He has provoked an assault upon the US Capitol. He delivers arms and technology to Israel so its “defense” forces … More
Category: satire
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
Trees in the Air
What is the point of suspending trees in the air? They grow much better on the ground, where they also … More
One Permanent Exhibition / Theme Park Inside Another
How many architects have an exhibition of their work permanently on display at a cultural institution, replete with nearly full-scale … More
Hotel Empanada
This advertisement for a Barcelona snack bar franchise contains an image of a local landmark building by the late Ricardo … More
Presenting the E-Window®
Are windows really necessary in buildings? Is an LED panel that simulates a window an acceptable substitute? Some seem to … 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
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
Scatological Cantilever?
Unlike so many contemporary cantilevers whose only purpose, seemingly, is to out-do other cantilevers in depth, height or width, the tiny … More
Building on top
Sometimes, the best option is one on top of the other. It might be because available space is too constricted, because an opportunity is … 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
Architecture that Only an Artist can Get Away With
New York’s Guggenheim Museum has just announced plans to install a new artwork by Maurizio Cattelan consisting of a toilet made … More
Love-You Architecture
“The envy and hostility of Wall Street leads many to a common goal: to amass enough money so as to … More
Plus ça change…
This is a screengrab of what appeared on my laptop recently while I was trying to read a New York Times article … More
Beauty
‘Beauty’ is one of the rarest words used by professionals when talking about architecture, yet it is one of the most used by … More
Selfie Scene
With the invention of the ‘selfie’, the traditional comic foreground or carnival cutout is rendered obsolete, along with the profession of carnival portrait photographer. … More
Architecture and Crime
A recent escape from a maximum-security prison in upstate New York, in which two convicted murderers cut through steel jail-cell walls to … More
Emot-Icon Building
Considering the recent spate of ‘icon’ buildings, you would think that an Emoji would exist for ‘Architecture’ by now, but no, this is in fact … More
Pure Shit (II)
This building in the Catalan Pyrenees is a perfect example of the kind of “pure shit” that, according to Frank … More
Criticalista 