In 1832, as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lay on his deathbed, he famously uttered the words “Mehr Licht” (more light). … More
Category: Rants
The Metaphysics of Zoning
Welcome to one of Barcelona’s “newest” green zones. Barely a year old, it’s located one block off Las Ramblas, the … More
Not in Our Public Space
Public space belongs to everyone. That’s why the latest proposal to expand the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) … More
The Anti-Circular Pepper Mill Scandal
The other day, I was preparing a dinner party when I realized my pepper mill was empty. I ran to … More
UNStudio’s Plagiarism of Elastic Living by Angelo Roventa
In the field of research, plagiarism is unacceptable and denounced. Here begins a post denouncing UNStudio’s shameless plagiarism of over … More
Barcelona, posa’t guarra (get dirty)
Welcome to Carrer Príncep de Viana in the Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona, a small, normally quiet street lined with trees … More
Pop (-Up) Urbanism in the City of Design
Barcelona is known around the world today as a city of design. Its urban grid, buildings, parks, squares, streets, benches, … More
Eco-Monsters
A recent news item I came across stated: “If SUV drivers were a nation, they would rank seventh in the world … More
Arquitecto de mierda / Shit-Architect
[Texto originalmente publicado en / Text originally published in BCN MÉS #73. English translation follows below] Arquitecto de mierda En … More
Electoral Architecture
Elections for the mayorship of Barcelona are coming up later this year, and we’re already being delivered promises in the … More
Fake Architecture News II
A few posts back, I discussed “fake architecture news” (FAN) in blogs and social media, describing an offer I had … More
How Much Does Your Conscience Weigh, Mr. Foster?
Dear Norman, I just read the following in the Architect’s Journal: “Amid an escalating crisis over the missing journalist Jamal … More
Stop Demolishing Useful Buildings
I’m a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doomI kill conversation as I walk into the roomI’m a three line whipI’m … More
Fake Architecture News?
A few weeks ago, I received a curious e-mail from someone representing “a digital marketing agency currently working with a … More
Vinylizing the Barcelona Pavilion
The Barcelona Pavilion is as white as Greek yoghurt right now. All the Roman travertine, ancient green marble, green Alpine … More
Archispeak in Political Propaganda
The Catalan independence movement has for years been churning out a great deal of propaganda in order to win over … More
Award Politics
Architecture’s top award is the Pritzker Prize, as we all know. Often referred to in the media as the “Nobel … More
Why Be Normal
Recently, I visited two buildings that provoked me to seriously question everything I learned in school. One is a student residence … More
The Definitive Solution to All Gentrification Everywhere
Gentrification is like cancer: everything seems to cause it, and there’s no cure; there’s no answer. We all know by now that … More
Built-In Obsolescence
The other day, out of the blue, my printer suddenly stalled, even though it had been working perfectly for once. Strange warning … More