“WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET”

Architects have always communicated through images. In the past mainly on paper, nowadays often digitally. In 2016, Mark Minkjan won the Geert Bekaert-price for architectural criticism with his essay on architecture and the false reality of digital visualisations. 

The critique is clear: architects oftentimes market their buildings through flashy renders that show an unrealistic and too optimistic image of the new reality. 

It distracts us from asking the questions we should perhaps be asking about the new building. Has the context been properly considered? Is it an enrichment of the built environment? Does it add value that contributes to society? Do we actually need this building? 

If eventually, the result comes close to what was offered to begin with, and all these questions can be answered in the affirmative, you may still be criticised. At least having an overly rich imagination won’t be part of it. >>> Mark Minkjan, 2015

By Daniel Bremmer, VMX