The fifth issue of Dixit, the journal of architecture criticism features the words of architects Charlotte Truwant + Dries Rodet, Mio Tsuneyama + Fuminori Nousaku who confront each other around the theme of conditions.
What are conditions of society, of life, of perspective in the world of the 21st century? What are the conditions of architectural practice today?
Are the conditions of use or practice defined by us or imposed upon us?
And if so, by whom and when? If some of the conditions influencing our lives and choices appear universal—such as global warming—are they truly so?
The idea here is to question the very notion of condition, which can be absolute but also relative to the organisation of societies, and of social, economic, political and climatic inequalities; and of course the cultural notions that qualify conditions by inserting them into more global contexts of varying scales.
In short, isn't the definition of a condition intrinsically linked to everyone's decision to accept it as such?
In the spirit of a discipline that constantly renews itself, Caryatide Editions take up the mantle of the critical review. Their aim is to further enrich the architecture discourse by offering a voice that engages directly with current events. Architecture stands at the crossroads of multiple inquiries—a discipline nourished by cross-disciplinary approaches. In this sense, and as a defining principle, Caryatide is committed to maintaining a critical perspective, one enriched by the social and political lens through which architecture must be understood, in order to reveal its complexity and aspirations.
Each issue, published three times a year, invites two contributors to share their reflections on a previously unexplored theme.
Truwant + Rodet + is an architectural practice founded in 2015 in Basel by Charlotte Truwant (born 1980) and Dries Rodet (born 1982).
Fuminori Nousaku (born 1982) and Mio Tsuneyama (born 1983) are Tokyo-based architects. They engage in critical architectural practice on the theme of contemporary cities and ecosystems.
