"Ça dépend" by Jeremy Till, Éditions de la Villette
© Éditions de la Villette
Finally available in French, this classic of contemporary architectural theory opens a definitive breach in architects’ belief in the autonomy of their discipline.
It depends
Essay on the contingencies of architecture
Jeremy Till
With an original epilogue by the author
Collection : Theory & criticism
Publication date: September 2025
French and expanded version of : Architecture Depends (Cambridge (Mass.), MIT Press, 2009)
What does architecture depend on? People, times, politics, economics, ethics, disorder… In short, reality in all its unpredictable complexity and irreducible uncertainty. Jeremy Till invites architects to take greater account of these contingencies, which exceed their sphere of control but always end up imposing themselves on their works. With rigor and irony, the author deconstructs, step by step, the autonomy that architects confer on their discipline, and which maintains them in a pure and ideal vision of the objects they design. Circumstances, however, thwart the best-laid plans at every stage of the process, from conception to construction and use of a building. Mies’ “Less is more” invariably gives way to Till’s “Mess is the law”. What if this threat of destabilization turns out to be a tremendous opportunity? Wouldn’t architects have everything to gain from coming down from their ivory towers, and “starchitects” from their pedestals, to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with their multiple interlocutors – experts, decision-makers, craftsmen, users, inhabitants – but also with the things that surround them – materials, regulations, waste, climatic phenomena? This is the key to producing more useful, more humane architecture, and above all, to hoping to transform the world.
For more information, visit Jeremy Till’s website.
- On Tuesday September 30, at 6:30 pm, Jeremy Till will give a conference atENSA Paris-la Villette, amphitheater 302, 144 avenue de Flandre, Paris 19th. Admission free, subject to availability.
- On Wednesday October 1, at 7.30pm, Jeremy Till presents his book at the Volume bookshop, 47 rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth, Paris, 4th arrondissement. Signing followed by a drink.
- On Thursday October 2, at 7:00 pm, CIVA in Brussels hosts a conversation between Jeremy Till, Pauline Lefebvre and Pierre Chabard about the book. CIVA, 55 rue de l’Ermitage, 1050 Brussels. Book here
News
Kick off the new school year (literary) at the school media center
Understanding Architecture: Where to Start?
To mark the 3rd edition of “Biblis en folies,” a three-day national event dedicated to libraries and media centers, the ENSA Paris-la Villette media center is publishing “Les fondamentaux,” a list of books recommended by the school’s faculty and research professors.“Biblis en folies” is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture. The event will take place on October 2, 3, and 4, 2026, throughout France.
Reopening of the ENSAPLV Media Library: Monday, October 5, 2026.
🚨IMPORTANT UPDATE // 2026 National Architecture Days at ENSA Paris-la Villette
PLEASE NOTE: Some events have been canceled or postponed due to student protests in support of the high school students’ movement.
"Something Entirely Different: Architecture in Belgium" by Christophe Van Gerrewey, translated and published by Éditions de la Villette
A true chronicle of Belgian architecture written by one of today’s finest critics; a look at one of the most dynamic hubs of the contemporary architectural scene.
Key Economic Indicators for the Architecture Industry
The Architecture Economy Observatory, a collaborative body launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Culture that brings together stakeholders in the profession, has published the “Key Figures on the Architecture Economy” for the first time.
The observatory’s work is part of the National Strategy for Architecture 2025–2029, one of whose measures aims to expand knowledge of the architectural economy in all its dimensions.
Find out more about the State Architects and Planners (AUE) competition
The DRAC d’Île-de-France and CROAIF are organizing two information events to promote the missions of State Architects and Planners (AUE) and increase the number of registrations for the AUE competition, a civil service management body.
During these meetings, which will take place simultaneously by videoconference and in person at the Chapelle des Récollets (Paris 10th arrondissement), AUEs from the Ministries of Culture, Ecological Transition, the Armed Forces and Europe and Foreign Affairs will give presentations and answer participants’ questions on :
- training courses available to prepare for the competition ;
- the competition, tests and expectations (timetable, skills required, etc.) ;
- jobs in government departments: urban renewal, landscape evolution, project management, heritage preservation, ENSA… ;
- career development in the civil service.
Both events will be hosted by Olivier Lerude, Head of the Regional Department of Architecture and Heritage Spaces (SRAEP) at DRAC Île-de-France.
Reprint: "Persian Gardens" by Gaëtane Lamarche-Vadel, Éditions de la Villette
Far from orientalist fantasies, identity essentialisations or tourist stereotypes, this book, which was awarded the Prix de l’Essai Émile Gallé in 2025, restores Persian gardens to their present-day reality, their multiple uses, their relationship with the elements and traces the complexity of their cultural roots.