Nonarsitektur

Nonarsitektur is a term used in architectural discourse to describe practices, discourses, and spaces that lie outside or challenge conventional architecture. The word combines a prefix meaning “not” with a form of architecture, and it is encountered in Indonesian-language contexts as well as in broader discussions about the built environment that question the primacy of building-focused design.

The concept encompasses a wide range of activities. These include temporary installations, urban interventions, landscape and territorial practices, performance and art forms that shape space, digital or speculative architectural experiments, and participatory or community-led design processes. It is not a fixed movement but a field of inquiry that asks what counts as architecture, who designs space, and for whom places are made.

Key themes often associated with nonarsitektur include decentering the architect from central control, foregrounding social, political, and ecological contexts, and prioritizing processes, adaptability, and hybridity with other disciplines such as urban planning, art, and sociology. The approach frequently critiques monumental or purely functional traditions and seeks inclusive, context-specific outcomes rather than standardized edifices.

Reception varies. Some scholars and practitioners view nonarsitektur as a productive expansion of architectural practice and a means to address complex urban realities; others view the term as diffuse or overly broad. Related concepts include critical design, guerrilla urbanism, vernacular architecture, and participatory planning.