Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Placing Resistance: A Critique of Critical Regionalism

2002; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 55; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1162/104648802753657932

1531-314X

Keith Eggener,

Architecture and Art History Studies

Critical regionalism emerged as an architectural concept during the early 1980s. For leading theorists such as Kenneth Frampton, critical regionalism was an "architecture of resistance" seeking "to mediate the impact of universal civilization" and "to reflect and serve the limited constituencies" in which it was grounded. This paper examines critical regionalist rhetoric, particularly its emphasis on resistance, as a theoretical construct that inadvertently marginalized and conflated the diverse architectural tendencies it championed. The reception of Mexican architect Luis Barragán as a critical regionalist is highlighted to analyze some of critical regionalism's most problematic assumptions, implications, and effects.