Semi-detached in Architectural Review Asia Pacific

As publishers of critical discourse on architecture and design, it goes without saying we think architectural criticism is an important subject worthy of analysis and consideration – which is why we were very proud indeed to be able to publish Semi-detached: Writing, Representation and Criticism in Architecture. We were never under any illusions, however, that architectural criticism itself wasn't a fairly niche area of interest, and assumed Semi-detached was likely to be one of the few books examining the craft and the thinking behind it. Imagine our surprise, then, when we discovered that Alexandra Lange, of Design Observer renown, was also bringing out a book on this self-same subject, Writing Architecture.

The August/September edition of Architectural Review Asia Pacific published dual reviews of both, with Justine Clark, former editor of Architecture Australia, tackling Writing Architecture, while Simon Sellars, editor of AR Asia Pacific, took on Semi-detached. The two of them used the opportunity to address the debate over the perceived ‘crisis’ in criticism, what purpose criticism should serve and form it should take. Their opinions, which they also contributed to a recent panel discussion on the subject, make for interesting reading, so grab a copy of the magazine if you get a chance...

Meanwhile, you can order a copy of Semi-detached here.