What is worse: climate change denial or greenwashing? We certainly have no shortage of either. Climate change denial can be … More
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Initiated by Architects: Two Very Different Housing Models
Two radically different apartment buildings are currently being completed only meters apart in Barcelona’s Poble Sec neighborhood. What makes them … More
Who are the Terrorists?
The people of Minneapolis are not cowering before their fascist president and his brutal ICE police. No, unlike the many … More
Tabula Gaza II
The plan for the reconstruction of Gaza is looking like a tabula rasa project indeed. We know there are very … More
And the Nobel War Prize Goes to…
He has provoked an assault upon the US Capitol. He delivers arms and technology to Israel so its “defense” forces … More
Yes, Ban Housing Speculation!
The government of Catalonia wants to ban housing speculation. It is currently studying the constitutional legality of banning the ownership … More
Digitization and its Discontents
Is it just me, or is the digital universe getting worse by the day? I find many apps and web … More
United We Stand
Demonstrations are a weekly occurence in Barcelona. Usually, they are organized well in advance, as permits must be issued by … More
Down with High-Rise, Up with Mid-Rise
From 2005 to 2013, I taught a seminar in the Metropolis Masters Program in Architecture and Urban Culture titled “LandSpec” … More
Stuff
George Carlin once said: “A house is just a place to keep your stuff, while you go out and get … More
Mountain Hut Essentials
Mountain huts, when situated far from any infrastructure such as a road or a ski lift, cannot afford to be … More
Tax the Rich
All those who voted for and signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” just lowered taxes for the USA’s wealthiest. What sense … More
Happy 4th of July to my US Readers
Having grown up in Canada, I have visited the USA on countless occasions. I loved visiting your country as it … More
Pseudo-Vanguardism
When I was an architecture student in 1980s Southern Ontario, Canada, I was taught that the “good” architects were the … More
The Mediterranean Corridor
Spain’s much-lauded high-speed rail network is based on a hub-and-spoke model with Madrid, the Spanish capital, at its very centre. … More
Airport versus Penis Enlargement
Barcelona airport is going to be enlarged, it’s finally been decided. What for? So even more tourists can come and … More
Shady Initiative
Barcelona City Council has initiated a city-wide program to shade public spaces. The reason: it is getting hotter every year. … More
Power Dependency
Yesterday, in the middle of the day, the electricity went out on the entire Iberian peninsula. From one minute to … More
The Rise and Fall of Barcelona: From Architectural Tourism to Touristic Architecture
[Originally published in OnSite Review 46] Has anyone ever noticed how often the word visitor is used by architecture students … More
Dear Readers of Criticalista:
As you may have noticed, the world is undergoing a sea-change right now. The recent swearing-in of the 47th president … More
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