Poetic Critique in Architecture: Rethinking Theory, Design, and Criticism

In response to ongoing debates on architectural criticism, this paper reevaluates the relationship between theory and design practice within contemporary architectural discourse shaped by digital culture. It conducts a comparative textual analysis of two influential narratives that address changing conditions of architectural thinking and making in relation to digital culture: The Alphabet and the Algorithm by Mario Carpo (2011) and The Materiality of Architecture by Antoine Picon (2020). Employing the notion of “poetic critique” as a methodological framework adapted to the architectural context, the study examines these texts through three analytical axes: the destabilization of the relationship between criticism and judgment, the dialectical relation between artwork and critique, and the interdependence of form and criticism. The results demonstrate that Carpo’s interpretation of the digital turn, centered on the changing relationship between representation and production, reveals epistemological tensions that open up a space for poetic critique, while Picon’s discussion of materiality and subjectivity strengthens its ontological basis. Accordingly, the paper positions poetic critique as a framework for reconsidering the relations between theory, design, and criticism under the contemporary conditions of digital culture.