The Top 10 Lightning Rods and Controversies of 2017

Historic preservation stories seemed to dominate the controversies of 2017, with Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building and Peter and Alison Smithson’s Robin Hood Gardens housing project both falling under threat.

Top Architecture Controversies 2017
Shigeru Ban’s New Cultural Hub An Empty Symbol for Paris: The new La Seine Musicale performance center, designed by Shigeru Ban, is meant to be a cultural beacon for Paris. But does the city need any more of those? Click for More.

As 2017 draws to a close, we’re looking back at this year’s biggest and best stories: from new buildings to controversies, interiors, products, and beyond. Enjoy the list below, but be sure to find our other “Top 10” lists here as they come online running up to December 31, 2017.


Historic preservation stories seemed to dominate the controversies of 2017, with Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building and Peter and Alison Smithson’s Robin Hood Gardens housing project both falling under threat. (While the former has been granted temporary protections, the latter is being knocked down.) But other stories traversed architecture’s disciplinary boundaries, touching on public welfare (with the deadly fire at London’s Grenfell Tower) and public space (see Interboro’s new book The Arsenal of Exclusion & Inclusion.)

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