"Today, European architects regularly work in the United States, Americans work in Europe, and everybody works in Asia. This globalization of architecture would seem like a good thing for us and it's obviously good for (many) architects. [...] Architecture, however, is a social art, rather than a personal one, a reflection of society and its values rather than a medium of individual expression. So it's a problem when the prevailing trend is one of franchises particularly those of the globe trotters: Renzo, Rem, Zaha and Frank. It's exciting to bring high-powered architects in from the outside. [...] But in the long-run it's wiser to nurture local talent; instead of starchitects, locatects."
In a fascinating piece for T Magazine, Witold Rybczynski discusses the limitations of globalized architecture and makes the case for "locatecture" that has a "true sense of place." Read the full article at T Magazine.
