INTERVIEW WITH ARCHITECT ANTOINE LACRONIQUE

Antoine Lacronique is a French architect who is passionate about photography, and art in general.

He was published in the New York Post and New York Times for being a top competitor on The Coney Island Project, an International Open Design Competition, ( his design is featured above) and although it didn't make it to the top 3 finalists at the end, the impact New York had on his career will forever remain instilled in his work. He is also the first to create a "3D" technology that has not been replicated.

How does NY inspire the work you do?

NY always inspired me, it's height, the people, it's urban texture. I feel home there. NY is always in my mind, even though I am currently working in Miami, New York is always a part of me. NY is photogenic obviously.

Favorite architect?

Definitely Mies Van der Rohe. Former Bauhaus Director; he sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did in their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme simplicity. For me structure and minimalism are essential in architecture.

What is this 3d technology you've created all about?

I created an online 3D object portal called Cat-e (for Catalogue Electronique in french) with thousands of generic and manufacturer products. Architects (and others) can interact with 3D objects there, and drop them into any of their CAD programs. My objects are a few kilobytes only, parametric (means you can change size, colors and so on) and very easy to use. and it's FREE! One can find building elements to furniture, vehicles, vegetation, anything.. I have thousands of users from all over the world. View it on www.cateonline.fr

We are launching a US version at this very moment that will probably be called the "BIM Lounge" (BIM stands for Building Information Model, the new word for CAD) see the US version on www.3dcadco.com/object

Favorite films?

I'm a huge Kubrick fan… what a photographer, I think I have seen 2001 Space Odyssey probably 27 times...

Star Wars changed my life.

Delicatessen (1991)-it is a French black comedy by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, starring Dominique Pinon.

Goodbye Lenin! a German tragicomedy film, released internationally in 2003. It can be seen as part of the ostalgie movement. Directed by Wolfgang Becker, the cast includes Daniel Brühl, Katrin Saß, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon and Florian Lukas.

The Marx Brothers, Hitchcock and Chaplin, maybe not the most original choices but very important to me.

Future projects?

Find my Lady, build a family and a couple of houses with her…

Polaroid Series Antoine took in New York in 1993.

For more information on Antoine, view www.coroflot.com and enjoy " the creative seeds" blog on the site for people interested in the world of design.