The architectural wonder of impermanent cities | Rahul Mehrotra

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 易帆 余

On this planet today,

在現今的地球上，

there are about 50 cities that are larger than five million people.

大約有五十個超過五百萬人口的城市。

I'm going to share with you the story of one such city,

我接下來要向大家分享的， 是這其中的一個城市的故事，

a city of seven million people,

這個城市有七百萬人，

but a city that's a temporary megacity, an ephemeral megacity.

但這個城市是一個臨時性的、 短期的超級城市。

This is a city that is built for a Hindu religious festival

它是為了舉行印度宗教節慶「大壺節」

called Kumbh Mela,

所建造的城市，

which occurs every 12 years, in smaller editions every four years,

大壺節每十二年舉辦一次， 每四年也有比較小規模的版本，

and takes place at the confluence

地點在印度恆河

of the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers in India.

與亞穆納河的匯流處。

And for this festival,

大約有一億人

about 100 million people congregate.

會為了這個節慶聚集。

The reason so many people congregate here,

之所以有這麼多人聚集在此，

is the Hindus believe that during the festival,

是因為印度人相信，

在這個節慶中， 在這十二年的循環中，

the cycle every 12 years,

if you bathe at the confluence of these two great rivers

如果你在兩條大河的交匯處浸洗，

you are freed from rebirth.

你就可以免於重生。

It's a really compelling idea,

這是個非常動人的想法， 可以讓你從已知的生命中解放。

you are liberated from life as we know it.

And this is what attracts these millions.

數百萬人就是被這一點吸引。

And an entire megacity is built to house them.

整個百萬人口大城市就是 為了容納他們而建造。

Seven million people live there for the 55 days,

七百萬人，在那裡住五十五天，

and the other 100 million visit.

另外還有一億人造訪。

These are images from the same spot

這些是同一個地點的影像

that we took over the 10 weeks

在十週的過程中拍攝的，

that it takes for the city to emerge.

十週是造出這個城市 所需要的時間。

After the monsoon,

雨季之後，

as the waters of these rivers begin to recede

這些河流的水位開始下降，

and the sand banks expose themselves,

沙岸開始暴露出來，

it becomes the terrain for the city.

就變成了這個城市的地面。

And by the 15th of January,

到了一月十五日，

starting 15th of October to 15th of January,

從十月十五日到一月十五日，

in these weeks an entire city emerges.

整個城市在這段時間被打造出來。

A city that houses seven million people.

這個城市能容納七百萬人。

What is fascinating is this city

這個城市很炫的一點是

actually has all the characteristics of a real megacity:

它真的擁有真正百萬人口 大城市的所有特性：

a grid is employed to lay the city out.

城市是用格狀的方式來安排。

The urban system is a grid

都市系統是格狀的，

and every street on this city

城市中的每一條街道

goes across the river on a pontoon bridge.

都會用浮橋的方式跨過河流。

Incredibly resilient,

非常的堅韌，

because if there's an unseasonal downpour or if the river changes course,

就算發生非季節性的 豪雨或者河流改道，

the urban system stays intact,

都市系統仍然可以保持完好無損，

the city adjusts itself to this terrain which can be volatile.

這個城市會根據 多變的地形來自我調整。

It also replicates all forms of physical, as well as social, infrastructure.

它也複製了各種形式的 實體及社會基礎建設。

Water supply, sewage, electricity,

水供應、下水道、電力，

there are 1,400 CCTV cameras that are used for security

有一千四百台監視器確保安全，

by an entire station that is set up.

全都靠一個建置的發電站。

But also social infrastructure,

還有社會基礎建設，

like clinics, hospitals,

比如診所、醫院、

all sorts of community services,

各種社區服務，

that make this function like any real megacity would do.

讓這個城市能像真正的 百萬人口大城市一樣運作。

10,500 sweepers are employed by the city.

城市僱用了一萬零五百名清潔工。

It has a governance system, a Mela Adhikari,

它有政府系統， 有一位 Mela Adhikari，

or the commissioner of the festival,

也就是節慶的長官，

that ensures that land is allocated,

他會確保土地有分配好，

there are systems for all of this,

該有的系統都有，

that the system of the city, the mobility, all works efficiently.

城市的系統、流動性， 都能高效運轉。

You know, it was the cleanest and the most efficient Indian city

要知道，它是我所住過

最乾淨、最有效率的印度城市。

I've lived in.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And that's what it looks like in comparison to Manhattan,

這是這個城市的樣子， 和曼哈頓做對照，

30 square kilometers,

三十平方公里，

that's the scale of the city.

那是這個城市的規模。

And this is not an informal city or a pop-up city.

