Podcast catch-up: Technology is the answer, but what was the question?

Published 25 May 2018

A series of talks considered the title’s provocation, by architect Cedric Price. Catch up on all the events here…

  • First pondered by architect Cedric Price in 1966, this question is as relevant as ever. Traditionally presented as an answer to human needs and limitations, technology is now also transforming the way architecture is produced and the ways in which we interact with it, fostering adaptation and change in both individual and collective behaviour. Its impact has long been overlooked, creating an increasing techno-scepticism that is repositioning the human relationship to machines and their subsequent wider impact.

    Catch up with these audio recordings to hear from architects, artists, designers, scientists, critics and academics, exploring how technology can challenge, interrogate and contribute to contemporary architectural practice.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    What are digital innovations doing to our cities?

    Catch up with this panel discussion exploring the impact of today’s technologies on architecture.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    Are we approaching a digital building culture?

    Hear how architects Gramazio Kohler combine building design with robotic technology and innovative material research.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    Exploring the city's blanket of digital networks

    Catch up with this talk from architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, discussing how layers of digital information are radically transforming our cities and lives.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    Automation, gender and labour: what next?

    This panel discussion explores how architecture and robotisation can help create inclusive, liveable, socially aware cities that embrace the full gender spectrum.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    What will we build in outer space?

    Catch up with this panel discussion on extra-terrestrial architecture and the questions it raises.

  • This content is hosted on Soundcloud

    You need to consent to marketing cookies set by Soundcloud to view this content. ​

    Manage preferences

    What is the future of digital technologies in the home?

    In association with our Invisible Landscapes project in the new Architecture Studio, Anna Puigjaner of Barcelona-based architecture practice MAIO explores the impact that smart technologies like Alexa and sharing economy platforms like Airbnb and Deliveroo are having on our domestic spaces.


    • Visit Invisible Landscapes

      19 May 2018 — 1 April 2019

      Discover more about how digital technologies are transforming our lives and everyday environments in a series of projects inside the RA’s new Architecture Studio.

      The second act of Invisible Landscapes explores how technological advances can force us to reconsider what it means to be human and thus shape the everyday landscapes around us. London-based strategic design studio Dark Matter Laboratories have created an installation examining the shifting paradigm of design that technology is making possible. From designing objects to designing outcomes, from designing products to designing performance. This project presents a proposal to reclaim the social value of architecture in order to create a more equitable urban environment for all.

      We Are They, video still