The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace Read Free Book Online Page B

a structure after it's designed and the blueprints are okayed."
    "Production of a structure," Joan Sawyer wondered. "What does that mean?"
    "Well," said Foster, "making a building might be likened to making a human being—the outside, the facade, is important—but more important is what goes inside, the muscles and bones. So when I speak of the production of a building, I mean creating mechanical systems, waterproofing, wearability, that sort of thing."
    "All right," the reporter nodded. "Now suppose I wanted you to do a house for me. How would you start?"
    Foster considered the question. "For one thing," he said, "I prefer not to initiate an approach. As an architect, I'd prefer to respond to a program, to what you see for yourself in a house, your desires." He tried to make this clear to her. "Architecture should be in response to a request. I like to complement what my client has in mind."
    "I thought there was more creativity to architecture," Joan Sawyer said briskly.
    "Oh, there is, there is, no doubt about that," he assured her. "Once I have some notion of what you want, I wait for a creative spark. I like to take a space and in my head edit it into a composition. At the same time, I try to cut people free of what they have or think they want and land them in a better space. I ask myself—what more can I do with what they want? Once I have it, I go to work. I'd say that ninety-nine percent of my work is done out of sight of the client. After four weeks, usually, I have my ideas and Frank's plans down on paper. Those drawings are eighty percent of the work. I get eighty percent of my fee at that time. Does that give you an idea?"
    "I think so," said Joan Sawyer. She leaned over to check the tape recorder once more, then sat back. "Very good. Besides seeing interviewers, do you ever promote yourself or your work? Do you lecture?"
    Foster wrinkled his nose. "Not much. But I like to write when I can."
    "Write? Like what? Have you published any books?"
    Foster responded cheerfully. "I'm about to. My first book is almost ready."
    "May I ask what it's about?"
    "The title will tell you. It's called Architecture of the 1000-Year Third Reich ." He waited for her reaction.
    She sat up. "That's a new one. You mean the building done under Hitler?"
    "Exactly. What he built and what he planned to build if Germany won the war. Here, let me show you."
    He got to his feet and started to cross the room. She snatched up her tape recorder and followed him.
    On the drafting table lay a portfolio. Before opening it, he said, "I've always been intrigued by World War II. As an architect, I focused in on what Hitler had built and planned to build. I wanted to know more, and tried to find books on the subject. There were none. So I decided to do one myself."
    "Not because you liked Nazi architecture?"
    "No, because I hated it, but I felt that a visual record of this period should be preserved. Hitler's building program is what we call Fascist architecture. It's anonymous, and quite ugly. Fascist architecture is like a baked potato or a pound cake. All filled in. There's no lightness to it, no personality, no romance, no emotion, no passion. Let me show you."
    He opened the portfolio.
    "These are photographs of buildings that went up under Hitler, and models. in miniature of drawings of buildings he wanted constructed after he won the war. Happily, most never saw the light of day. Here is a photograph of the New Chancellery that Hitler did have Albert Speer build for him in Berlin. These are Speer's comments in my caption." Foster began to read to her from the caption. "'Strictly speaking, the element Hitler loved in classicism was the opportunity for monumentality. He was obsessed with giantism.'
    Foster went on. "When Hitler first set eyes on the Old Chancellery, he abhorred it. He thought it some-thing 'fit for a soap company.' He wanted his New Chancellery nearby to be majestic. Speer saw that it was exactly that. A visiting