它不是非正式的城市 或突然出現的城市。

This is a formal city, this is a state enterprise,

它是正式的城市， 是一個國營企業，

the government sets this up.

是政府成立的。

In today's world of neoliberalism and capitalism,

在現今新自由主義 和資本主義的世界中，

where the state has devolved itself complete responsibility

當國家都把建造、

設計城市的責任轉移出去，

from making and designing cities,

this is an incredible case.

這個案例就顯得很了不起。 一個刻意打造的正式城市。

It's a deliberate, intentional city, a formal city.

And it's a city that sits on the ground very lightly.

這個城市輕輕地座落在地表上。

It sits on the banks of these rivers.

它座落在這些河流的河岸上。

And it leaves very little mark.

它留下極少的痕跡。

There are no foundations;

它沒有地基；

fabric is used to build this entire city.

整個城市都是用織物來建造的。

What's also quite incredible

還有一點也很了不起，

is that there are five materials that are used to build this settlement

打造這個可以容納七百萬人的城市，

for seven million people:

使用了五種材料：

eight-foot tall bamboo, string or rope,

八英呎高的竹子、繩子或繩索、

nails or screw and a skinning material.

釘子或螺絲，及外皮材料。

Could be corrugated metal, a fabric or plastic.

可能是波浪板金屬、 織物、或是塑膠。

And these materials come together and aggregate.

這些材料結合在一起。

It's like a kit of parts.

就像是成套的組件。

And it's used all the way from a small tent,

它被用在各種地方，

從可以容納五、六人 或一個家庭的小帳篷，

which might house five or six people, or a family,

to temples that can house 500, sometimes 1,000 people.

到能容納五百甚至一千人的寺廟。

And this kit of parts, and this imagination of the city,

這個城市套件或城市的設計概念，

allows it to be disassembled.

可以被拆解。

And so at the end of the festival, within a week,

所以，在節慶結束時，在一週內，

the entire city is disassembled.

整個城市就被拆除了。

These are again images from the same spot.

這些也是同一個地點的影像。

And the terrain is offered back to the river,

當雨季來臨，水位再次上漲時，

as with the monsoon the water swells again.

整個地區就會再次被河流淹沒。

And it's this sort of imagination as a kit of parts

這種把城市幻變成成套組件的想像力， 讓它能被這樣拆解，

that allows this disassembly

and the reabsorption of all this material.

材料能被回收再利用。

So the electricity poles go to little villages in the hinterland,

電線桿被送到內陸的小村落，

the pontoon bridges are used in small towns,

浮橋被用在小鎮上，

the material is all reabsorbed.

所有材料得到回收再利用。

Fascinating, it's amazing.

很棒，很了不起。

Now, you may embrace these Hindu beliefs or not.

對這些印度信念， 你們可以相信或不信。

But you know, this is a stunning example,

但，要知道，這是很出色的例子，

and it's worthy of reflection.

值得反思。

Here, human beings spend an enormous amount of energy and imagination

在這裡，人們投入 大量的精力和想像力，

knowing that the city is going to reverse,

知道這個城市 會被移轉它處再利用，

it's going to be disassembled,

會被拆解、

it's going to disappear,

消失，

it's the ephemeral megacity.

它是短期的百萬人口大城市。

And it has profound lessons to teach us.

它給我們上了一堂寶貴的課。

Lessons about how to touch the ground lightly,

教我們如何溫柔地對待地表、

about reversibility,

如何回收再利用、

about disassembly.

如何拆解。

Rather amazing.

相當驚人。

And you know, we are, as humans, obsessed with permanence.

要知道，我們人類迷戀永恆。

We resist change.

我們抗拒改變。

It's an impulse that we all have.

這是我們共有的天性。

And we resist change in spite of the fact

我們抗拒改變，

儘管我們生命中 唯一不變的事實就是改變。

that change is perhaps the only constant in our lives.

Everything has an expiry date,

萬物都有過期的一天，

including Spaceship Earth, our planet.

包括我們的星球，地球。

So what can we learn from these sorts of settlements?

所以，我們從建造過程中學到什麼？

Burning Man, of course much smaller,

就如火人節，當然，它小很多，

but reversible.

但它是可逆的。

Or the thousands of markets for transaction,

或是出現在全球各地的

that appear around the globe

數千個交易市場，

in Asia, Latin America, Africa, this one in Mexico,

在亞洲、拉丁美洲、 非洲，這個則在墨西哥，

where the parking lots are animated on the weekends, about 50,000 vendors,

一到周末，停車場熱鬧滾滾， 容納了五萬個攤位，

but on a temporal cycle.

