Has Architecture Lost its Bearings?

Keynote talk at the 2012 Philosophy/Architecture Conference at Boston University

The talk starts with some remarks on the meanings of the word “bearing” as demeanor, relevance, orientation, and center. Then it talks about three changes that are decreasing the bearing of architecture. They are (1) the diminished central role of the architect in the building process, (2) the fragmentation of communities which decreases the importance of central buildings/monuments, and (3) the growing dematerialization of buildings, both in the sense of turning buildings into screens, the invasion of digital links to other real and virtual spaces, and smart buildings. These trends reduce hierarchical unities in the planning, meaning, and inhabitation of buildings, and favor parataxis over syntax. Architects now have to be creative and adaptive in new ways, seeking new spatial and social forms and grammars.

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