What is an architect in society today?
Patrik Schumacher 2002 Survey appearing in: Hunch Magazine, No.5, The Netherlands 1) What is an architect in society today? The avant garde architect is a radical innovator in the field of spatial organization. This rather small and particular segment of avant garde production is nevertheless taken to define the essential character of the discipline and it’s practitioners define the role model of “the architect”. The distinction between avant-garde and mainstream or the high art of architecture vs commercial architecture remains a constitutive undercurrent for the self-image of the architect. This logic can not be overcome by fiat: the Dutch attempt to embrace banality from within the avant-garde discourse can not collapse this distinction. We do not regret this. We think this division of labor makes sense with respect to the promotion of the spatial aspects of the socio-economic development. 2) How do you define an innovative architect? Innovation is the constitutive moment and defini
