Architecture Against Architecture: A Manifesto

A fourteen-point manifesto to bring architecture into the twenty-first century

Architecture, as we know it, is in crisis. The authority of architects is crumbling, their methods no longer tenable. In a highly critical introspection, architect and writer Reinier de Graaf explores the tough choices ahead and the course of action that must follow.

Architecture Against Architecture demands we rethink both how and why we build. With wit and insight, De Graaf lays out the future of the profession, challenging readers to question the fundamental assumptions of the discipline. How do we end the feudal veneration of starchitects? When will architects finally recognize that it is in their own best interest to unionize? Why aren't more practices collectively owned? Why do so many architects over sixty-seven refuse to retire? How do we stop buildings from being copy-righted? What will remain of architecture after AI? What can prevent iconic structures from being embroiled in money laundering? And the vital question: What projects should architects refuse on moral grounds?

Author: Reinier De Graaf
Publisher: Verso
Published: 03/24/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.56h x 5.86w x 0.87d
ISBN: 9781804299036


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/16/2026

About the Author
Reinier de Graaf (1964, Schiedam) is a Dutch architect and writer. He is a partner in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), where he leads projects in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Reinier is the co-founder of OMA's think-tank AMO and Sir Arthur Marshall Visiting Professor of Urban Design at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession, Architect, verb.: The New Language of Building and the novel The Masterplan. He lives in Amsterdam.