The discursive transformation of architecture and urbanity among Pritzker Prize laureates: from Avant-Garde to Arrière-Garde

Purpose Contemporary economic, social and environmental crises have highlighted the need to rethink modes of spatial production. In this context, the Avant-Garde approach has faced criticism, and after 4 decades of Frampton's “critical regionalism,” signs of a new discursive turn have emerged. Frampton's concept of “Arrière Garde” proposes a contextual approach to architecture that responds critically to starchitecture and display-oriented practice. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework explaining the transformation from Avant Garde to Arrière Garde through mixed-methods analysis of 14 Pritzker laureates (1996–2025). Design/methodology/approach First, qualitative content analysis identified the discursive characteristics of two discourses. The analytic hierarchy process then determined the relative importance of these characteristics. In the third stage, experts (n = 10) evaluated the laureates with an operationalized rubric. Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were confirmed by Kendall's W and Cronbach's a, respectively. Findings Results showed a strong negative correlation between the Avant Garde and Arrière Garde scores (Pearson = −0.982; Spearman = −0.956). Ward's hierarchical and K-means clustering revealed two distinct clusters corresponding to these orientations. A temporal regression analysis indicated that Avant Garde scores decrease over time, while Arrière Garde scores increase. Mann–Whitney test results showed that the Avant Garde cluster is characterized by architect-centeredness, architectural autonomy, formal innovation and consumerism, and the Arrière Garde cluster is defined by community participation, contextual integration, decolonization and economic sustainability. Practical implications These findings indicate a gradual discursive reorientation within this internationally recognized cohort and suggest the growing relevance of an interdisciplinary architecture of urbanity, in which architects operate as facilitators while engaging with questions of social inclusion and contextual responsiveness. Originality/value The main originality of this study lies in operationalizing the theoretical distinction between Avant-Garde and the Arrière-Garde architecture in a measurable analytical framework. Rather than treating this debate as merely discursive, it develops weighted indices and uses statistical methods to assess the work of Pritzker Prize laureates over nearly 3 decades. By transforming an abstract critical debate into measurable variables, this research introduces a replicable model for discourse-based architectural analysis and redefines the Arrière-Garde as an experiential “architecture” of urbanity.