Unearthing the Ground: Architecture and the Politics of Oil
Arts & Culture Climate Change, Energy & Pollution GovernmentSummary
This ArchDaily article reframes architecture through the often-overlooked material and political realities of oil, arguing it is more than just an energy source; it is a force that has shaped cities, landscapes, and architecture.
Unlike other energy regimes that were often localized and visible, oil established dispersed and interconnected systems beneath the visible urban fabric whose spatial effects are extensive and difficult to perceive. Exemplified by early oil landscapes like Baku, contemporary petro-urban centers like Houston, and industrial complexes of the Persian Gulf, oil determined urban form, labour patterns, and infrastructural development. The article also highlights how oil is embedded in architectural materials such as asphalt and plastics, linking contemporary construction to global energy systems and geopolitics.
As oil ultimately organizes landscapes, access, and energy flow, the article urges architects and researchers to acknowledge architecture’s interconnectedness with extraction, environmental transformation, politics, and power.