Guest-edited by Owen Hopkins and Erin McKellar
Our current moment is one of profound political and economic change. Historically, these moments of transition have seen a parallel period of cultural and notably architectural flux. In the late-1970s this was manifested in Postmodernism. Today, a number of architects are looking again at this movement and redeploying a range of its tactics and approaches using contemporary methods and techniques. These include different modes of collage, formal reference and quotation, stylistic eclecticism, symbolism in form, material and ornament, and the bold, expressive use of colour, both natural and synthetic.
While the design that results from these multiform tactics and approaches has been seen as a kind of neo-Postmodernism, this issue argues that this is a simplistic and superficial reading. Instead, it posits this phenomenon as the architectural attempt both conscious and unconscious to reflect, grapple with and make sense of the current political and economic transition and the backdrop of the climate emergency. Rather than responding to this situation by attempting to marshal architecture around a single unifying narrative, this issue makes the case for the transformative possibilities offered by an approach that is ad hoc, eclectic and pluralist.
Contributors: Mat Barnes, Jennifer Bonner, Graham Burn, James Crawford and Alexander Turner, Mario Carpo, David Knight and Cristina Monteiro, David Kohn, Stephen Parnell, Lera Samovich, Geoff Shearcroft, Dirk Somers, Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen, Léa-Catherine Szacka, and Amin Taha.
Featured architects: AOC Architecture, Bovenbouw Architectuur, CAN, Groupwork, David Kohn Architects, DK-CM, Fala Atelier, MALL, Studio MUTT, Office S+M, Walala Studio, Yinka Ilori Studio
About the Guest-Editors 05Owen HopkinsErin McKellar
IntroductionWhat is Multiform? 06Owen Hopkins
Aiming for Personality An Exercise of Continuous Improvisation 12Lera Samovich
PoMo, Collage and Citation Notes Towards an Etiology of Chunkiness 18Mario Carpo
Nothing New Referencing, Remixing and Sampling 26Graham Burn, James Crawford and Alexander Turner
Marni Sweaters and Rugby Shirts Colour Blocking in Architecture 32Jennifer Bonner
More With Less Responding to Austerity 40Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen
The Birth and Rebirth of a Movement Charles Jenckss Postmodern Odyssey in 2 48Stephen Parnell
Pluralism and the Urban Landscape Towards a Strategic Eclecticism 56Dirk Somers
#Architecturez Rackz, Shackz and the Opportunities In Between 64Mat Barnes
Exploring, Building, CompletingContext and Craft 70Amin Taha
Screens Domesticity From the Postmodern House to Our House 76Léa-Catherine Szacka
Taking Joy SeriouslyAn Interview with Artist and Designer Camille Walala 84Owen Hopkins
Perceiving Postmodernism Learning from Londons Marshlands 92David Kohn
Working in Public Political and Design Inheritances in the Work of DK-CM 100David Knight and Cristina Monteiro
The Joy of Architecture Evoking Emotions Through Building 108Geoff Shearcroft
Remembering in Colour In Conversation with Artist / Designer Yinka Ilori 118Erin McKellar
From Another PerspectiveIconic Iconoclasm: David Connor 128Neil Spiller
Contributors 134
