Kate Wagner

Paris Marx is joined by Kate Wagner to discuss the goals behind Saudi Arabia’s architectural megaprojects, the incentives for major architects to work on projects for despotic regimes, and how architecture’s relationship to tech is driven by profits and PR.Kate Wagner is an architecture critic and journalist. She’s also the creator of McMansion Hell. Follow Kate on Twitter at @mcmansionhell.Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.Also mentioned in this episode:Kate wrote about Saudi Arabia’s big architecture projects, the problem with PR-chitecture, the ethical failings of modern architecture, and why utopian architectural projects suck.In 2020, Bjarke Ingels met with Jair Bolsonaro about a tourism plan for Brazil.Workers in the architecture industry have begun to unionize.Support the show

In this episode, guests Adam Shatz and Kate Wagner discuss the uses of critical theory in understanding contemporary culture. They explore topics such as social media's impact on discourse, the influence of the Frankfurt School on cultural criticism, the separation of architecture from building, and the role of cultural criticism in representing working class struggles.

Kate Wagner, creator of the insightful blog McMansion Hell, dives into the world of McMansions, showcasing their architectural quirks and cultural implications. She critiques their chaotic aesthetics and highlights how they exemplify consumerism over true design. With a humorous lens, Wagner emphasizes the power of satire to engage the public in discussions about architecture. Listeners also get a glimpse of community-building efforts through personal anecdotes, all while celebrating the humor found in architectural missteps.