Permanence as an architectural concept is no longer restricted to the Vitruvian virtue
of firmitas. To think about it in this sense today produces a schism: absolutism in a
world of relativism. The fourth volume of Inflection extrapolates the permanent and
the temporary not as opposing forces, but as a spectrum to be navigated at each stage of architecture’s unfolding narrative. Through each of the responses presented in this year’s edition, Permanence provides a critical voice as architecture and design continually seek an enduring foothold in an inherently evolving landscape, physical or otherwise.
Inflection is a student-run design journal based at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne. Born from a desire to stimulate debate and generate ideas, it advocates the discursive voice of students, academics and practitioners. Founded in 2013, Inflection is a home for provocative writing—a place to share ideas and engage with contemporary discourse.