Introduction to Critical Regionalism

Critical regionalism is not a new form of architecture. In his Ten books, Vitruvius discussed regional variations in architecture, and the Romantics propounded picturesque regionalism during the nineteenth century; in addition it has dominated architecture in many countries during the last two centuries.

This type of architecture is a strategy for achieving a more human architecture in the face of universally held abstractions and international clichés. Coined by Alexander Tzonis  and Liane Lefaivre in 1981, the term was seized upon by Frampton, who argued that architects should seek regional variations in their buildings instead of continuing to design in a style of global uniformity using ‘consumerist iconography masquerading as culture’, and should ‘mediate the impact’ of universal civilization with themes drawn indirectly from the individual ‘peculiarities of a particular place’. While appreciating the dangers of industrialization and technology, he did not advocate revivals of either the great historical styles or a humble vernacular type of building. In essence, he sought the deconstruction of global Modernism, criticized post-Modernism for reducing architecture to a mere ‘communicative or instrumental sign’, and proposed the introduction of alien paradigms to the indigenous genius loci. 

In his book Frampton explains critical reginalism as will mediate the spectrum between universal civilization and the particularities of place. To maintain its critical edge one need be aware of the draw of Populism. This movement seeks to economically supplant reality with information, often in the form of imagery found in advertising. Critical regionalism, situated between and beholding, simply requests the recognition of both world culture and universal civilization. This recognition must mediate the world culture by 'deconstructing' the eclecticism of acquired alien forms and the universal civilization by limiting  the economy of technological production.