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Patrik Schumacher, principal of Zaha Hadid Architects, has claimed that architecture as a discipline has ceased to exist, blaming 鈥渨oke virtue-signalling鈥�, political distractions and stagnation in architectural education for its supposed demise.

In a , published in the Serbian architecture and philosophy journal Kh艒rein, Schumacher argues that architecture 鈥渉as self-dissolved, eroding its intellectual and professional autonomy under the pressures of anti-capitalist politicisation and woke virtue-signalling鈥�.

The architect, who succeeded Zaha Hadid as head of her eponymous firm following her death in 2016, claims the discipline has abandoned its theoretical foundations, returning to 鈥渁 state of mere craft鈥� devoid of innovation. 鈥淭he bulk of architecture designed in 2024 could have been designed in 1974 or indeed in 1924. It is not only stagnant but positively regressive,鈥� he writes.

鈥淎ll styles, with the exception of parametricism鈥� are retro-styles: minimalism, neo-modernism, neo-rationalism, neo-classicism, neo-historicism, neo-postmodernism.鈥�

Schumacher claims that architecture has abandoned its role as a driver of innovation, arguing that the profession has become preoccupied with political and social issues at the expense of technological and theoretical progress. He describes architecture as a 鈥渄iscourse that is geared towards permanent innovation鈥�, historically shaped by the need for a 鈥減ermanently updated built environment鈥�.

Rigorous architectural discourse has been replaced with woke studies, woke criticism, and woke polemical, artistic-symbolic illustrations standing in for absent design projects

However, he argues that this focus has been lost, with 鈥渦niversities, exhibitions, conferences and magazines鈥� now dominated by discussions on 鈥渃limate change, racism, Eurocentrism, decolonisation, degrowth鈥� 鈥� topics which, he claims, relate 鈥渙nly negatively to contemporary architecture鈥�. He suggests that this shift has contributed to the stagnation of the discipline, sidelining its core function of advancing new design practices.

Schumacher singles out architectural education as a key factor in this perceived decline, arguing that the 鈥減revailing woke culture鈥� in universities now 鈥渞epels students with intellectual ambition鈥�. He suggests that rigorous architectural discourse has been replaced with 鈥渨oke studies, woke criticism, and woke polemical, artistic-symbolic illustrations standing in for absent design projects鈥�.

He claims that critique of student work is now 鈥渁voided鈥�, creating an 鈥渋ncestuous academic culture of dilettante distraction.鈥�

He further argues that architecture has lost its theoretical foundation, claiming that the discipline has 鈥渟elf-dissolved鈥� and eroded its intellectual and professional autonomy. He contends that architecture has abandoned its critical discourse and 鈥渄evolved into a fragmented practice now operating on the level of a mere craft rather than a science-based, academic discipline鈥�.

He insists that theoretical treatises are essential, maintaining that 鈥渁rchitecture, as distinguished from mere building, is inherently connected to architectural discourse and theory鈥�.

Schumacher has a history of controversial interventions in architectural discourse, having previously suggested the privatisation of public land and the abolition of social housing as possible ways to address London鈥檚 housing crisis. The article restates his previous criticism of the Venice Architecture Biennale, which he . 

In his latest critique, Schumacher reiterates this argument, claiming that the 2023 Venice Biennale illustrated how Western architectural culture had become 鈥渟hamefaced and guilt-ridden鈥�. In contrast, he argues that Chinese architects exhibited a sense of 鈥渇ull force and self-confidence鈥�, with the Chinese national pavilion delivering virtually all the architecture on display in Venice.

This, he suggests, raises the question: 鈥淲ill architecture end only in the West, while continuing in the East?鈥�

Only through such recalibration can architecture emerge from its current dissolution and reclaim its role as a distinct and essential function system

Schumacher鈥檚 critique aligns with a broader backlash against liberal orthodoxy, typified by Donald Trump鈥檚 re-election and a movement framing itself as a defence of 鈥渇ree speech鈥� against progressive dogma. His argument echoes wider claims that institutions have stifled intellectual rigour in favour of ideology.

His latest broadside against the state of the profession is likely to provoke further debate, particularly given his assertion that 鈥渢he voluntary self-dissolution of architecture鈥� is already 鈥渁 fait accompli鈥�.

Despite his bleak assessment, Schumacher calls for the discipline to 鈥渞eassert architecture鈥檚 specific social function鈥� by 鈥渞eclaiming agency and re-establishing [architecture鈥檚] critical discourse to foster innovation aligned with societal progress鈥�. He argues that 鈥渙nly through such recalibration can architecture emerge from its current dissolution and reclaim its role as a distinct and essential function system in the development process of contemporary society鈥�.

Kh艒rein: Journal for Architecture and Philosophy is a biannual, peer-reviewed, open-access publication from the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade. It claims to explore the intersection of architecture and philosophy, aiming to 鈥渄eepen the dialogue between the two disciplines鈥� and 鈥渢ranscend their boundaries.鈥