Interrogating ‘critical regionalism’: how do architects today articulate the global and the regional?

This article explores how the theory of critical regionalism can be further developed as a valid lens for architectural practice in today’s regions. This research examined and ascertained how a new approach to critical regionalism would be valuable to identify, analyse, design and make today’s architecture that has a truly authentic relationship with regional culture and society. Critical regionalism is (re)interpreted here through three interrelated strategies – defamiliarization, sense of place and tectonics – as an analytical lens to frame the analysis of how contemporary architects articulate regionalist architecture in relation to their design approaches.

The interviews and case studies covered in this research reveal intriguing disparities between the essential notions of critical regionalism and broader regionalist ideas and assumptions in architecture. The research findings suggest that critical regionalism, although fragile as a theory and vague as a design approach, can still offer value in understanding regionalist architecture today and for future practice. The study reveals that contemporary reinterpretation of critical regionalism can address the limitations of universal standards and solutions in modern architecture, and offer a more authentic relationship between architecture and regional culture and society.

This research makes a significant contribution to the field of architectural design by examining critical regionalism as a lens for contemporary practice. The study builds upon the existing discourse on critical regionalism and provides a new approach that takes into account the complexities of sociocultural conditions in different regions. The study offers insights for architects seeking to balance tradition and modernity in their design approaches, and to create architecture that resonates with the socio-cultural needs of a region. By providing a new approach to critical regionalism, this research expands the scope of contemporary architectural practice and offers a framework for architects to create architecture that is truly reflective of regional identity and cultural heritage.