Special Subject: Study in Modern Architecture — Form and Platform: Design Criticism in the Twentieth Century and Beyond

This is a class about reading and, to a lesser extent writing, popular criticism, looking at the profession and production of architecture and design criticism in the United States from its inception in the late 19th century to the present day. Class sessions are devoted to thematic groupings of reviews—on the tower, the museum, the mall, and so on—in order to compare critical language, approach, audience, and taste, while also tracking changes in writing and design style from 1900 to the present. Thus, we read classics of architectural theory, like Louis Sullivan’s “The Tall Building Artistically Considered,” as well as Ada Louise Huxtable on the Twin Towers, and Paul Goldberger on Hearst Tower. But we will also watch Louisa Whitmore, the TikTok teen who hates 432 Park Avenue with the passion that translates so well to video. 
 
The goal of this seminar is to introduce you to the wide variety of critical voices and forms and, by the end, let you play critic yourself. During the semester, we will do close readings of specific texts together, and we will practice one-the-spot critique of some recent local projects. Two field trips led by architects will offer students the opportunity to ask questions in the field, and to think about the difference between what architects say and what the user can observe. Independently, students will research and present on an individual critic, giving the opportunity to read deeply while the in-class sessions are a necessary skim. One late session, on video games, will be programmed collaboratively, as many of you know more than I about what constitutes effective critique of games. The final project for the course will be to write, or film, or record, or otherwise produce a piece of criticism on the design of your choice.

4.s68 Syllabus (MIT Certificate protected)