Foolish Utopianism in Today's Top Architecture

Reviewing Douglas Murphy's book "Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture," Jonathan Meades lays into the new utopianism of contemporary architecture. Silicon Valley gets portrayed as both foolish and hypocritical.

1 minute read

September 27, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Gehry Fondation Louis Vuitton

Forgemind ArchiMedia / Flickr

Flowery language abounds in Jonathan Meades' review of Douglas Murphy's book Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture. We get a take-down of today's trend toward tech-savvy, Silicon Valley-assisted architecture. 

Meades' ideological target is utopianism, specifically the utopian minds that "undertake constant tourism of the unprovable, to enjoy the unsupported conviction that there are big solutions rather than billions of unanswerable questions." In architecture, Meades writes, "it is hardly surprising that the smartest of smart buildings are already being programmed to exercise control over us – caring control, softly spoken – and with a degree of subtlety that quite evaded B.F. Skinner and still evades the uniformed gorillas who patrol gated 'communities' and apartment complexes." 

In a critique that could extend to the Silicon Valley ethos as a whole, Meades takes issue with ideologies of liberation via technology—i.e., Buckminster Fuller—that get co-opted by the Googles, Apples, and Amazons, "the most ruthless of modern employers."

Some of architecture's biggest names don't get off lightly. From the review: "Among the other architects on this West Coast gravy train are, predictably, those consummate exterior decorators Frank Gehry and Thomas Heatherwick." Neither does the field of contemporary architecture emerge unscathed: "Gehry and Heatherwick will, as ever, be strenuously plagiarised by their flocks of unimaginative disciples who will, then, be making copies of copies." 

Thursday, September 8, 2016 in London Review of Books

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green painted bike lane with striped buffer between car lane and curb parking lane.

Why Bike Lanes Are Good: An Explainer for the US Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy says there’s no evidence that bike lanes have benefits. Streetsblog — and federal agencies’ own data — beg to differ.

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Yellow electric school bus with preteen students exiting.

California Invests Additional $5M in Electric School Buses

The state wants to electrify all of its school bus fleets by 2035.

April 25 - Associated Press

City Hall building in Austin, Texas.

Austin Launches $2M Homelessness Prevention Fund

A new grant program from the city’s Homeless Strategy Office will fund rental assistance and supportive services.

April 25 - Spectrum Local News