This thesis aims to reveal paradigms associated with the operation of Western architectural oligarchies. The research is an examination into "how" dominant architectural institutions and their figureheads are undermined through the subversive collaboration of younger, unrecognised architects. By appropriating theories found in Jacques Derrida's writings in philosophy, the thesis interprets the evolution of post World War II polemical architectural thinking as a series of political friendships. In order to provide evidence, the thesis involves the rewriting of a portion of modern architectural history, 1949-1987. Modern architectural history is rewritten as a series of three friendship partnerships which have been selected because of their subversive reaction to their respective establishments. They are English architects, Alison Smithson and Peter Smithson; South African born architect and planner, Denise Scott Brown and North American architect, Robert Venturi; and Greek architect, Elia Zenghelis and Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas. Crucial to the undermining of their respective enemies is the friends' collaboration on subversive projects. These projects are built, unbuilt and literary. Warring publicly through the writing of seminal texts is a significant step towards undermining the dominance of their ideological opponents. It also appears that through the making of these projects, the unrecognised architects are able to convert themselves to being recognised as new figureheads. This thesis contends that as a consequence of the power within each of the three friendship partnerships, the architects are enabled to collaborate against the dominant ideology of their respective enemies and gain status. It also contends that a cycle of friendship and warring is the political system by which the institution of modern architecture has historically reengineered itself to suit the times.

[ES] Robert Venturi y Denise Scott Brown no sólo fueron transgresores con sus teorías en los años 60, también con sus obras. La Guild House fue una de ellas, "ordinaria" y "extraordinaria" a la vez. Un edificio de transición, ni sólo moderno, ni sólo posmoderno, sino complejo y contradictorio, que fue más allá de las convenciones del Movimiento Moderno, transgrediéndolo y apostando por su superación, sin dirigir la mirada a los grandes maestros, sino al presente y el futuro. Un ejercicio de experimentación en un edificio de viviendas sociales para personas mayores con pocos recursos, que incluye un programa complejo, repleto de simbolismos históricos y ordinarios a favor de la semántica de los elementos convencionales, las distorsiones y los distintos tipos de ornamento, con el que volvieron su mirada hacia el pasado para mirar al futuro, acercándose a la realidad social a través de la aceptación de los gustos populares americanos. Apoyados en la ironía, promovieron una arquitectura aparentemente ordinaria, aunque compleja y culta en esencia, arquetipo de la arquitectura de "lo feo y lo ordinario" frente a lo "heroico y original", manifiesto del "decorated shed", y probablemente, el primer gran edificio "posmodernista". / [CA] Robert Venturi i Denise Scott Brown no només van ser transgressors amb les seves teories en els anys 60, també amb les seves obres. La Guild House va ser una d'elles, "ordinària" i "extraordinària" alhora. Un edifici de transició, ni només modern, ni només postmodern, sinó complex i contradictori, que va anar més enllà de les convencions del Moviment Modern, transgredint-lo i col¿laborant en la seva superació, sense dirigir la mirada als grans mestres, sinò al present i el futur. Un exercici d'experimentació en un edifici d'habitatges socials per a gent gran amb pocs recursos, que inclou un programa complex, ple de simbolismes històrics i ordinaris a favor de la semàntica dels elements convencionals, les distorsions i els diferents tipus d'ornament, amb el qual van tornar la seva mirada cap al passat per mirar al futur, acostant-se a la realitat social a través de l'acceptació dels gustos populars americans. Recolzats en la ironia, van promoure una arquitectura aparentment ordinària, encara que complexa i culta en essència, arquetip de l'arquitectura de "el lleig i l'ordinari" davant el "heroic i original", manifest del "decorated shed", i probablement, el primer gran edifici "postmodernista". / [EN] Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown were not only transgressors with their theories in the 1960s, but also with their works. The Guild House was one of them, "ordinary" and "extraordinary" at the same time. A transitional building, neither only modern nor only postmodern, but complex and contradictory, that went beyond the conventions of the Modern Movement, transgressing it and collaborating in its overcoming, without looking to the great masters, but to the present and the future. An exercise of experimentation in a social housing building for old people with few resources, which includes a complex program, full of historical and ordinary symbolism in favor of the semantics of conventional elements, distortions and different types of ornamentation, with which they turned their gaze to the past to look to the future, approaching social reality through the acceptance of popular American tastes. Supported by irony, they promoted an apparently ordinary architecture, although complex and cultured in essence, an archetype of the architecture of "the ugly and the ordinary" as opposed to the "heroic and original", a manifesto of the "decorated shed", and probably, the first great "post-modernist" building. / Arnau Orenga, PI. (2022). GUILD HOUSE. La idea de transgresión en la arquitectura de Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/181230 / TESIS