In this 7^th issue of CLARA Architecture/Recherche journal, the “thematic section” dedicated to Architectural criticism and public debate questions the disciplinary boundaries of architectural criticism and how it engages with public debate. Despite its allegedly exclusive relation with the professional world of architecture and with academia, architectural criticism does broach themes and issues that go beyond professional and specialized interests. It can therefore criticism can therefore assume the role of an “interface” between different stakeholders, with the critic assuming the role of mediator. In their introductory essay, Hélène Jannière (Université Rennes 2) and Paolo Scrivano (Politecnico di Milano) argue that the question of what is “public” in criticism deserves further consideration. The following seven original contributions, using examples drawn from recent history, explore different relations of architectural criticism to public opinion and to the public sphere.

The “archives” section sheds a new light on the individual trajectories, relationships and shared objectives of two among the major Belgian architects of the twentieth century: Robert Puttemans (1902–1978) and his son Pierre Puttemans (1933–2013). A selection of fresh documents draws a parallel between their respective careers against four main themes: private sphere, education, professional practice and engagement.

To conclude, a “Miscellaneous paper” revisits the Recto/Verso exhibition (editions 2017 and 2018) initiated by a collective of (former) students of the School of architecture La Cambre Horta.