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Observations

This platform features articles, essays, interviews, reviews, and photo essays about the built environment and the people and conditions that shape it. Since 2022, Observations has also included a monthly column by architectural historian Elizabeth Blasius.

Mas observations 2026 the totality and paradox of asbestos 01

Monthly Column

The Totality and Paradox of Asbestos

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2026 vanishing black bars and lounges 01

Interview

Vanishing Black Bars & Lounges: An Interview With L. Kasimu Harris

David Schalliol interviews L. Kasimu Harris

Mas observations 2026 reading masp as a work of urban design 01

Essay

Reading MASP as a Work of Urban Design

Essay by Judith K. De Jong

Mas observations 2026 why ella briggs captivates us 01

Essay

Why Ella Briggs Captivates Us: A Female Challenger of Modernism

Essay by Dörte Kuhlmann

Mas observations 2026 a dark age for the renaissance center 01

Monthly Column

A Dark Age for the Renaissance Center

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2026 dakars last bubble houses 01

Photo Essay

Dakar’s Last Bubble Houses

Photo essay by Andrea Ferro

Mas observations 2026 modern architecture of madrid 01

Photo Essay

Modern Architecture of Madrid

Photo essay by Ana Amado with text by Javier Revillo

Mas observations 2025 bruce goffs fabulous and bedazzled material worlds 01

Monthly Column

Bruce Goff’s Fabulous (and Bedazzled) Material Worlds

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 a career in five projects jaume bach raventos i blanc 01

Interview

A Career in Five Projects: Jaume Bach

Jaume Bach selects five projects from his career

Mas observations 2025 strike 01

Photo Essay

Strike! An Accidental Return to Wild

Photo essay by Diego Sologuren

Mas observations 2025 what happened to gerris palm tavern 01

Monthly Column

What Happened to Gerri’s Palm Tavern?

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 northerly island at 100 phil enquist

Article

Northerly Island at 100

Collective reflection on Northerly Island as it turns 100

Mas observations 2025 sacred shift 01

Essay

Sacred Shift: Contested Heritage, Public Memory, and Sustainable Futures in Places of Ritual Reuse

Essay by Rebekah Coffman

Mas observations 2025 a visual journey through pascal grecos hong kong 01

Interview

A Visual Journey Through Pascal Greco’s Hong Kong

Iker Gil interviews Pascal Greco

Mas observations 2025 evans wollen 01

Essay

Evans Woollen: Tracing the Forgotten History of the “Dean of Indiana Architects”

Essay by writer Phillip Cox and photographer Niall Cronin

Mas observations 2025 from design to destruction archiving the world trade center 01

Monthly Column

From Design to Destruction: Archiving the World Trade Center

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 unidad vecinal 01

Interview

Unidad Vecinal: A Flexible Architecture Continuously Activated

Iker Gil interviews Francisco Quiñones and Nathan Friedman of Departamento del Distrito

Mas observations 2025 ishinomaki laboratory a furniture company with a deep social mission 01

Interview

Ishinomaki Laboratory: A Furniture Company with a Deep Social Mission

David Schalliol interviews Keiji Ashizawa and Tomomi Hashimoto

Mas observations 2025 learning from the damen silos demolition 01

Monthly Column

Learning from the Damen Silos Demolition

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 shanghai transforming 01

Photo Essay

Shanghai Transforming

Photo essay by Juan de Dios Pérez

Mas observations 2025 twenty five years after francisco javier saenz de oiza 01

Photo Essay

Twenty-Five Years After Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza

Photo essay by Luis Asín

Mas observations 2025 virgil abloh edith farnsworth and midcentury modernism 01

Monthly Column

Virgil Abloh, Edith Farnsworth, and Midcentury Modernism

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 stonewall inn movement and monument 04

Monthly Column

Stonewall: Movement, Monument, Myth

Monthly column by Elizabeth Blasius

Mas observations 2025 plywood city 01

Photo Essay

Plywood City

Text and photos by Iker Gil