The Century that Never Happened

On the final day of the MEXTRÓPOLI festival, Reinier de Graaf gave a keynote lecture in which he traced the legacy of 20th century architecture, discussing the many misconceptions of a once utopian vision that, seemingly without effort, has turned to the advantage of dominating pseudo-political regimes. A parallel story emerges between the smooth transition of large prefabricated constructions and their swift demolition/recycling process, and the remarkable adaptability of the 21st century architect to conform to a post-modern condition in which any notion of ideological loyalty has been erased.