The Barbican Debate: Ethics in Architecture: The Corbusian Legacy April 9, 2009

"The first in a series of annual events, this debate is inspired by Barbican Art Gallery’s current exhibition Le Corbusier – The Art of Architecture. It takes Le Corbusier’s influential yet controversial legacy as its point of departure. Razia Iqbal, Arts Correspondent, BBC News, chairs a discussion that centres around the fundamental question ‘Can good design change the world?’ Le Corbusier thought it could. Do we agree with him – and what do architects believe now?

Our panel of major international figures explore the vital questions of ethics in architecture today. They are the celebrated landscape-architect, Corb scholar and commentator, Charles Jencks; founding partner of the leading architectural practice MVRDV, Winy Maas; the visionary co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, Cameron Sinclair; Sean Griffiths of FAT and Patrik Schumacher – Partner, Zaha Hadid Architects.

The discussion is inspired by Le Corbusier’s famous manifesto for modernism, his ‘Five Points of a New Architecture’. Our panel will address five key areas in relation to their own practice: Politics and the Ethics of Globalisation; Affordable Housing and Humanitarian Projects; Clients; Urban Planning; and Environment and Sustainability.

How are today’s leading architects navigating the ethical dilemmas of building during a time of increasing economic inequality, and diminishing resources? When is it acceptable for architects to build for repressive regimes? Do architects have a responsibility to take on humanitarian projects? Has the economic downturn produced a shift in ethical issues for architects? Do architects have a moral obligation to design for changing environmental conditions?"

Official Website: http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=8675