ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Brandon Clifford - Ancient technology architect
TED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures.

Why you should listen

Brandon Clifford is best known for bringing megalithic sculptures to life to perform tasks. He is the director and cofounder of Matter Design, where his work focuses on advancing architectural research through spectacle and mysticism. He creates new ideas by critically evaluating ancient ways of thinking and experimenting with their value today. This work ranges from an award-winning play structure for kids to a colossal system of construction elements that can be guided into place with ease by mere mortals. He is dedicated to reimagining the role of the architect, and his speculative work continues to provoke new directions for design in the digital era.

Clifford is also an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His most recent authored work, The Cannibal's Cookbook, demonstrates his dedication to bringing ancient knowledge into contemporary practice with theatrical captivation. He received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech.  For his work as a designer and researcher, he has received recognition with prizes such as the American Academy in Rome Prize, the SOM Prize, the Design Biennial Boston Award and the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers.

More profile about the speaker
Brandon Clifford | Speaker | TED.com
TED2019

Brandon Clifford: The architectural secrets of the world's ancient wonders

布蘭登·克里福: 世界最古老的建築奇蹟,背後有什麼秘密?

Filmed:
642,791 views

古文明如何移動沉重的石頭來建立出巨石陣、金字塔、復活島雕像?在這場簡短而輕快的演說中,TED 研究員布蘭登·克里福揭開了過去的建築秘密,並展示我們要如何使用這些天才技巧來建立未來。「在這個時代,我們設計的建築要維持三十年,或六十年,」他說:「我會很樂意學習如何創造出能永遠一直吸引人們的建築。」
- Ancient technology architect
TED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Do you think the things we build建立 today今天
0
917
2726
你認為我們現今所建造的東西,
00:15
will be considered考慮 wonders奇蹟 in the future未來?
1
3667
2166
在未來會被認為是奇蹟嗎?
00:19
Think of Stonehenge巨石陣,
2
7042
1642
想想史前巨石群、
00:20
the Pyramids金字塔,
3
8708
1518
金字塔、
00:22
Machu馬丘比丘 Picchu馬丘比丘 and Easter復活節 Island.
4
10250
2667
馬丘比丘,和復活節島。
00:26
Now, they're all pretty漂亮 different不同
from what we're doing today今天,
5
14167
2916
比起我們現今所做的東西,
它們很不一樣,
00:30
with those massive大規模的 stones石頭,
6
18333
2435
它們用大石頭做成,
00:32
assembled組裝 in complex複雜
but seemingly似乎 illogical不通 ways方法,
7
20792
4125
用複雜但似乎沒有邏輯的方式組成,
00:38
and all traces痕跡 of their construction施工
8
26292
3642
它們建造過程的所有蹤跡
00:41
erased擦除,
9
29958
1643
都已被抹除,
00:43
shrouding護罩 them in mystery神秘.
10
31625
2042
讓它們成為謎。
00:47
It seems似乎 like people could not
have possibly或者 built內置 these things,
11
35417
3708
看起來,人類不可能
建造出這些東西,
00:52
because people didn't.
12
40583
1292
因為確實不是人類建的,
00:54
They were carefully小心 crafted精雕細琢
by a primordial原始 race種族 of giants豪門
13
42792
4309
而是由原始的巨人種族精心製作的,
00:59
known已知 as Cyclops獨眼 巨人.
14
47125
1268
獨眼巨人。
01:00
(Laughter笑聲)
15
48417
1309
(笑聲)
01:01
And I've been collaborating合作
with these monsters怪物
16
49750
2226
我一直在和這些怪獸合作,
01:04
to learn學習 their secrets秘密
for moving移動 those massive大規模的 stones石頭.
17
52000
3250
了解它們搬移巨石的秘密。
