The empire of self

What is architectural invention? We could define it

like the art of destabilizing the state of knowledge by the very means

of knowledge. In the Vitruvian tradition, architects played

with grammar, then criticized it to the point of contradicting it

in the Baroque era, releasing over the centuries a repertoire of figures

and unprecedented provisions. At the beginning of the last century, the decline

classical language has opened up a new imaginary world explored by

Grand and junior masters. The playing area then shifted from the Orders

towards a broader field of possibilities, with uncertain boundaries, but

structured by a few doctrines. The postmodern era, on the other hand, is

marked by a profound loneliness of self: no great voice

It makes itself heard, no treaty or manifesto guides the action. Arbitrariness

is left to his own devices for the first time, at the mercy of the vagaries of

fashion. In this moment of intellectual fragility, a supposed

An interlocutor is emerging, in software form.

promises to end the labor of design, would save effort,

would facilitate production, in short, the panacea of the built world. Faced with this

which could well prevail due to its formidable efficiency, it seems

It is just as insignificant to protect oneself from it as it is to become blindly infatuated with it.

The challenge is to define what ultimately matters, and what is important to

preserve: style, and sovereignty. It's not just a matter of

the future of the architectural project, but of everything it represents and

of his contribution to the self-government of a society.

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