A distinguished panel of architectural critics gathered this past week at the Center for Architecture, in New York, to discuss “Architectural Criticism Today.” Julie V. Iovine presents some choice excerpts from the two-hour conversation.
Hosted by The Architect's Newspaper, Oculus, and AIANY's Marketing and PR committee, the discussion gathered some of the preeminent architectural writers working today to reflect on the state of their profession. The panel included architecture critics Justin Davidson of New York magazine and Paul Goldberger of The New Yorker; Cathleen McGuigan, editor in chief of Architectural Record; and James Russell, the architecture columnist at Bloomberg.
While the highlights that Iovine includes are generally fascinating, of particular interest was this exchange regarding the movement away from covering celebrity architecture.
James Russell: "I think the readership has lost interest in the celebrity architect. They see that the glamorous buildings by "glamorous architects" are not really part of their economic reality. They might be thinking, why are architects doing these glam buildings instead of public housing? What a lot of people don't understand is that someone has to hire the architects to do that work, and if no one is hiring them, they can't do that kind of work."
Cathleen McGuigan: "I think people are a little more sophisticated about the public realm than we give them credit for. I think it's a change that happened with the outpouring of response and interest in New York after 9/11. I went to some of those Imagine New York meetings at the Municipal Art Society and it was powerful to see people coming out on weekends to sit there for hours. It said something about the public at large and their caring about these issues."
Paul Goldberger: "You're right, although it took 9/11 to bring that to the fore. And since then we have seen it fade. For about two years afterwards, I was told I could write as much and as long as I wanted about architecture. But before and since that period, it's been the usual fight for space with all the other competing cultural areas...To go back to the subject of the object building. I think readers very much want more than that. They are in fact profoundly interested in how the city works and how it affects their lives."
The event last week was the first in a series on architecture and the media hosted by the Center for Architecture. Up next on May 3 is Design Reportage: The Business Press and General Interest Media.
FULL STORY: Q+A> Architecture Criticism Today

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie