Design is a critical act, and architecture is an inevitably political discipline—no matter how much one tries to deny it. This is the view of Andrés Jaque, a Spanish architect and founder of the Office for Political Innovation, based in Madrid and New York. Jaque dedicates himself to architectural practice, research, and activism as if they were inseparable. In this interview, conducted during the 12th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale, Jaque discusses how queer perspective can contribute to community engagement and how architecture is "unfolding into a trans-scalar activity and a multi-media practice."
"Design is definitely a critical practice, [...] basic aspects, such as the choice of materials or building access, are today critical issues that must be viewed through the lens of contemporary political challenges," says Jaque, whose work in Europe, the US, and Latin America addresses issues of sexuality, gender, and activism through projects and investigations that seek to debate space no longer as a universal given, but as situated actions.
Read the full interview below.
