The Best (and Worst) of Architecture and Design in 2020

Mark Lamster and Alexandra Lange are back with their snarky review of the year in architecture and design.

It has been a year, people. COVID-19. Economic collapse. Political madness. Social unrest. Fire. Mank. Through it all, we’ve been keeping tabs, marking down who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, so we can bring you, for the 11th consecutive year — !!! — our annual architecture and design awards.

Planetizen previously shared the duo's architecture and design awards in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, but obviously 2020 has little precedent in those previous editions. The unique fingerprints of 2020 are all over this list, from the "Design of the Year" (the mask) to the "Building(s) of the Year Award," the latter described thusly:

To the streateries, some basic, some stylish, some practically indoors, that kept the restaurant industry working. We only wish such ingenuity had also been applied to transforming public space to shelter the unhoused, provide public bathrooms, keep sidewalks and streateries accessible, and offer children more space to play.

There are also some funny, irreverent items that have nothing to do with COVID-19, which offers a nice change of pace.