In a recent article published by The Guardian, Renzo Piano encourages architects to make sandcastles. “There is no age limit,” he says, “… it helps you think like a child.” The Italian architect credits the start of his career to the first sandcastle he ever made on the Genoa shoreline. “Making things has always been a pleasure for me – happy hands, happy mind – and making sandcastles was my training in fantasy.”
Embracing the ephemeral nature of such a building, Piano has provided step-by-step instructions on how to make the “perfect” sandcastle: 1) “Study the waves” and site your castle near the water; 2) Build a 60cm tall “little mountain” with 45° slopes and surround it with a 30cm deep, 45cm wide moat; 3) Allow sea water to enter the moat, sit back and watch; and 4) Top the sand structure with a “little flag” to make it visible, then “go home and don’t look back.”
Read Renzo’s complete sandcastle instructions, here.
