A lecture at MIT that was to be given by the Japanese architect Junya Ishigami has been cancelled following revelations that Ishigami's Tokyo-based studio was relying on unpaid interns—a controversy that has prompted wide discussion and raised questions over the value of labor in architecture. 

After news that the 44-year-old was selected to design the 2019 Serpentine Pavilion, an email from Junya Ishigami+Associates listing conditions for an intern was made public by Adam Nathaniel Furman. Causing an uproar, the terms set out in the e-mail showed that the firm expected young architects to work 13-hour days, six days a week for free; supply their own computers and software; and for overseas applicants, procure their own visas. 

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