Delft Lectures on Architectural History and Theory

(Re)thinking the Global History of Architecture: History and historiography as Agents of Change

Architecture, understood as the process of projecting, constructing, and maintaining buildings and structures embodies values of the past; diverse actors have used the built environment to achieve political, economic, social, or cultural goals. Over time, the role of architecture has changed extensively. From political demonstration to entrepreneurial intervention, from ideological statement to ecological practice. The memory of these earlier practices is inscribed in the built environment that surrounds us; it is also carried by historians and heritage specialists who choose to study one period over another, who focus on a specific locality, people or relationships. This course explores the ways in which architectural practice has evolved to respond to historical paradigms, responding to and shaping global and local societal conditions and frameworks. It also studies the ways in which historical investigation has shaped the course of architecture. Through a series of lectures, readings and discussion-based seminars, this course positions architectural practice in global histories and historiographies of architecture. The lectures will provide select examples from historical architecture through thematic lenses, exploring also the ways in which these histories are constructed and narrated.

The course consists of a lecture series (3ECTS) and associated seminars (2 ECTS).