Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud

Philosophy significantly impacts contemporary architectural culture, with architects and academics often using theoretical ideas without understanding. This book explores the past 100 years of false intellectual pretence and posturing, criticizing modernist views and arguing it is a defensive strategy against the failure of Modernism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2022
Publisher: Oro Editions

Philosophy exerts a profound impact on contemporary architectural culture and our understanding of the built environment. Architects and architectural scholars engage in extensive discussions that are heavily laden with theoretical ideas, concepts, and views borrowed from the works of philosophers. However, it is worth noting that the architectural application of philosophy often tends to limit itself to extracting ideas, words, and phrases from philosophical texts without a deep understanding of their meaning. This practice often results in the misuse of philosophical concepts, which is often done without much consideration, solely to promote architectural agendas and enhance the theoretical claims made by architects and scholars.

To explore this phenomenon in greater detail, the book delves into the history of this issue over the past century. It presents and analyzes numerous examples, ranging from amusing to embarrassing, of false intellectual pretence and pompous but incompetent philosophical posturing by prominent architects and architectural academics of that era. These individuals sought to deceive readers, colleagues, and the general public through their grandiose and superficial philosophical statements.

The book also offers a scathing critique of modernist views on architecture. It argues that the rise of obfuscation and philosophical posturing among architects and architectural academics is a defensive strategy employed to divert attention away from the failure of modernism in architecture. By promoting complex and abstract philosophical ideas, architects and scholars hope to mask the shortcomings and limitations of modernist design principles.

In conclusion, this book provides a valuable exploration of the relationship between philosophy and architecture. It sheds light on the ways in which philosophical ideas have been misused and manipulated to promote architectural agendas and enhance the reputation of architects and scholars. Through its critical analysis, the book challenges the prevailing views on modernist architecture and encourages a more nuanced and informed approach to the design and appreciation of the built environment.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781954081451