At the beginning of my four years at the firm—a period which coincided with my studies at the Technion—I was thrilled at the opportunity to learn. But after a while I started to feel uneasy with the limited responsibility I was given, designing various details, such as staircases, railings, and small spaces in Beit HaLochem.
I went to my boss, the notoriously famous architect David Yanai, who at the time had exposed a corruption scandal in the construction of the project. The public fight which ensued meant that Beit Halochem was already doomed to remain on paper. I was young, and oblivious to this. All I wanted was to take a greater role in the design. I told him, "I want to be given a chance."
He replied—I will never forget it—"A chance is not something that is given. It is something you take."
Either way, I came out of that meeting with the chance I wanted: My new responsibility was to design the entire landscape around Beit Halochem, which was to be built on the side of the Carmel mountain, overlooking a breathtaking view of Haifa Bay.
In later years, when I came to visit the site, I saw the skeletal remains of the building, rusting there among the rocks on the steep slope, which is overgrown with thorny, wild weeds. Still, I see in my minds eye is papers upon papers of my landscape design, still rustling there, waiting. And all I can hear are those words, "A chance is not something that is given. It is something you take."
What an interesting answer. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is Sheila, isn't it? I have just found these old sketches of my design, which were done, as I remember, within two days of exhilarating work which followed that conversation, and his words leapt back to mind.
ReplyDeleteUvi - this quote you have shared is perfect for me today--one I will not forget--one I will put up on my board and in my inspiration notebook.
ReplyDeleteYou must have felt ambivalent, looking at the site all those years later--knowing that you designed something beautiful and perfect for it, yet seeing it languish there, with not even the potential of what it could have been.
And I cannot help but see the irony--the chance you took and chose, and the corruption that someone else did.
Thank you Chailicious for your thoughtful comments. What you said is so true! Yet like you, I find the quote inspirational. It give me a sense of the power to take my destiny into my own hands.
ReplyDelete