01:08
And as it turns out,
Cyclops獨眼 巨人 aren't even that strong強大.
18
56667
3500
結果發現,獨眼巨人沒那麼強壯。
01:13
They're just really smart聰明
about getting得到 material材料 to work for them.
19
61250
3125
它們只是非常聰明,會擅用材料。
01:19
Now, the videos視頻 you see behind背後 me
of large, stone-like石頭狀, wobbly搖擺不定 creatures生物
20
67042
4434
在我背後的影片中看到的
像石頭一樣的巨大搖晃生物,
01:23
are the results結果 of this collaboration合作.
21
71500
1833
就是這次合作的結果。
01:26
OK, so Cyclops獨眼 巨人 might威力 be
a mythical神話 creature生物,
22
74875
2917
好吧,獨眼巨人可能只是傳說生物,
01:30
but those wonders奇蹟 are still real真實.
23
78917
2851
但那些奇蹟仍然是真實的,
01:33
People made製作 them.
24
81792
1250
是人製造了它們。
01:35
But they also made製作 the myths神話
that surround環繞 them,
25
83917
2583
人也創造了與奇跡有關的神話,
01:39
and when it comes to wonders奇蹟,
there's this thick connective結締組織 tissue組織
26
87667
3809
談到奇蹟時,
在神話和現實之間
有著厚實的連結組織。
01:43
between之間 mythology神話 and reality現實.
27
91500
2458
01:47
Take Easter復活節 Island, for example.
28
95083
1667
以復活節島為例,
01:49
When the Dutch荷蘭人 explorers探險
first encountered遇到 the island,
29
97958
3143
當荷蘭探險家初次發現這座島時,
01:53
they asked the people of Rapa拉帕 Nui努伊
30
101125
2018
他們問拉帕努伊人,
01:55
how their ancestors祖先 could have possibly或者
moved移動 those massive大規模的 statues雕像.
31
103167
3416
他們的祖先怎麼有可能
移動那些大型雕像。
01:59
And the Rapa拉帕 Nui努伊 said,
32
107833
1976
拉帕努伊人說:
02:01
"Our ancestors祖先 didn't move移動 the statues雕像,
33
109833
3643
「我們的祖先沒有移動雕像,
02:05
because the statues雕像 walked themselves他們自己."
34
113500
2125
那些雕像自己會走路。」
02:09
For centuries百年, this was dismissed駁回,
but actually其實 it's true真正.
35
117500
2750
數世紀以來沒人理會這種説法,
但這是真的。
02:13
The statues雕像, known已知 as moai摩艾,
were transported standing常設,
36
121083
5393
那些摩艾像是直立著運輸的,
02:18
pivoting旋轉 from side to side.
37
126500
1958
用扶著兩側旋轉的方式來搬移,
02:21
OK?
38
129750
1268
有道理吧?
02:23
As spectacular壯觀 as the moai摩艾 are
for visitors遊客 today今天,
39
131042
3934
雖然對現今的訪客而言,
摩艾像已經相當壯觀,
02:27
you have to imagine想像 being存在 there then,
40
135000
2518
你更要想像一下當時
巨型摩艾像在島上行進的壯觀景象。
02:29
with colossal龐大 moai摩艾
marching行軍 around the island.
41
137542
3392
02:32
Because the real真實 memorial紀念館
was not the objects對象 themselves他們自己,
42
140958
5185
因為真正值得紀念的,
不是物體本身,
02:38
it was the cultural文化 ritual儀式
of bringing使 a stone to life.
43
146167
3916
而是賦予石頭生命的文化儀式。
02:43
So as an architect建築師,
I've been chasing that dream夢想.
44
151708
2584
身為建築師,我一直在追那個夢。
02:47
How can we shift轉移 our idea理念 of construction施工
to accommodate容納 that mythical神話 side?
45
155458
4542
我們要如何把建設的想法
轉變成也能考量神話的體現?
02:53
So what I've been doing
is challenging具有挑戰性的 myself
46
161583
2143
所以,我一直在做的,
就是挑戰我自己,
02:55
with putting on a series系列 of performances演出
47
163750
3101
做出一連串的表演,
02:58
of the ancient but
pretty漂亮 straightforward直截了當 task任務
48
166875
2601
演出內容是古老卻很直接的任務,
03:01
of just moving移動 and standing常設
big heavy objects對象,
49
169500
4018
就是移動和立起很重的巨大物體,
03:05
like this 16-foot-tall-foot高的 megalith巨石
designed設計 to walk步行 across橫過 land土地
50
173542
3934
比如這個十六英呎高的巨石,
它被設計為能在陸地上移動
並能直豎地站立;
03:09
and stand vertically垂直;
51
177500
1250
03:12
or this 4,000-pound-磅 behemoth河馬
that springs彈簧 itself本身 to life
52
180000
4393
或是這個四千磅的龐然大物,
它能夠突然活躍起來,
在台上跳舞。
03:16
to dance舞蹈 onstage在舞台上.
