Weakening architecture: reflections on contemporary architecture

Abstract:

In a world undergoing accelerated transformation, architecture seeks to redefine its role as a driver
of change. This article traces a selective trajectory throughout the formation of the contemporary episteme to
then reformulate architectural practice through the philosophical notion of weakness. To this end, it describes
the transition from hermeneutic thought to contemporary realist currents, critically reflecting on specific
positions within both approaches. Drawing on an unpublished text by Gianni Vattimo, the weakening hypothesis
is reformulated in operational terms and three vectors for a conscious architecture are proposed: process,
commitment, and agency. Process reappears as an alternative to the hegemony of the architectural object,
shifting the focus toward the project’s life cycle. Commitment assumes an ethical and political responsibility
in response to the warnings of the present. Agency defines the propositional spirit inherent to the discipline,
oriented toward generating a form of dialogical resistance in relation to economic and social dynamics.
Weakening architecture is thus proposed as a modus operandi aware of the continuous intersubjective and non-
linear transformation of reality: a design –based approach attitude that promotes an informed and proactive
architecture capable of operating effectively under conditions of uncertainty

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