L’Arca (the Ark) has sunk in the Ocean of Right Things

Cover of the first issue of l’Arca and the last issue of l’Arca International.

L’Arca International – simply “the Ark” to us – with issue number 181 (11/12-2024), recently announced the closure of the magazine. We subscribers were informed by letter at the end of November and then again in mid-December via email. For those of us who were students in the 90s, for enthusiasts and professionals of architecture straddling two centuries, a point of reference lasting almost four decades is lost. This unexpected news has aroused surprise and curiosity in us regarding the reason behind this choice, along with the fact that, at the moment, its epilogue does not seem to have triggered a debate on the subject in the world of architecture in Italy.

Born in 1986 when Cesare Maria Casati (designer, architect and former editor-in-chief of Domus from 1976 to 1979) founded the publishing house l’Arca Edizioni Spa in Milan and then the magazine l’Arca. The periodical – then a bilingual monthly (Italian/English) – immediately distinguished itself not only for the quality of the images and the topicality of the contents, but above all for the in-depth analysis of the themes and the ability to understand the times and anticipate trends. Its pages have hosted the projects of world-renowned architects, the reflections of critics and historians of architecture, the latest news in the field of design and the culture of design in general. In 1994, the meeting between the publisher and the Monegasque entrepreneur Edmond Pastor marked the beginning of a new editorial adventure: the creation in Monte Carlo of the publishing and events company S.A.M. MDO and the project for the new magazine l’Arca International, a French/English bimonthly edition of l’Arca, which was released on newsstands with its first issue in 1996. In 2012, the two sister magazines merged into a single trilingual edition, l’Arca International. In this new editorial adventure, the contents and the editorial line have maintained the spirit of the origins with the usual distinct synthetic, rigorous and at the same time informative language.

Covers of l’Arca.

The closure of the periodical raises questions about the current situation of specialized publishing and the increasingly central role of digital media in the dissemination of architectural culture. In fact, while on the one hand, the web offers new opportunities for sharing information and creating online communities; on the other hand, the fragmentation of content and the difficulty of guaranteeing in-depth and verified information represent an increasingly complex challenge. But this is not the only reason why this publication – like others in the past – has closed. In our opinion, this is due to the drastic changes in architecture. In fact, the termination of this magazine is the effect of a moment of decadence of architecture – especially in the West – and sounds like an alarm bell that invites us to reflect on the future of this discipline.

Covers of l’Arca.

Architecture seems to have lost its traditional boundaries, mixing with other disciplines and art forms, creating a complex and difficult to define panorama. See the many exhibitions and biennials around the world, first and foremost, our own in Venice. The advent of new technologies and digital tools is revolutionizing the way we design and build, leading some to fear a loss of the human and creative aspect of architecture. In this regard, in the editorial of issue 172 (05/06-20023) entitled “Artificial Intelligence Arrives”, Casati states: “This new scale of professional operations may change how projects are developed by undervaluing traditional architectural values to bring them in line with the demands industry. Culture, innovation and aesthetics will have to give way to efficiency, standardization and economics.”

Covers of l’Arca.

The search for maximum efficiency and mass production risk standardizing buildings (standardization and repetitiveness), creating urban landscapes devoid of character and identity. Architecture is increasingly influenced by global trends, which can lead to a loss of local identity and connection with the context. The difficulty of finding funding, the need to contain costs and the dictates of regulations and norms can limit the creativity of architects and lead to simpler and less ambitious solutions. Besides, the dogma of building sustainable and low environmental impact buildings poses new challenges to architecture, which on the one hand must find innovative solutions to meet these needs, while on the other hand must not conceive buildings only as “ecological vehicles”. If architecture focuses exclusively on the functional, technological and above all formal aspect, we risk losing sight of its social and symbolic dimension. The standardization of buildings can lead to the creation of anonymous and unwelcoming environments, which do not meet the needs of people.

Covers of l’Arca.

Architecture for those of my generation is now almost dead or has been transformed into something else – it has slowly sunk into the Ocean of Right Things along with l’Arca. To survive, architecture must return to being a place of dialogue between different disciplines and cultures. To do this, the architect must regain a more active role in society, contributing to improving the quality of life of people and creating meaningful places. In essence, an open and constructive confrontation is necessary to overcome the current challenges and redefine the role of architecture in the contemporary world. l’Arca closes at a historical moment in which it is increasingly necessary to reactivate spaces and places for discussion, meeting and confrontation. This publication has contributed to forming generations of architects and to spreading a culture of design of the highest level. Its legacy will live on in the projects it has documented, in the ideas it has spread and in the people it has inspired. It will leave a difficult void to fill in the publishing world of the sector.


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