A critical reappraisal of one of the most popular architectural theories of the recent past on its fortieth anniversary. Since its first appearance in 1981, critical regionalism has enjoyed a celebrated worldwide reception as an architectural theory that defends the cultural identity of a place resisting the homogenizing onslaught of globalization. Its principles of acknowledging the climate, history, materials, culture, and topography of a specific place are integrated into architects’ education across the globe. But at the same time, the richer cross-cultural history of critical regionalism has frequently been reduced to schematic juxtapositions of “the global” with “the local.”   This book uses more than fifty interviews and previously unpublished archival material from six countries to resituate critical regionalism within the wider framework of debates around postmodern architecture, the diverse contexts from which it emerged, and the cultural media complex that conditioned its reception. In so doing, it explores the intersection of three areas of growing historical and theoretical interest—postmodernism, critical regionalism, and globalization—and shows how the “periphery” was not just a passive recipient, but also an active generator of architectural theory and practice. Giamarelos reflects upon why Frampton’s critical regionalism continues to endure, particularly as a template for an engaged practice on the part of architects around the world today. He points to aspects of Frampton’s ideas, such as a respect for nature, local landscapes and site conditions, which easily segue to the pressing contemporary concerns regarding sustainability and climate change. For these reasons, Resisting Postmodern Architecture is a worthy, relevant and innovative work of scholarship. -- Mary Pepchinski Stylianos Giamarelos is lecturer in architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.