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'I Would Prefer Not To' looks at refused commissions, the decisions behind them, and their impact on architecture

2023-08-30T17:38:00-04:00

The second season of The Architectural League of New York’s new interview series I Would Prefer Not To is gaining popularity thanks to its ability to shed light on an overlooked area of architectural practice.

A cross-collaboration between the League and MIT's Critical Broadcasting Lab, the series explores the topic of commissioning and the refusal of architects to work with a particular client.

Guests, including Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, speak in detail about the nature of refusals, which The Architectural League argues constitutes a permanent part of architectural history. The stories they share touch on key aspects such as ethics and professional practice, decision-making, business development, the tug-of-war over visions for a project, clashes of creativity, and more.

“Decisions to refuse a commission, or withdraw from one, by definition, stay hidden from public scrutiny, and thus also hidden from architectural history,” The Architectural League notes. “Withdrawals of thi...

Adjaye Associates' Cleveland waterfront master plan is now being 'evaluated' as other clients cut ties

2023-07-06T20:36:00-04:00

The fallout from David Adjaye’s sexual misconduct scandal is beginning to be felt by his firm, as now the New York Times and other national outlets are beginning to report on clients who have cut ties with the architect in light of this week’s allegations.

The city of Cleveland’s 35-acre waterfront development to which Adjaye Associates was attached in April of 2022 is the largest project to appear to be in jeopardy following the publication of the Financial Times' piece Saturday. Cleveland.com reported earlier today that Bedrock, the developer behind the plan, is now “evaluating” its “business association” with the firm going forward.

Adjaye’s design, which was finally unveiled in December, would radically alter the city’s once-faltering downtown area with 2,000 residential units, 850,000 square feet of office space, and a brand new Tower City Center anchoring its "central spine."

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