The State of Architecture Criticism

In conjunction with the latest issue of Oculus magazine, a panel of writers and critics will discuss the changed and changing landscape of architectural criticism, wrestling with questions of ethics, equity, and influence and the role that critics play in the public's perception of the built environment. Addressing the power and the duty of architectural criticism, the panel will discuss where and how it is happening at its best, where there are opportunities to expand these conversations, and how the democratization of criticism has changed the story of our city.

The event is organized alongside the latest issue of Oculus magazine, which is themed as "Architecture and Communication"—read the issue here.

Speakers:
Molly Fulghum Heintz, Program Chair, School of Visual Arts MA Design Research; Editor at Large, Architectural Record, New York
Sukjong Hong, Editor, Curbed
Samuel Medina, Editor, New York Review of Architecture
Philip Poon, architect, artist, writer

Moderator:
Jennifer Krichels, Editor in Chief, Oculus magazine

About the Speakers:

Molly Fulghum Heintz is the Program Chair of the SVA MA Design Research program and the editor at large at Architectural Record, New York. She is a co-founder of the editorial consultancy Superscript and has served as the firm’s managing director since 2012. She is the former editor-in-chief of Oculus magazine.

Sukjong Hong is the editor of Curbed, the city site of New York Magazine. Hong previously worked as managing editor of The Architect’s Newspaper and got her start in journalism as a reporter-researcher at The New Republic. Earlier in her career, she conducted urban-planning research, including as a consultant for the Knight Foundation and the Van Alen Institute.

Samuel Medina is the editor of New York Review of Architecture, an independent print magazine that reviews architecture in New York. He was previously the executive editor of the Architect’s Newspaper and deputy editor of Metropolis magazine. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Artforum, Aperture, The Art Newspaper, and Harvard Design Magazine. From 2019 to 2020, he edited manuscripts for Michael Sorkin’s Urban Research imprint.

Philip Poon is an architect, artist, and writer. Informed by his background as a Chinese-American from New York City, his work as a registered architect, and his engagement with art and activist movements in Chinatown, his projects materialize issues at the intersection of space, race, and class. As Dimes Square Tourist, he leads walking tours of Manhattan’s Chinatown.