This year, around half of the global population is invited to the polls. At the same time, democracies feel increasingly fragile. This issue turns its gaze to traditional seats of democratic power such as parliaments, but also to spaces clawed back for public dialogue, and contested for private gain. Architects are key agents in the struggle for democracy: able to critically engage with the world around them by envisioning alternative spaces, heading to the polls and denouncing anti-democratic practices. As Jan-Werner Müller writes, ‘democracy is not just about elections, but continuous critical questioning.’ Read the full editorial

In making the map that appears on this issue’s cover, artist Sabine Réthoré ‘ignored the borders’ and instead traced the routes and rivers that link ‘the thousands of points or places of exchange’. As Laura Lo Presti writes, ‘maps of the Mediterranean have become ingrained in our minds and are accepted as if they show inherent, natural features, even though they are subjective and human-made.’ The framing of this region as ‘the Mediterranean’ is similarly a human construction, with multiple faces and identities. The sea has a dual nature – it is both a barrier and a connection, depending on which coast you stand on. Read the full editorial

For almost a decade, the W Awards, in association with The Architectural Review and the Architects’ Journal, have shone a spotlight on the work of women and non-binary people in architectural practice and culture. In our March 2024 issue, we are proud to present the winners and architects shortlisted for this year’s W Awards. These include the recipients of the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize and Jane Drew Prize, and shortlisted practitioners for the MJ Long Prize and Moira Gemmill Prize. Now in its second year, the Prize for Research in Gender and Architecture goes to Swedish design and architecture group Mycket. Read the full editorial