"Parametricism is a technophile triumph of fetishised process over outcome"
Parametricism is not what humanity needs from architecture in the 21st century, writes Catherine Slessor as part of our series on the style. More about "Parametricism is a technophile triumph of fetishised process over outcome"
"Metropolis's prophetic vision of chaotic skylines and unequal social conditions still resonates"
It's 2026 – the year imagined in Fritz Lang's sci-fi epic Metropolis almost a century ago. Despite its laboured plot the film got a lot right about the future city, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "Metropolis's prophetic vision of chaotic skylines and unequal social conditions still resonates"
"That generation of men who grew up toying with Meccano and went on to change the world is finally leaving the stage"
Following the recent deaths of British architects Nicholas Grimshaw and Terry Farrell, Catherine Slessor reflects on their intertwined but highly distinct careers. More about "That generation of men who grew up toying with Meccano and went on to change the world is finally leaving the stage"
"It's no surprise to see art deco being avidly embraced by the likes of Elon Musk"
Art deco has a history of being a glitzy distraction from effecting genuine change during moments of turmoil, writes Catherine Slessor as part of our Art Deco Centenary series. More about "It's no surprise to see art deco being avidly embraced by the likes of Elon Musk"
"It's time to think about retiring the role of RIBA president"
The role of RIBA president is a Victorian-era relic that has lost its relevance and should be scrapped, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "It's time to think about retiring the role of RIBA president"
"Bowing out gracefully is a rare thing in the starchitect firmament"
Architecture has a long tradition of famous figures working well into their old age but sometimes it's best to know when to stop, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "Bowing out gracefully is a rare thing in the starchitect firmament"
"Ratti's Venice biennale appointment marks a screeching U-turn"
Carlo Ratti's appointment as the next Venice Architecture Biennale director raises questions about how architecture's most important event will be impacted by Italy's far-right government, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "Ratti's Venice biennale appointment marks a screeching U-turn"
"What do such dutifully dull shortlists say about the wider state of the Stirling?"
Yet another low-key shortlist for the Stirling Prize this year reflects UK architecture's continued fading from the public eye, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "What do such dutifully dull shortlists say about the wider state of the Stirling?"
"History now seems to be repeating itself at the Sainsbury Wing"
The criticism over Selldorf Architects' redesign of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown's Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery is the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding the building, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "History now seems to be repeating itself at the Sainsbury Wing"
"Reports of modernism's death turned out to be greatly exaggerated"
On the 50th anniversary of Pruitt-Igoe's demolition, it's clear that Charles Jencks declaration that modernism had died was a self-serving myth, writes Catherine Slessor. More about "Reports of modernism's death turned out to be greatly exaggerated"
"The very idea of deconstructivism now seems hopelessly implausible"
The excess and self-indulgence of deconstructivism stand in stark contrast to the urgent existential issues facing architects today, writes Catherine Slessor as part of our series revisiting the style. More about "The very idea of deconstructivism now seems hopelessly implausible"
"With Richard Rogers gone there is a melancholic sense of slow extinguishing"
The passing of British architect Richard Rogers at the age of 88 marks the loss of one of the architects who shaped the past four decades, says Catherine Slessor. More about "With Richard Rogers gone there is a melancholic sense of slow extinguishing"
"The annual quest for a national Best in Show seems increasingly problematic"
It was the right choice to give Grafton Architects' Kingston University London this year's Stirling Prize, says Catherine Slessor, but the award is still struggling to find its purpose. More about "The annual quest for a national Best in Show seems increasingly problematic"
"High-tech was a supreme toys-for-the-boys moment"
Continuing our high-tech architecture series, Catherine Slessor looks at how the women in Team 4 helped shape the narrative of the movement. More about "High-tech was a supreme toys-for-the-boys moment"
"Bauhaus histories tend to be disproportionately dominated by male protagonists"
Women are often edited out of the history of the Bauhaus, says Catherine Slessor, in this Opinion as part of our Bauhaus 100 series. But the role of female Bauhauslers in shaping the course of modern design is at last being addressed. More about "Bauhaus histories tend to be disproportionately dominated by male protagonists"
"Neave Brown is now among architecture's immortals"
Neave Brown's extraordinary legacy reflects a progressive social agenda that is lacking in many of today's architects, says Catherine Slessor. More about "Neave Brown is now among architecture's immortals"
"RCR's work is under the radar, yet it is stealthily evolving in scale and ambition"
Awarding the Pritzker Prize to little-known RCR Arquitectes is a quiet rebuke against the superficiality and greed that has dominated architectural culture around the world, says Catherine Slessor in this Opinion column. More about "RCR's work is under the radar, yet it is stealthily evolving in scale and ambition"
"Cerebral, self-absorbed, tepid, dull and decorous"
Opinion: "intellectual vapidity and weasel-minded corporate ambition" are sucking the life out of architectural criticism. But there is still hope, says Catherine Slessor. More about "Cerebral, self-absorbed, tepid, dull and decorous"