Architectural Association director Eva Franch i Gilabert has lost a vote of confidence after students and staff at the UK school voted down her five-year plan for the institution.
The news prompted outrage from supporters of the Spanish architect, with academics and architects writing an open letter expressing "profound unease".
"Eva Franch is one of the most inspired leaders and radical thinkers of a younger generation of architects," the letter said.
On 29 June, 80 per cent of the Architectural Association community members voted against Franch i Gilabert's strategy plan for 2020 to 2025, according to a report in the Architects' Journal.
A vote of no confidence in Franch i Gilabert, who was elected as the first female director of the school in 2018, was also passed narrowly by 52 per cent. Council to discuss next steps 
In a statement, the AA said that it was a standard process for the school, which is run on a democratic model that sees its staff, students and governing council make decisions by ballot.
"The AA has a long tradition of self-determination through its school community and is proud to have as part of its constitution a mechanism to facilitate discussion and debate and to vote on significant matters regarding the AA's future and direction," the AA said.

While the private school's council is not bound to the results, the 14-member body will now meet to go through its options.
"Council recognises the heart of the AA lies in ...