IMPAKT in talkshow with Don Ritzen about SHIFT Landmark (Rotterdam)

27-06-2026

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How an April Fool's joke by IMPAKT that got out of hand led to a talk show about the Catch-22 of sustainable iconic architecture.

The architecture world recently tripped over the SHIFT Landmark competition (LINK). And honestly, our jaws dropped a little. Can a mega-building (with an experience center and hotel function) be the flagship of behavioral change to save the climate? As long as people adjust their behavior, it doesn't matter what we build, right?

We tried to understand and vent in a humorous way why this competition is so jarring, and why we felt so much disappointment from the submissions of the "big" colleagues in our field. By making an April Fool's joke with an ironic image (LINK), we tried to put our finger on the sore spot. Because hey, ultimately, we are on the side of change too. This joke led to quite a few reactions: from appreciation for our breakthrough (people fell for it hook, line, and sinker) to sharp retorts. It even went so far that a talk show was organized to engage in the discussion without the (too easy) one-way traffic of proponents and opponents. The YouTube video above is the result.

A segment featuring none other than Don Ritzen from SHIFT himself, Kirsten Hannema, Martin Sobota, and Sheila Hicks.

For the talk show, Steven met with Don at the Eye in Amsterdam North. The mission of the passionate Don Ritzen is infectious and highly relevant, because without behavioral change, there is no shift. Steven could not help but admire the perseverance of Don and SHIFT. There are multiple sides to every story. Understanding that does not arise in social media posts does arise by listening to each other.

Yet, something feels off (and the further the SHIFT process progresses, the tighter the shoe becomes!). This competition painfully exposes how detached architecture can be from reality. Is SHIFT the death blow for sustainable architecture (it is unfeasible, so who gives a f*)? Or is there hope: will the majority of people pierce right through the wafer-thin papier-mâché (rock) of this prestige project, and will this strengthen all projects that *do* strive for highly achievable sustainability goals? SHIFT has shaken up the (architecture) debate considerably; as a result, a shift is indeed underway, and perhaps Don Ritzen's goal has actually been achieved after all.

At the table, it remained a polite "we agree to disagree."

A sustainable initiative really does not only have a right to speak if it is perfectly sustainable, but doesn't behavioral change alone, without change in construction, feel like a missed opportunity for such a grand initiative?

What remains is disappointment. That the "big" architectural firms are the tankers of our time. They seem to see only the big root of a commission. Blinded by ambition, the design teams forget (or are unwilling) to provide the answer to their own systemic change. And with that, they fall back on old wine in new bottles. Rehashing the OMA / MVDRD architecture. Business as usual.

It is easy to shoot from the sidelines. We wish SHIFT great success in social change. What we do agree on? It is all hands on deck to tackle the climate problem.

IMPAKT continues with Refuse, Reduce, and Reuse.

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Thanks for reading!