Articles by Owen Hatherley

Two new graphic novels, which a Le Corbusier figure makes an appearance in, depict the uncomfortable side of modern architecture, writes Owen Hatherley. The story of modern architecture is usually told as being a matter of heroes and villains, and one figure, Le Corbusier, has always had the luck to be portrayed as both. The destroyer of cities,

The post “Some comics have been more nuanced about modern architecture than a lot of the published histories” appeared first on Dezeen.

High-tech architecture aligned with the revival of Victorian values in the 1980s, but did not end up producing the factories of a new period of British creativity, says Owen Hatherley. The Englishness of high-tech architecture was often discussed in the 1980s. Not necessarily in the 1970s, when Richard Rogers’ main opus was in Paris and co-designed

The post “High-tech now looks very much like another post-imperial delusion” appeared first on Dezeen.

High-tech architecture aligned with the revival of Victorian values in the 1980s, but did not end up producing the factories of a new period of British creativity, says Owen Hatherley. The Englishness of high-tech architecture was often discussed in the 1980s. Not necessarily in the 1970s, when Richard Rogers’ main opus was in Paris and co-designed

The post “High-tech now looks very much like another post-imperial delusion” appeared first on Dezeen.

As Poland goes to the polls on Sunday, the churches that were built in the 1970s and 1980s as a sanctuary against an oppressive state are now instruments in a political debate, writes Owen Hatherley. Between 2010 and 2015, I lived part of each year in Poland. I rented a flat in London, my partner

The post “The Law and Justice party faces re-election in Poland and the churches have been their foremost propagandists” appeared first on Dezeen.

As Europe’s largest Ferris wheel is set to be built in Newcastle, Owen Hatherley questions why the giant wheels are still being built in cities across the world. Another Ferris wheel has just won planning permission, this time for a site on the Newcastle quayside. It provides an occasion to think about why there has been

The post “The basic foolishness is compounded by a screamingly patronising name – Whey Aye” appeared first on Dezeen.