The Moral Dimension
"STOP Political Correctness in Architecture" - Patrik Schumacher vents on what he believes the role of the architect to be. (Facebook, 2014).
I have noticed that almost all of my posts so far concerning the issue of sustainability have had a focus on green architecture and urbanism. Today therefore, I want to take a step in a new direction and examine the statement of arguably one of the greatest figures of architecture today, Dame Zaha Hadid. In a recent interview where she was asked about the over 800 migrant worker deaths that have occurred in constructing her 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Stadium, she boldly declared that it was the duty of governments to protect workers and that “It’s not my duty as an architect to look at it” (Dezeen Magazine, 2014). This statement was in a way furthered a month later by her company’s director, Michael Schumacher, who took to Facebook to declare that we must “STOP political correctness in architecture.” (Schumacher, 2014). While I am of course unable to go into depth about these issues, I do want to point out that this of course raises the interesting question of who should be in charge of managing the morality of our social fabric.
Schumacher forwards the idea that “FORM is our specific contribution to the evolution of world society” and rather quickly and perhaps slightly sarcastically dismissively adds “…as if the delivery of social justice is the architect’s competency…” (Schumacher, 2014). Architectural writer Guy Horton questions quite rightly this statement by Schumacher and in doing so; casts open the door on the debate of morality in architecture:
“Why can’t the best and most challenging forms of architecture penetrate through all social strata? Why shouldn’t it serve the poor? And why shouldn’t this be one criteria among others for judging the value of architecture?” (Horton, 2014).
In an age of multiplicity of approaches, where architecture is not constrained by fashionable styles (though I admit, this is also debatable), social responsibility should, I feel be an integral process within architecture, not separate from it. If we are to accept that the architect, as Schumacher himself declares has a significant role to “…make a difference for the progress of world civilisation…” surely then, we must necessarily be concerned with the socio-political conditions of the world civilisation? The question here in my view then, is that in this case, Schumacher has identified an approach to architecture as form-based, but this is not the only approach to architecture and that these approaches are not independent of society. Architecture, being a physical process of defining space, is necessarily concerned with society and its experience within space.
Calm down Schumacher, even Ban, despite his Pritzker win being around his humanitarian work, has a focus on crating an iconic architecture for Hong Kong (Chan, 2014).
Concept for M+ Museum - Clearly not always obsessed with humanitarian issues, even Ban can abstract ideas based on
the Chinese and Hong Kong symbols to create a new Museum of Contemporary Art (Chan, 2014).
Returning to the issue of sustainability, I feel that there is a need to recognise that social justice is inherently part of an architect’s work because any decision or idea instigated by us inevitably becomes intertwined within the physical and social fabric, regardless of stylistic or formalist design approaches. While it is obvious that people dying during construction, such as in Qatar is both immoral and unsustainable; and that this is sometimes outside an architect’s direct control, we cannot simply push it to one side. Recent Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban is of course famed for taking on the humanitarian issues of architecture, but as his designs for the M+ Contemporary Art Museum in Hong Kong show, even he is not necessarily independent of form-making in some of his work. Ban is therefore an arguable representation of the balance of morality and progress, showing that there are multiple approaches to architectural practice. We as architects may design within four dimensions, combating length, width, depth and time; but there must also be a moral dimension, an approach to architecture which also recognizes the social and human costs, allowing the industry to become more equitable and sustainable.
References
Guy Horton. "The Indicator: Thank You, Patrik Schumacher" 31 Mar 2014. ArchDaily.
Retrieved On 02 Apr 2014 Via: http://www.archdaily.com/?p=491701
Rennie Jones. "Ban vs. Schumacher: Should Architects Assume Social Responsibility?" 28 Mar 2014. ArchDaily.
Retrieved On 02 Apr 2014 Via: http://www.archdaily.com/?p=490850
“Preventing Migrant Deaths at Qatar Stadium Site ‘not my duty as an architect’ says Zaha Hadid” 26 February 2014. Dezeen Magazine. Accessed 02 April 2014 Via: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/02/26/qatar-zaha-hadid-stadium/
Patrick Schumacher. Facebook Post dated 18 March 2014. Accessed 02 April 2014 Via:
https://www.facebook.com/patrik.schumacher.10/posts/10202631928712343