Architecture that was critical and regional was consciously in service to place, intentional as a tectonic, particular to its geography… the list, it goes on. Despite the intention to de-centre European legacy architecture, other locations and practices are still framed as peripheral, marginal, othered as opposed to central in themselves and, therefore, capable of self-referential ecologies of practice. In seeking out a theoretical independence from the West’s architectural canons, critical regionalism seems to collapse onto itself for me. Interestingly, Frampton was interested in thinking about Critical Regionalism as an emancipatory project, whereby satellites could self-determine what their architecture should be. Even as house prices drop and other types of market anxieties ensue, the recent emergency motel housing remains an under-addressed issue.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 19, 2023 02:09 UTC