53
184417
1583
03:19
And what I've found發現 is
that by thinking思維 of architecture建築
54
187792
3351
我發現,在思考建築時,
03:23
not as an end結束 product產品 but as a performance性能
55
191167
3559
不要把它當作最終產品,
而要當成表演,
03:26
from conception概念 to completion完成,
56
194750
3351
從構想到完成的表演,
03:30
we end結束 up rediscovering重新發現 some really smart聰明
ways方法 to build建立 things today今天.
57
198125
3500
最後,我們會重新發現現今
仍然很聰明的建造方式。
03:35
You know, so much of the discussion討論
surrounding周圍 our future未來
58
203375
2768
當談論我們的未來時,
大部分的焦點都放在
科技、效能和速度上。
03:38
focuses重點 on technology技術,
efficiency效率 and speed速度.
59
206167
3976
03:42
But if I've learned學到了 anything from Cyclops獨眼 巨人,
60
210167
2059
但如果我有從獨眼巨人學到什麼,
03:44
it's that wonders奇蹟
can be smart聰明, spectacular壯觀
61
212250
4518
那就是,奇蹟也可以是
聰明的、壯觀的,
03:48
and sustainable可持續發展 --
62
216792
1684
且永續的——
03:50
because of their mass and their mystery神秘.
63
218500
2167
因為它們的規模和神秘性。
03:54
And while people still want to know
how those ancient wonders奇蹟 were built內置,
64
222000
3809
雖然大家仍想知道那些
古老奇蹟是怎麼建造的,
03:57
I've been asking Cyclops獨眼 巨人
how to create創建 the mystery神秘
65
225833
2810
我一直在問獨眼巨人
如何創造出驅使人們
去問那個問題的訣竅。
04:00
that compels迫使 people
to ask that very question.
66
228667
2458
04:04
Because in an era時代
where we design設計 buildings房屋
67
232375
2059
因為,在這個時代,
我們設計的建築
要維持三十、也許六十年,
04:06
to last 30, maybe 60 years年份,
68
234458
2584
04:09
I would love to learn學習
how to create創建 something
69
237875
2643
我會很樂意學習如何創造出
能永遠一直吸引人們的建築。
04:12
that could entertain招待 for an eternity永恆.
70
240542
1762
04:15
Thank you.
71
243083
1268
謝謝。
(掌聲)
04:16
(Applause掌聲)
72
244375
4792
Translated by Lilian Chiu
Reviewed by Carol Wang

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Brandon Clifford - Ancient technology architect
TED Fellow Brandon Clifford mines knowledge from the past to design new futures.

Why you should listen

Brandon Clifford is best known for bringing megalithic sculptures to life to perform tasks. He is the director and cofounder of Matter Design, where his work focuses on advancing architectural research through spectacle and mysticism. He creates new ideas by critically evaluating ancient ways of thinking and experimenting with their value today. This work ranges from an award-winning play structure for kids to a colossal system of construction elements that can be guided into place with ease by mere mortals. He is dedicated to reimagining the role of the architect, and his speculative work continues to provoke new directions for design in the digital era.

Clifford is also an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His most recent authored work, The Cannibal's Cookbook, demonstrates his dedication to bringing ancient knowledge into contemporary practice with theatrical captivation. He received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech.  For his work as a designer and researcher, he has received recognition with prizes such as the American Academy in Rome Prize, the SOM Prize, the Design Biennial Boston Award and the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers.

More profile about the speaker
Brandon Clifford | Speaker | TED.com