The Stakes of Theory

It’s no surprise that the central concern of Theory’s Curriculum, a book written by theorists for theorists, should be about theory’s wellbeing. But what is it that troubles theory?

Each of the volume’s ten contributors tackles this question with a refreshing sense of earnestness and urgency. They are not merely interested in saving theory for theory’s sake, but are excited by theory’s potential to transform the terms of architectural practice and pedagogy. Ginger Nolan’s essay recounting a 2013 midterm review at Columbia University is especially illustrative of this aim. In response to a studio brief for a university swimming pool, to be built on the site of a public housing complex in Harlem, a group of students proposed a segregated programmatic solution that maintained class and racial divides in the neighborhood. Despite the evident discomfort of the invited critics, Nolan recalls how the instructor praised the students’ “clarity of argument.” Not onl…