Christopher Alexander’s Theory and Its Enemies Cover Image

Christopherio Alexanderio teorija ir jos priešai
Christopher Alexander’s Theory and Its Enemies

Author(s): Almantas Samalavičius
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Architecture
Published by: Visuomeninė organizacija »LOGOS«
Keywords: Christopher Alexander; pattern language; architectural theory;

Summary/Abstract: Christopher Alexander is widely acknowledged as one of the leading and original contemporary architectural and urban theorists. A theorist and a practicioner, who has implemented his ideas and concepts in architectural and urban design, has made a lasting impact on architectural and urban thinking. However, being an author of important treatises on architecture and city-making, Alexander is still largely ignored in mainstream architectural and urban discourse. While revisiting the seminal writings of Christopher Alexander and reconsidering reception of his ideas in architectural academy, the article offers the view on why architectural thinker and theorist of an exceptional caliber remains to a certain extent marginalized. The article suggests that holistic concepts of live and durable architecture as well as humane urban design have for decades been against shallow and narrow modernist and post-modernist mainstream thinking which so far has failed to revisit and revise its own sources and developments. It still remains the main obstacle to a more adequate understanding of the (antimodern) holistic way of the designing and thinking proposed by Alexander.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 104
  • Page Range: 113-120
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Lithuanian
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