Language in Architecture

Writing is a fascinating tool for social, political and subsequently architectural change. An image is said to equal 1,000 words but the importance of the words we use to then describe and interpret that image can elevate it from a mere visual stimulant into something inspiring and thought provoking.

“Language serves and delights” and its use is very important when radical change is needed. Take the word crisis as an example. We have all become very familiar with it during the first quarter of the 21st century. We have experienced severe economic crisis, housing crisis, identity crisis, a pandemic that has led to mental-health and existential crisis, an ongoing war that is contributing to the current energy crisis and of course the environmental crisis.

The use of the word crisis is intentional and is meant to incite urgency and showcase how severe the situation is. What is less known though, is the origins of the Greek word and its additional meaning which is used to encourage personal involvement. The word instantly and unknowingly makes you an accomplice. You share the responsibility of improving or deteriorating the situation – you are expected to apply your critical thinking to make an informed decision. Such is the power of language.

Our metropolitan cities and their citizens are currently dealing with a global oxymoron. On the one hand we have the environment struggling with overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, waste accumulation and rapidly reducing natural resources and on the other hand we have a global economy that is based on a capitalist system which seeks constant economic growth and mass consumption. We are experiencing a social schizophrenia where the same people that ask us to save the planet, urge us to consume more, communicate faster and absorb more information through tailor made visual stimulants. Industrialisation, technology and the economic system they follow have been giant contributors to the environmental crisis but the unexpected side effect has been our addiction to the image which has developed an unexpected power that can corrupt the way we think and express ourselves.

Creative individuals, need to consciously redirect the current zeitgeist of overindulgent visual consumerism towards a more meaningful debate about the space itself in relation to the user and the environment. Writing can become the powerful medium needed to carry the weight of the huge task ahead, through words that can inspire as well as prompt. The architectural language used today fails to express the urgency and shift in direction that is required from designers collectively to re-imagine our cities. New theories and ideas also require a new terminology that speaks to the young generations and future students, preparing them for a new definition of form, function and the environment.

Creating a coherent dialogue between architecture from the practitioner’s point of view and theoretical pieces that aspire to shape the future of architecture requires innovative thinking and agility to move across disciplines. Architects should use written language as a tool to constantly challenge their own ideas and designs and invite meaningful conversation with experts from all relevant fields. These vital interdisciplinary collaborations can enable a new architectural language that remains relevant and informed, looking outwards and evolving together with the rapidly changing world.

We need the new generations of architects to be informed, willing and well equipped to not only take us forward but to also change the current narrative. This requires practitioners which are ready to delve into theoretical explorations and debates, using modern and informed language as a powerful medium, equal to that of designing or drawing.