With a Keen Sense of Crisis

Before we gradually become accustomed to the “idea of a world without a future,” as the anthropologist Marc Augé predicted in his 2011 book The Future, it is time to cultivate a new awareness of crises. According to Augé, our view of the future has been paralyzed by a series of fears—expressions of a planetary crisis—where people have suddenly realized that something fundamental has stopped functioning. These fears stem from multiple crises—ecological, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and territorial—that disrupt all systems and structures on this planet.

Crises have always existed, but the density and variety of contemporary crises seem to have reached a new magnitude. If we perceive crisis not as an inevitable catastrophe but as a turning point in space and time within a transitional phase, then a crisis also represents an opportunity for change. Understood as a productive state, heightened crisis awareness can become a catalyst for action, providing the basis for reshaping concrete circumstances. The urgency accompanying a crisis often generates a heightened readiness to act. Instead of succumbing to despair, we can leverage the crisis as a catalyst for transformation.

This energy for action, born out of necessity, compels us to develop new perspectives, adapt to altered circumstances, and seek innovative approaches that we might not have considered under normal conditions. Such experiences not only make us more resilient but also more confident and courageous. In this way, crisis becomes the starting point for positive transformation, motivating us to act more consciously and purposefully.

This raises the question of whether spatial concepts and architectural strategies can serve as fundamental frameworks for societal negotiation and transformation. With a Keen Sense of Crisis appeals to the critical spirit of architecture and questions its relationship to crisis. Architecture projects, with their inherently complex spatial, temporal, and conceptual dimensions, hold substantial potential for critical engagement.

Aaron Betsky’s book The Monster Leviathan: Anarchitecture (MIT Press, 2023) explores visionary and utopian architectural concepts that challenge traditional notions of building and space. The “Monster Leviathan” refers to a metaphorical beast symbolizing the overwhelming and sometimes chaotic nature of modern cities and architectural ambitions. Betsky illustrates how this concept has been interpreted in various ways, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision of the city as a living organism to more abstract and fantastical representations in art and culture. Betsky argues that these utopian projects are not merely intellectual exercises but valuable tools for imagining alternative worlds. Through these visionary designs, he suggests, we can explore possibilities for a more sustainable and socially just future and expand the boundaries of what architecture can become.