Explores architecture’s capacity to express cultural criticism.

Can architects express explicit criticism through their buildings? Is modernist housing, for example, a collective criticism of unsustainable living conditions? Can a state’s embassy convey critical messages to the home and host country? The essays collected in this volume present a wide range of built criticisms. Their authors’ concise analyses broaden our view of an insufficiently explored field of knowledge.

The 2023 International Conference on Architectural Criticism at Shanghai’s Tongji University introduced the critical positions of leading international architects and architecture firms. The debate between tradition and modernity gave rise to varied approaches, such as opposition against unstoppable progress or against autocratic family ideals.