A is for Architecture Podcast

In the latest episode of A is for Architecture,Dr. Cameron McEwan, Associate Professor of Architecture at Northumbria University discusses some few of the ideas behind his book, Analogical City (Punctum Books, 2024), including the relationship between architecture, urban form, and the ways we think about and design cities. Drawing on Aldo Rossi’s concept of the analogical city, Cameron challenges us to rethink the role of history, memory and analogy in shaping the built environment. We discuss how cities transcend their functional role, particularly as it was conceptualised in postwar modernism, but are instead  dynamic entities shaped by layers of meaning, history and collective memory and tradition. Reflecting on the ethical and emancipatory imperatives driving Rossi’ vision, Cameron also reflects on how analogical thinking can help architects, urbanists, and scholars engage with contemporary urban challenges in new and creative ways.Cameron can be found at his workplacehere, and onX,LinkedIn andInstagram. The book is linked above.🎧 Listen now on only the best podcast platforms for more discussions on architecture and stuff!#Architecture #UrbanDesign #AnalogicalCity #UrbanTheory #AldoRossi #ArchitecturalTheory #Urbanism #CreativeCities + Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

In this episode of A is for Architecture, I was joined by the University of Queensland’s Dr Dorina Pojani to discuss her book Trophy Cities: A Feminist Perspective on New Capitals (Edward Elgar Publishing 2021). We explore how new capital cities –Brasilia, Canberra, Abuja, Sejong, Astana and even Washington DC – are conceived of as totalized projects, dominant visions competing for prestige through iconic architecture and mega-projects - often at the expense of local communities.  From gentrification and political power to inequality and urban branding, this conversation uncovers who really benefits from these grand visions. It's a banger, believe. Dorina can be found at her workplace, and on LinkedIn. Trophy Cities is linked above. 🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform for more discussions on architecture and urbanism! #UrbanDesign #TrophyCities #Architecture #CityBranding #Gentrification #Sustainability #Urbanism #DorinaPojani #AisForArchitecture #CityPlanning #Inequality +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

In this episode of A is for Architecture, I spoke to Álvaro Sevilla-Buitrago, associate professor of urban planning at the School of Architecture, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, about his book Against the Commons: A Radical History of Urban Planning (University of Minnesota Press 2022). Challenging conventional ideas of shared urban space, Alvaro explores how planning has historically been used as a tool of enclosure, dispossession, and control—shaping cities to serve elite interests rather than fostering true commoning. We discuss the historical and contemporary nature of commons as spaces that represent marginalisation, but its resolution through collective action and solidarity. We discuss how urban development has often restricted collective life, from the privatization of land to the suppression of grassroots alternatives, reflecting on historical and contemporary struggles over public space, offering insights into how radical urbanism can resist enclosure and reclaim the city for all. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of planning, power, and resistance in the built environment. Alvaro can be found on X, and on his personal website and on Academia. Against the Commons is linked above. 🎧 Listen now & subscribe for more discussions on architecture and urbanism! #UrbanPlanning #Commons #RightToTheCity #RadicalUrbanism #PublicSpace #PeoplePower +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

In this discussion, Pablo Meninato, an Associate Professor of Architecture at Temple University, shares his expertise on informal settlements in Latin America. He explores the resilience of self-built communities and their impact on urban landscapes. Topics include the ethical responsibilities of architects, innovative urban transformation in Medellin, and the significance of community engagement in design. Pablo highlights the cultural dynamics of transnational informality and the urgent need for equitable policies to address urban challenges.

⁠For this episode of A is for Architecture I spoke with Dr Franca Trubiano, Associate Professor of Architecture at the Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania about her book, Building Theories: Architecture as the Art of Building, published by Routledge in 2022. Building Theories presents an historical evolution of architectural theory, tracing how ideas about building have been shaped by cultural, technological, and material advancements. It highlights the interplay between theory and practice, emphasizing that construction is not merely a technical endeavour but a critical component of architectural expression. Franca underscores the importance of materials and their performative qualities, examining how they inform design and enrich architectural meaning. Franca can be found on her personal website, on the UPenn website, on Instagram and LinkedIn. The book is linked above. +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

