While it's just as important to have serious discussions about the future of architecture, so is taking a hard, honest look at its present state. And if the letters from the recently concluded "Dear Architecture" competition indicate anything about how individual architects perceive the field right now, things are looking bleak.

Organized by Blank Space, the competition invited entrants to write an approximately 500-word letter addressed to Architecture, whether as a concept, a social practice, or a community. The 12 Honorable Mention entries, although written as seemingly fictional anecdotes, consistently expressed feelings of disconnection with architecture — topped with a melancholic tone that is just yearning for the better.

Read the 12 Honorable Mentions in their entirety1.

  • 1. http://archinect.com/news/article/137342724/how-connected-do-architects-still-feel-to-the-profession-more-dear-architecture-letters-explore-that-question
Blank Space's "Dear Architecture" book will include the winning and Honorable Mention letters, as well as other notable entries. Cover art by Irena Gajic.
Blank Space's "Dear Architecture" book will include the winning and Honorable Mention letters, as well as other notable entries. Cover art by Irena Gajic.