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 …

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 …