Tower in Munich! You could go there and say: "The tower is made of wood. Wood decays, burns and breaks. We'll take it down and put up more beer benches."
Then they say: "The gravel on the ground is difficult to maintain. We'll tarmac the area, then you can drive over it with the sweeper in the evening."
Then you say: "Brass music? That's also possible on tape. We'll save on the band and the measure will be cheaper."
Then they say: "The chestnuts need care; you can also provide shade with brewery parasols."
Then they say: "The pub buildings don't have to be covered with copper sheeting. You can also use concrete roof tiles."
"And the outer walls?"- "We use sandwich panels, they come in the same green colour."
Then they say: "We make the jugs out of plastic; that saves weight and the guests carry them more easily".
Then you have probably saved money and done what is necessary. But then no one will come and no travel guide will report on Munich's beer gardens.

Culture that is a good Italian restaurant for me. There are hundreds of Italian restaurants in Munich without a Michelin star. But everyone knows that guests are served a cloth napkin, a candle, a good house wine, a mixed starter plate, "al dente" pasta dishes, tender beef and pork, a selection of fish dishes, mussels in season and then a dessert with a strong cup of coffee. And that's all there is really to say about the food.

For me, architecture is a good Italian restaurant. No star chefs, no stars in the kitchen, no gimmicks, just good cooking. Recipes that you never get tired of, such as insalata caprese, carpaccio, vitello tonnato, octopus salad, linguine, penne, spaghetti, lasagne, saltimbocca, scampi alla griglia, pizza regina, panna cotta, tiramisu... Eaten a thousand times - always good. And yes, for me architecture is the art of recipes. I don't think it's a coincidence that the oldest books on architecture come from Italy.

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First published on Facebook on 3 January 2021