ABSTRACT
Javier Marias (1995) is famous for his page-long sentences consisting of strings of subjunctive clauses. A character will make an observation, step back and consider on what grounds he is able to make such an observation, then step back and reflect on the human condition that allows for reflection, and then step back again and wonder whether his reflection merits comparison with the reflections of others… ‘Architecture and a Sustainable City’ as a title begs so many questions that it occasions several back-flips. And the book section that it introduces contains five theatres of architectural endeavour, each of which generates ripples of contemplation oscillating between professional pride and despair.
