What is a Curve Worth? The architecture of value at the Louvre Lens Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Alfie Gee London Metropolitan University | UK The wall of the Gallery of Time at the Louvre Lens is ever so slightly curved. The curve is barely perceptible but represents a huge investment of time and money. Why we design and construct buildings this way is often ambiguous if not mysterious, chalked up as the art of great geniuses or the crass icons of market forces. At the same time, those arguing for a socially-engaged architecture are often stuck playing at the margins. This essay argues for a value theory of architecture as a way of understanding the forces that push and pull the creation of our built environment, as well as creating agency for voices often shut out of the conversation. This unites ideas around the social production of space with recent ideas from the field of project management to develop a language and method of analysis that is new to architects. This analytic method is then applied to the case study of SANAA’s design for the Louvre Lens, finding how buildings can operate as boundary objects which enable coexistent social, architectural and economic projects to cooperate. This essay responds to concerns about the financial health and social injustice of the industry by arguing for the design of values to be a core part of architectural practice. The wall of the Gallery of Time at the Louvre Lens is ever so slightly curved. The curve is barely perceptible but represents a huge investment of time and money. Why we design and construct buildings this way is often ambiguous if not mysterious, chalked up as the art of great geniuses or the crass icons of market forces. At the same time, those arguing for a socially-engaged architecture are often stuck playing at the margins. This essay argues for a value theory of architecture as a way of understanding the forces that push and pull the creation of our built environment, as well as creating agency for voices often shut out of the conversation. This unites ideas around the social production of space with recent ideas from the field of project management to develop a language and method of analysis that is new to architects. This analytic method is then applied to the case study of SANAA’s design for the Louvre Lens, finding how buildings can operate as boundary objects which enable coexistent social, architectural and economic projects to cooperate. This essay responds to concerns about the financial health and social injustice of the industry by arguing for the design of values to be a core part of architectural practice. Tutor(s) Claire Jamieson