也是週期性的臨時攤位。

The farmer's market in the Americas:

美洲的農貿市場：

it's an amazing phenomenon, creates new chemistries,

它是個很驚人的現象， 催化出新的化學作用，

extends the margin of space

把未利用或未充分利用的空間 再做延伸利用，

that is unused or not used optimally, like parking lots, for example.

如停車場。

我是建築師和規劃師， 在孟買執業，

In my own city of Mumbai,

where I practice as an architect and a planner,

I see this in the everyday landscape.

我每天都能看到這樣的景色，

I call this the Kinetic City.

我稱它為動態城市。

It twitches like a live organism; it's not static.

它像活組織一樣會抽動， 它不是靜止的。

It changes every day,

它每天都會改變，

on sometimes predictable cycles.

有時改變的循環是可預測的。

About six million people

大約有六百萬人

live in these kinds of temporary settlements.

住在這種臨時性居所。

Like -- unfortunately, like refugee camps,

就像——不幸的是，就像難民營，

the slums of Mumbai, the favelas of Latin America.

孟買的貧民窟， 拉丁美洲的貧民區。

Here, the temporary is becoming the new permanent.

在這裡，臨時性變成了新的永恆。

Here, urbanism is not about grand vision,

在這裡城市化的重點不是宏大的遠景，

it's about grand adjustment.

而是宏大的調整。

On the street in Mumbai, during the Ganesh festival,

象頭神節期間，在孟買的街道上，

a transformation.

會出現一種轉變。

A community hall is created for 10 days.

一個為期 10 天的社區大堂 會被建造起來，

Bollywood films are shown,

播放寶萊塢電影，

thousands congregate for dinners and celebration.

成千上萬的人聚在一起吃飯、慶祝。

It's made out of paper-mache and plaster of Paris.

這棟建築是用紙漿和熟石膏做成的。

Designed to be disassembled,

設計成可拆解的，

and in 10 days, overnight, it disappears,

十天後，過了一晚，它就消失了，

and the street goes back to anonymity.

街道回歸平淡。

Or our wonderful open spaces, we call them maidans.

或者變成我們美好的開放空間， 我們稱為廣場。

And it's used for this incredibly nuanced and complicated,

它被用來舉行這種很微妙且複雜的

fascinating Indian game, called cricket,

迷人印度遊戲，叫做板球，

which, I believe, the British invented.

我相信是英國人發明的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And in the evenings,

晚上，

a wedding wraps around the cricket pitch --

婚禮圍繞在板球場周邊展開——

Notice, the cricket pitch is not touched, it's sacred ground.

請注意，板球場不能被被碰到， 那可是神聖之地。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But here, the club members and the wedding party

但，在這裡，俱樂部 會員和婚禮派對

partake in tea through a common kitchen.

在一個共用的廚房裡一起喝茶。

And at midnight, it's disassembled,

午夜，它就被拆解了，

and the space offered back to the city.

空間交還給城市。

Here, urbanism is an elastic condition.

在這裡，城市化是一種彈性的狀態。

And so, if we reflect about these questions,

所以，如果我們反思這些問題，

I mean, I think many come to mind.

可能腦海里會浮現好幾個。

But an important one is,

其中很重要的一個問題就是，

are we really, in our cities,

在我們的城市中，

in our imagination about urbanism,

在我們對城市化的想像中，

making permanent solutions for temporary problems?

我們真的有為臨時性的問題找出 永恆的解決方案嗎？

Are we locking resources into paradigms

我們要把資源鎖定在

that we don't even know will be relevant in a decade?

不知十年後相關與否的模式裡嗎？

This becomes, I think,

這是在這項研究， 我提出的一個有趣問題。

an interesting question that arises from this research.

I mean, look at the abandoned shopping malls in North America,

我的意思是，看看北美 那些被廢棄的購物中心，

suburban North America.

北美郊區。

Retail experts have predicted that in the next decade,

零售專家預測，在接下來十年，

of the 2,000 malls that exist today,

現今存在的兩千家購物中心，

50 percent will be abandoned.

有五成會被廢棄。

Massive amount of material, capturing resources,

這裡面龐大的材料、佔用的資源，

that will not be relevant soon.

很快就沒用了。

Or the Olympic stadiums.

或者奧林匹克運動場。

Around the globe, cities build these

世界各大城市

under great contestation with massive resources,

動用龐大資源競相建造。

but after the games go,

但賽事結束後，

they can't often get absorbed into the city.

它們往往不能融入到城市中。

Couldn't these be nomadic structures, deflatable,

難道不能把它們做成 可移動的、可收縮的建築，

we have the technology for that,

我們有這種技術，

that get gifted to smaller towns around the world or in those countries,

然後把它送給世界各國的小鄉鎮，

or are stored and moved for the next Olympics?

