Architecture Against Architecture: Reinier de Graaf

​Architecture, as we know it, is in crisis. The authority of architects is crumbling, their methods no longer tenable. In a highly critical introspection, architect and writer Reinier de Graaf explores the tough choices ahead and the course of action that must follow.

Architecture Against Architecture demands we rethink both how and why we build. With wit and insight, De Graaf lays out the future of the profession, challenging readers to question the underlying assumptions of the discipline. How do we end the feudal veneration of starchitects? When will architects finally recognise that it is in their own best interest to unionise? Why aren’t more practices collectively owned? Why do so many architects over sixty-seven refuse to retire? How do we stop buildings from being copyrighted? What will remain of architecture after AI? What can prevent iconic structures from being embroiled in money laundering? And the vital question: What projects architects should refuse on moral grounds?

Reinier de Graaf is a Dutch architect and writer. He is a partner in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and co-founder of its think-tank, AMO. He is the author of Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession and architect, verb.: The New Language of Building as well as the novel The Masterplan. He lives in Amsterdam.

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