For the first episode of A is for Architecture’s 2025 offer, I was very lucky to be joined by the great architect, writer, theorist and educator, Bernard Tschumi.  We discuss, among other things, his most recent book, Event-Cities 5: Poetics (MIT Press 2024). Globally celebrated for his innovative contributions to contemporary architecture and urbanism, Professor Tschumi has gained international acclaim through both his theoretical works, like The Manhattan Transcripts (1976-1981) and Architecture and Disjunction (1994), as well as iconic projects like the Parc de la Villette in Paris (1982-1998). Tschumi’s designs challenge traditional notions of form and function, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between space, movement, and event. A former Dean of the GSAPP at Columbia University, he has authored several influential books, including the Event-Cities series (1994-2024), cementing his status as a leading voice in architectural thought. This was a really special recording for me, and a bit of a dream really. Bernard Tschumi! Unreal. Tschumi Architects can be found here are on Instagram here. The book is linked above. +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

For Episode 136 of A is for Architecture, I was joined by Guillaume Couche, the co-founder with Richard Shackleton of Oh Hi Tomorrow—a cutting-edge design practice redefining interface and interaction design - and the co-author of the recent book, Interface Design: Creating Interactions that Drive Successful Product Adoption (BIS Publications 2024), which he wrote with Richard. We explore the art and science of designing intuitive interfaces, the principles behind building products people use, want and, well… love, and how Guillaume and Richard’s unique approach is paving the way for better, more impactful digital experiences. We turn to architecture too, and what that practice might learn from interface design approaches. If you want to elevate your design game, listen. Buy the book too. Guillaume, who also directs Wolf in Motion, can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram. The book is linked above. +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

Fiona Smyth, an Assistant Professor in Architectural History and Theory at the University of Cambridge, delves into the fascinating relationship between architecture and acoustics. She highlights her groundbreaking book, discussing how buildings can function as musical instruments. Fiona explores the intersection of science and music in architectural design, revealing historic collaborations that shaped acoustic understanding. She also touches on wartime challenges in acoustical design and the evolution of testing methods blending technology with human insight.

In A is for Architecture’s 134th episode, the writer, publisher, former editor of Country Life and visiting Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, Clive Aslet, discusses his book, Sir Edwin Lutyens: Britain's Greatest Architect? (Triglyph Books 2024) which describes the life, work and enduring importance of Edwin Lutyens, including the impact of Gertude Jekyll on his design imagination and Lutyens’ pivotal role in both illustrating the British imperial project, and memorializing it’s fallen.   Lutyens (1869–1944) was a renowned British architect celebrated for his enormous body of work which straddled the Victorian and early modern period, and incorporated country houses, war memorials, and monumental projects like New Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan, Castle Drogo in Devon, the Cenotaph in London and the Midland Bank in Manchester. Known for good nature, and his prodigious work rate, there is a case to be made – and Clive makes it well – for Edwin Lutyens to claim the crown of Britain’s greatest architect. Lutyens' work exemplifies timeless elegance and architectural ingenuity. Beyond the binary of modern or not, ethical or not, Lutyens work stands alone, more than an emblem of its time. Have a listen and find out why. Clive can be found on his personal website and on Instagram. The book is linked above. +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

In Episode 133 of A is for Architecture, I speak with architect, academic, and writer Lorens Holm. We explore the fascinating intersection of architecture, psychoanalysis, and the public realm, themes Lorens addresses in his book, Reading Architecture with Freud and Lacan: Shadowing the Public Realm, (Routledge 2023) where Holm examines how Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory can illuminate the way we design, inhabit, and interpret spaces. Reading Architecture with Freud and Lacan presents an argument for how architecture shapes—and is shaped by—our unconscious desires, cultural narratives, and societal structures. Lorens also sheds light on the public realm and how the unconscious both informs it but is in particular ways also part of it. From this, we discuss what it means to read architecture not just as physical space but as a layered text of human experience. Lorens can be found on his University of Dundee website, on LinkedIn and even Instagram. The book is linked above, and you can also find his 2010 book Brunelleschi, Lacan, Le Corbusier: Architecture, Space and the Construction of Subjectivity on the Routledge website. Are you an architect? A psychoanalytic thinker? Or just curious about the deeper meanings of the spaces we live in? This one’s for you. +  Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick