On Critical Regionalism

“We hope it has made clear that the operations of identifying, decomposing, recomposing regional design elements is part of the universal skills of architects which can be carried out by any competent architect, and not only by ‘local’ ones.”

From my understanding, Critical Regionalism can be viewed as a movement or tool used by architects that aim to tie the geographical and cultural context of a place through vernacular and identifiable architecture while also being attentive to avoid repetition or being intrusive to the existing environment. It provides a sense of belonging that is not misleading to the current character of a space, yet is also adamant in resisting the creation of a homogeneous culture which hinders the progression of our society. Thus, the fundamental strategy of critical regionalism is not simply to resist, but really “to mediate the impact of universal civilization with elements derived indirectly from the particularities of a place.”

However, when referring to the context of a place I believe this not only encompasses the physical reality surrounding the place or site, but also the sociocultural reality of the area such as: who are the users (both local and maybe even potential visitors), what do they expect to see come of the design of their built environment, and how much of their understanding is influenced by both local and global phenomena. So, in addition to the traditional physical qualities of a place, i.e. the realms of topography, climate, light, and tectonics that Frampton describes in his essay, even the non-tactical qualities must be taken into consideration when being critical of a place because with deeper thought comes a greater awareness for the experiential quality that we as designers try to achieve in our architecture. This also helps us in creating a stronger civic identity and cultivating a sense of belonging in which residents are more likely to be compelled to care about what happens in their city and its future.

I think a great example of this movement or tool is Tado Ando’s Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. With a background in Japanese architecture, Ando combines his distinct sensibility regarding nature with the Western modern movement to establish an architecture that doesn’t tarnish the existing landscape, but rather discovers and exposes new landscapes within its design. In the museum, Ando intended the gallery spaces to be mediating spaces within the double glass and concrete skinned structure. This move establishes a dialectical relation with the environment since the structure reflects the changing impact of the light and terrain. In the end the environment is just as beautiful as the artwork being displayed inside.

Ando sketches of the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth

Ando sketches of the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth