Manifestos
Part One: The Importance of Manifestos
In a brief essay of approximately 500 words you should address the following question: Is the writing of a manifesto an architectural act? This asks you to consider whether words and ideas have been as powerful as buildings to developing the discourse of modern architecture. Furthermore, whether you answer in the affirmative or negative, you should consider whether the case remains the same today. In thinking about this topic you might consider some of the following questions:
• What is a manifesto?
• Who writes a manifesto?
• Who is the audience of a manifesto?
• What kind of language is used in a manifesto?
• Are manifestoes political?
Use examples from the many manifestoes that I provide the pdf file.
Part Two: Personal Manifesto
A common thread amongst most of the manifestoes that we will read is the call for significant
transformations of architecture as a cultural practice. In this portion of the assignment, rather
than describing the historical importance of manifestoes, you are being asked to be prescriptive.
In other words, you are being asked to take a stand—to say, “This is what we, as architects, must
do today!” The question for you to answer is what this is.
Before you begin writing, think carefully about the way language is used in manifestos. They are
typically brief, pithy, sharp, impassioned, and often oppositional—think of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s
assertion that “architecture must burn.” The manifestoes mentioned in the quote by Bernard
Tschumi above are nearly 100 years old, yet they remain contemporary even in their old age: they
use the present tense and propose definitive breaks with the past. Your manifesto should be
situated in relation to your understanding of the current discourse of architecture and urbanism
and should function both as a statement of intention for practice within studio and in the
profession. Your manifesto should include a pithy title and a set of polemical claims and positions
organized around your central thesis statement. The text should be tight, plain spoken, and tothe-point. At a maximum is should be 200–300 words in length.
Citations and Image Credits:
All images and sources must be properly cited. The paper should include footnotes and a list of illustrations with citation information. Your citations should follow the Chicago Manual of Style.
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