Buildings Gone Bad: 2014's Worst Architecture

The designs of architecture's most famous practitioners inspire the most public forms of attention and criticism. A recent column in Slate doesn't shy away from the latter.

1 minute read

December 29, 2014, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Kriston Capps has compiled a list of lowlights from the year in architecture. The list follows the example of Frank Gehry, who earlier this year berated 98 percent of the world's architecture. Capps's critique, however, is directed toward the architecture that begs to be seen, as such, he describes the list "as a plea for 2015: Leave Frank Gehry alone."

Capps writes that the "dubious designs and blustering egos collected here all make a strong case for the worst architecture of 2014," describing them all as "worse than Gehry’s Fondation Louis Vuitton, which opened this fall and may in fact be the best building of 2014."

The list includes multiple mentions for Zaha Hadid, multiple mentions for George Lucas, multiple buildings in Los Angeles, and all 1,715 Designs in the Guggenheim Helsinki Contest.

Friday, December 26, 2014 in Slate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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