In The Society of Singularities, Andreas Reckwitz describes a profound transformation of late-modern life. Increasingly, people do not simply inhabit homes, pursue leisure activities, or consume goods; they curate them. Everyday life becomes an aesthetic project in which objects, places, experiences, and identities are selected for their perceived distinctiveness. As I discussed in a recent …
From Grown to Curated Space
The Aestheticization of the Built EnvironmentWalk through a recently built residential neighborhood and you encounter more than a collection of new houses. Increasingly, you encounter complete, carefully composed environments. House, terrace, and garden form a coherent aesthetic ensemble: large-format pavers, pergolas, privacy screens, outdoor lighting, and planting schemes follow an immediately recognizable design vocabulary. Even …
Architecture of Remembrance: The Monument to the Fallen in Teulada (Sardinia)
Sometimes architecture is discovered rather than sought out. During a stay in Teulada, a small town in southern Sardinia, I came across the local Monumento ai Caduti almost by accident. At first glance, it seemed to be one of those civic memorials that are so deeply embedded in the fabric of Italian towns that they …
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Neu erschienen: Anne Scheinhardt, ‚Industrie erben‘
Industrie erbenKunst, Architektur und Städtebau auf den produktiven Brachen RomsAnne Scheinhardt GERMAN | ISBN: 9783689240752. Mit Industrie erben ist nun bei De Gruyter ein Buch erschienen, das sich dem baulichen und kulturellen Erbe der Industrie in Rom widmet, seine Vielschichtigkeit untersucht und einer Frage nachgeht, die weit über die Bewahrung historischer Bausubstanz hinausweist: Wie gehen …
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The Limits of Preservation
A Postscript on Preservation and Transformation in urban planning and architecture In a recent essay on the redevelopment of central Pforzheim and the impending demolition of two buildings from the postwar period (cfr. Was bleibt von der Stadt des Wiederaufbaus? In: Pforzheimer Zeitung, 08-15-2026, p. 22), I wrote a sentence that was meant almost as …
A Church That Changed Its Place
San Pietro di Zuri and the Persistence of Architecture in Sardinia At first sight, San Pietro di Zuri appears almost improbably intact. Its long body of reddish stone, articulated apse, bell structure and rhythmic sequence of blind arches form one of the most distinctive examples of late Romanesque architecture in Sardinia. Yet the church has …
O.M. Ungers – Architecture as an Idea
The Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (MAKK) is currently hosting the exhibition 'O.M. Ungers – Architektur als Idee' (22 May – 27 September 2026), marking the centenary of Oswald Mathias Ungers. Accompanying the exhibition is an insightful opening lecture by Martin Kieren, who presents Ungers not merely as one of Germany's most influential post-war architects, …
Complex Value and the Architecture of Integration
In discussions about architecture, individual qualities are often elevated to the status of ultimate criteria. One generation celebrates structural expression, another sustainability. Some architects prioritise flexibility, others beauty, economy, material honesty, social inclusion, or energy performance. Each of these concerns is legitimate. Yet architecture rarely succeeds because it excels in only one of them.Watching major …
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Beyond Form: What Total Football Reveals About Architecture
Football and architecture are rarely discussed together. Yet one of the most influential ideas in the history of football offers an unexpected lesson for architects. When Rinus Michels developed Total Football and Johan Cruyff transformed it into a broader philosophy, they were not merely rethinking tactics. They were rethinking space.At its core, Total Football is …
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Too Hot? Alexander von Branca and the Return of Architecture’s Fundamental Questions
A few days ago, I came across a 1998 interview with the Munich architect Alexander von Branca. Known for projects such as the Neue Pinakothek in Munich and numerous religious buildings, von Branca reflected on architecture, the city, community, and the responsibilities of the architect. Around the same time, I learned about the exhibition Too …
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Luigi Monzo 