或者儲存起來等下次奧運再用？

A massive, inefficient use of resources.

而不是大量無效率地消耗資源。

Like the circus.

就像馬戲團——我們可以把它 想像成跟馬戲團一樣，

I mean, we could imagine it like the circus,

這個過去駐紮在城市裡的美好設施。

this wonderful institution that used to camp in cities,

set up this lovely kind of visual dialogue with the static city.

讓靜態城市有了美麗的視覺對話。

And within it, the amazement.

裡面充滿了驚奇。

Children of different ethnic groups become suddenly aware of each other,

不同民族的孩子們 突然發現對方的存在，

people of color become aware of others,

不同膚色的人們 開始意識到其他人的存在，

income groups and cultures and ethnicities

不同收入、文化、民族的人

all come together around the amazement of the ring with animals and performers.

圍繞在這個不可思議的場地

看動物和表演。

New chemistries are created, people become aware of things,

產生新的化學反應，讓人們彼此認識，

and this moves on to the next town.

而這一切將傳遞到下一個城鎮。

Or nature, the fluxes of nature, climate change,

而大自然、大自然的變動、氣候變遷，

how do we deal with this, can we be more accommodating?

我們要如何處理它？ 我們能變得更適應新環境嗎？

Can we create softer urban systems?

我們能創造出更溫和的 都市系統嗎？

Or are we going to challenge nature continuously

還是要繼續用沉重的基礎建設，

with heavy infrastructure,

which we are already doing, unsuccessfully?

那些已做、確定不成功的模式， 繼續挑戰大自然？

Now, I'm not arguing

我不是主張一定要把 我們的城市變得像馬戲團一樣，

that we've got to make our cities like a circus,

I'm not arguing that cities must be completely temporary.

也並不是主張城市 必須要完全臨時性的。

I'm only making a plea

我只是在提出一個請求，

that we need to make a shift in our imagination about cities,

我們需要轉變 我們對於城市的想像，

where we need to reserve more space

我們需要保留更多空間

for uses on a temporal scale.

供臨時用途用。

Where we need to use our resources efficiently,

我們需要更有效率地 使用我們的資源，

to extend the expiry date of our planet.

來延長我們星球的壽命。

We need to change planning urban design cultures,

我們需要改變規劃都市設計文化，

to think of the temporal, the reversible,

考量臨時性、可逆性、

the disassembleable.

可拆解性。

And that can be tremendous

這對我們生活的影響

in terms of the effect it might have on our lives.

可能會是非常巨大的。

I often think back to the Kumbh Mela

我通常會回想我和我的學生

that I visited with my students and I studied,

一起去參訪、研究的大壺節，

and this was a moment where the city had been disassembled.

這是該城市被拆解的一刻。

A week after the festival was over.

節慶節束後的一週。

There was no mark.

沒有留下痕跡。

The terrain was waiting to be covered over by the water,

這塊地等著再次被水覆蓋、

to be consumed.

被吞噬。

And I went to thank a high priestess

我想要感謝一位大祭司，

who had helped us and my students through our research

在我們的研究期間 協助我和我的學生，

and facilitated us through this process.

在這個過程中幫助我們。

And I went to her with great enthusiasm,

我帶著很大的熱情去找她，

and I told her about how much we had learned

我告訴她，我們學到了多少

about infrastructure, the city, the efficiency of the city,

關於基礎建設、城市本身、 城市的效率、

the architecture, the five materials that made the city.

建築、建造城市的 五種材料的相關知識。

She looked really amused, she was smiling.

她看起來像是被逗樂了，微笑著。

In any case, she leaned forward

一如往常，她身體前傾，

and put her hand on my head to bless me.

把她的手放在我的手上，祝福我。

And she whispered in my ear, she said,

她對我耳語，說：

"Feel blessed that the Mother Ganges

「感受到被祝福， 因為我們的母親恆河

allowed you all to sit in her lap for a few days."

允許你們所有人 坐在她的膝上幾天。」

I've often thought about this,

我常常會想這句話，

and of course, I understood what she said.

當然，我了解她的意思。

She said, cities, people, architecture will come and go,

她說，城市、人、建築，來來去去，

but the planet is here to stay.

但地球會一直在這裡。

Touch it lightly, leave a minimal mark.

輕柔地對待地球， 盡可能留下最少的痕跡。

And I think that's an important lesson for us as citizens and architects.

我認為對我們市民及建築師而言， 那都是重要的一課。

And I think it was this experience

我認為，這段經歷讓我相信

that made me believe that impermanence is bigger than permanence

無常比永恆更大， 也比我們所有人更大。

and bigger than us all.

Thank you for listening.

謝謝聆聽。

(Applause)

（掌聲）