Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture

AA Public Programme

An event to celebrate the launch of Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture by architect, historian and critic Irénée Scalbert.

Architectural Association

Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture brings together ten texts by architect, historian and critic Irénée Scalbert. Written between 2001 and 2025, they reflect nearly three decades of critical engagement with architecture and its cultural contexts. Ranging in length and register – from concise meditations to extended analytical essays – the collection captures the evolution of Scalbert’s thinking as a critic, teacher and participant in architectural discourse. Organised thematically into sections on buildings, cities and the environment, Totems traces a loosely autobiographical arc. Earlier pieces echo Scalbert’s formative years in London during a period of architectural ferment are marked by the work of James Stirling and Norman Foster, influential figures from Europe such as Aldo Rossi, as well as his close association with a generation of contemporaries including Caruso St John Architects and 6a architects. Later texts expand outward, both geographically and conceptually, as Scalbert brings a speculative and at times personal lens to questions of urbanism, nature and meaning in contemporary architecture. We are delighted to launch Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture. Irénée Scalbert will briefly introduce the book, with questions moderated by Matthew Blunderfield. The evening will include drinks and a visual presentation. Launch Price £20 (RRP £25) Please get in touch to let us know of any access requirements that you might have and how we can best accommodate these by emailing bookshop@aabookshop.net

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Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture

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Totems: Selected Essays on Architecture

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