David Chipperfield Calls for Shift in Architecture Toward Societal Needs

The Pritzker Prize-winning architect critiques the industry's luxury focus and highlights his own efforts to address community challenges.

David Chipperfield has criticized the architectural industry's emphasis on luxury projects, advocating for affordable housing, public infrastructure, and social spaces as priorities for a better society.
He acknowledges his own involvement in designing luxury buildings, citing a lack of demand for sustainable and socially focused projects.
Chipperfield describes the architectural profession as hypocritical, knowing what needs to be done but failing to act due to market pressures.
He has redirected much of his focus toward community-oriented initiatives, such as traffic-calming measures in Galician villages.
Chipperfield recently opened the headquarters of his nonprofit foundation, Fundación RIA, in Santiago de Compostela, furthering his commitment to societal impact.