Architecture of Reparation: towards a democratic and equitable future

Abstract

Architecture cannot create democracy, nor can it prevent democracy solely on its own. However, architecture is not exactly a passive actor in our society, either. Architecture is more than shelter or place; Architecture can be an active participant in negotiating complex relations between disparate entities across time, space, and culture. As Lina bo Bardi, a lifelong activist and a member of the Italian wartime resistance said: “Architecture and architectural freedom are above all a social issue that must be seen from inside a political structure, not from outside it.” Architecture does not operate alone because it participates in our political systems. Through its sheer physicality, architecture has the ability to reinforce structural inequalities spatially, but at the same time, it also has the agency to reshape the physical realm of public life and promote democratic values at various scales. That means the discipline of architecture and architects have socio-political responsibilities towards what, where, and how to build. These responsibilities raise fundamental questions and anxieties within the contemporary architectural discipline: How do we as designers facilitate well-being for the public realm, the space of democratic participation through architecture that is grounded on political and social justice? How does architecture provide equal opportunities for oppressed people to practice their rights? What is the agency of architects? And most importantly, what is an architecture of democracy?