Architecture criticism
Encyclopedia
Architecture criticism is the act of writing or speaking about a building
, usually of historical importance or novel design or built in a notable public space.
Most major national newspapers of first world
countries cover the arts
in some form and architecture criticism
may be included as a part of this arts coverage. Some newspapers, however, carry their architecture reviews with the real estate
section or the Home & Style supplement.
In addition there may exist specialist media to cover any artistic discipline
and so some devoted to architectural coverage. Architectural Review
is an example of such a periodical
As with other forms of criticism it uses its own technical language to convey what the review
er has seen.
Ada Louise Huxtable
was the first full time architecture critic working for an American daily newspaper when the New York Times gave her the role in 1963. Lewis Mumford
, though, had written extensively on architecture in the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties at the New Yorker
.
Indeed those considerations should be thought over by the architect: it is the critic's task to assess how successful the architect (and others involved with the project) have been in meeting both the criteria the project set out to meet and the criteria that the critic himself feels to be important.
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
, usually of historical importance or novel design or built in a notable public space.
Most major national newspapers of first world
First World
The concept of the First World first originated during the Cold War, where it was used to describe countries that were aligned with the United States. These countries were democratic and capitalistic. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term "First World" took on a...
countries cover the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
in some form and architecture criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
may be included as a part of this arts coverage. Some newspapers, however, carry their architecture reviews with the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
section or the Home & Style supplement.
In addition there may exist specialist media to cover any artistic discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
and so some devoted to architectural coverage. Architectural Review
Architectural Review
The Architectural Review is a monthly international architectural magazine published in London since 1896. Articles cover the built environment which includes landscape, building design, interior design and urbanism as well as theory of these subjects....
is an example of such a periodical
As with other forms of criticism it uses its own technical language to convey what the review
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
er has seen.
Ada Louise Huxtable
Ada Louise Huxtable
Ada Louise Huxtable is an architecture critic and writer on architecture. In 1970 she was awarded the first ever Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for "distinguished criticism during 1969."...
was the first full time architecture critic working for an American daily newspaper when the New York Times gave her the role in 1963. Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
, though, had written extensively on architecture in the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties at the New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
Considerations
Amongst matters for consideration when reviewing a building may be:- AestheticsAestheticsAesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
- whether the building is pleasing to the eye. - FunctionalityFunction (engineering)In engineering, a function is interpreted as a specific process, action or task that a system is able to perform .-In engineering design:In the lifecycle of engineering projects, there are usually distinguished subsequently: Requirements and Functional specification documents. The Requirements...
- whether the building meets the needs of the client and those who will use the building. - Style - see :Category:Architectural styles for examples of these.
- Building materials - discussion of the choice of these and whether wise or unwise.
- EnvironmentEnvironment (biophysical)The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
- does the building fit into its surroundings, whether those surroundings consist of other buildings or of a natural landscapeLandscapeLandscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
. Also, of increasing importance these days, is the building environmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
(regarding such things as energy consumption, pollution, renewable materials). - Context - asking how the building relates to projects built around the same time (contemporaneous projects) or by the same architect.
Indeed those considerations should be thought over by the architect: it is the critic's task to assess how successful the architect (and others involved with the project) have been in meeting both the criteria the project set out to meet and the criteria that the critic himself feels to be important.
Contemporary critics
Contemporary critics working for major newspapers include:- Jonathan GlanceyJonathan GlanceyJonathan Glancey is an architectural critic and writer who is the architecture and design editor at The Guardian, a position he has held since 1997. He previously held the same post at The Independent. He also has been involved with the architecture magazines Building Design, Architectural Review,...
of The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format... - Paul GoldbergerPaul GoldbergerPaul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...
of The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... - Christopher HawthorneChristopher HawthorneChristopher Hawthorne is an American screenwriter and producer.Hawthorne is best known for writing the screenplay for director Bob Balaban's surrealist horror-comedy Parents, starring Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt, Bryan Madorsky and Sandy Dennis....
of The Los Angeles Times - Edwin HeathcoteEdwin HeathcoteEdwin Heathcote was born in London in 1968. He is an architect and designer. He has been the architecture and design critic of The Financial Times since 1999, and is the author of books on architecture and design...
of The Financial Times - Michael KimmelmanMichael KimmelmanMichael Kimmelman is an author, critic, columnist and pianist. He is the chief architecture critic for The New York Times and written on issues of public housing, community development and social responsibility. He was the paper's longtime chief art critic and, in 2007, created the Abroad column,...
of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... - Rowan MooreRowan MooreRowan Moore is an architecture critic. He is the brother of the journalist and newspaper editor Charles Moore. He trained as an architect at Cambridge, but, having gone into practice, turned to journalism. He has been editor of the architecture journal Blueprint, and has written for the Evening...
of The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,... - Nicolai OuroussoffNicolai OuroussoffNicolai Ouroussoff is the architecture critic for The New York Times.-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts United States, he received a bachelor’s degree in Russian from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of ArchitectureThe protégé of the...
formerly of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... - Hugh PearmanHugh Pearman (architecture critic)Hugh Pearman is the architecture critic of The Sunday Times and editor of The RIBA Journal, the magazine of the Royal Institute of British Architects...
of The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
See also
American architecture writers category.- International Committee of Architectural CriticsInternational Committee of Architectural CriticsThe International Committee of Architectural Critics is a non-profit organization of international architecture critics, and was founded in Mexico City on October 26, 1978, during the 13th World Kongress of the Union internationale des architectes . The CICA is headquartered nearby the UIA in Paris...
External links
- "The Dark Knights Return: four profoundly unfashionable buildings in London"
- Hugh Pearman, architecture critic of The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, analyses architecture critics' responses (including his own) to postmodernism and unfashionability. - This article, whilst not an example of architectural criticism, describes the importance of architectural students developing a strong vocabulary with which to describe buildings.
- Hugh Pearman, architecture critic of The Sunday Times
- Our critics' advice - The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
July 8, 2008.- In this article Jonathan Glancey gives advice to young, ambitious, would-be architecture critics.