The city of Bamiyan in Afghanistan is inextricably tied to the shocking destruction of its famous Buddha statues by the Taliban in 2001. But this war-torn region is not simply emblematic of the devastation of a city in crisis--Bamiyan is also the site of a university, a locus of hope and learning. In 2006 three European architects, Ivica Brnic, Florian Graf, and Wolfgang Rossbauer, created the House of Science of the ETH Zurich for Bamiyan University. "Venturing Permanence "looks at the building six years after its opening through text and images, while exploring larger issues of cultural transfer and the role of architecture in rebuilding areas of international conflict.

Europe City: Lessons from the European Prize for Urban Public Space presents a multifaceted and diverseplatform of ideas about European public space and its social, cultural and economic significance. Based onseven themes--or lessons to be learned--, this discussion is approached from different disciplines, resulting ina wide-ranging reflection on public space as the intrinsic element that binds the European urban experiencetogether. These themes are Memory, Mobility, Mixture, Margins, Waterfronts, Marketplaces and Democracy, illustrated by a selection of about fifty projects of diverse scales and programs. The book also features ahistoric overview of European public space as well as impressions from international professionals. With aforeword by Kenneth Frampton and an epilogue by Zygmunt Bauman.The European Prize for Urban Public Space is an initiative of the Centre de Cultura Contempor nia deBarcelona (CCCB) and is co-organized with AzW Vienna; AF, London; DAM Frankfurt; Cit de l'architectureet du patrimoine, Paris; MAO Ljubljana, and MFA Helsinki.

Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss were consummate collectors and patrons. After purchasing Dumbarton Oaks in 1920, they significantly redesigned the house and its interiors, built important new structures, added over fifty acres of planned gardens, hosted important musical evenings and intellectual discussions in their Music Room, and acquired a world-class art collection and library.

The illustrated essays in this volume reveal how the Blisses wide-ranging interests in art, music, gardens, architecture, and interior design resulted in the creation of the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Their collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and rare garden books and drawings are examined by Robert Nelson, Julie Jones, and Therese O Malley, respectively. James Carder provides the Blisses biography and discusses their patronage of various architects, including Philip Johnson, and the interior designer Armand Albert Rateau. The Blisses collaboration with Beatrix Farrand on the creation of the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens is recounted by Robin Karson, and their commission of Igor Stravinsky s Dumbarton Oaks Concerto and its premiere by Nadia Boulanger is examined by Jeanice Brooks. The volume demonstrates that every aspect of the Blisses collecting and patronage had a place in the creation of what they came to call their home of the humanities.

Over the course of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, European society confronted rapid monetization, a process that has been examined in depth by economic historians. Less well understood is the development of architecture to meet the needs of a burgeoning mercantile economy in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period. In this volume, Lauren Jacobi explores some of the repercussions of early capitalism through a study of the location and types of spaces that were used for banking and minting in Florence and other mercantile centers in Europe. Examining the historical relationships between banks and religious behavior, she also analyzes how urban geographies and architectural forms reveal moral attitudes toward money during the onset of capitalism. Jacobi's book offers new insights into the spaces and locations where pre-industrial European banking and minting transpired, as well as the impact of religious concerns and financial tools on those sites.

This is the first in a series of books from the Yale School of Architecture that studies the collaborative process between architects and developers. It documents the work of a studio of professional and student architects and developers made possible by the Edward P. Bass Fellowship of the Yale School of Architecture as they planned to transform a neglected site in central Milan into a vital urban place.

An unrivalled exploration of the world's most surprising and inspiring brick architecture - in a stylish, compact new format In this reimagined and easy-to-use size, Brick takes a fresh look at one of the world's most familiar and popular building materials. Presenting 180 diverse and fascinating examples, from the Ziggurat of Ur dating from 2100 bc to modern and contemporary masterpieces by Mies van der Rohe and Kazuyo Sejima, Brick beautifully illustrates how this humble material has been an architectural staple for centuries.

Prefabricated housing is a pressing issue--for those looking for affordable homes as well as for refugees fleeing wars or natural disasters. In common with politicians, architects were caught unawares by the largest wave of migration since the end of the Second World War. However, are tent cities and containers the best solution for cheap, dignified, and quickly assembled accommodation for displaced persons? This challenging situation, along with the changing urban landscape, with its ever diminishing space, calls into question existing standards in relation to serial housing. Bold and unconventional ideas are called for if architects are to offer high-quality solutions. From eccentric experiments all the way to projects that have already been realized, international design teams present their work between the twin poles of unconventional developments and life-saving shelters in this volume spanning more than 250 pages. Introduced with articles on design principles, and divided into three sections according to the form the structures take when delivered - cuboid, panels and custom units - the book covers everything from playful follies to architectural constructions for the homeless and out-patient medical stations which offer a response to social problems and space shortages. The text, photographs and plans put forward ideas as to how more can be done than the mere assembling of containers. Should we not first consider notions bordering on the absurd in order to come up with workable solutions for housing today?

The versatility of modern commercial house paints has ensured their use in a broad range of applications, including the protection and decoration of historic buildings, the coating of toys and furniture, and the creation of works of art. Historically, house paints were based on naturally occurring oils, gums, resins, and proteins, but in the early twentieth century, the introduction of synthetic resins revolutionized the industry. Good quality ready-mixed products became available and were used by artists worldwide. While the ubiquity of commercial paints means that conservators are increasingly called upon to preserve them, such paints pose unique challenges including establishing exactly which materials are present. This book traces the history of the household paint industry in the United States and United Kingdom over the first half of the twentieth century. It includes chapters on the artistic use of commercial paints and the development of ready-mixed paints and synthetic resins; oil paints, oleoresinous gloss and enamel paints, water paints, nitrocellulose lacquers, oil-modified alkyds, and emulsion paints; and the conservation implications of these materials. The book will be of interest to conservators and conservation scientists working on a broad range of painted surfaces, as well as curators, art historians, and historians of architectural paint.

Japanese culture and architecture have always fascinated the western world. One particular, architecturally complex building type at the intersection of multiple currents of Japanese philoso- phy, art and esthetics is the Japanese teahouse. It is a very private place of meditation, in which the host commu- nicates with his or her guests through the medium of tea in the context of the strictly regimented ceremony; a place where only those may enter who have been invited. This volume expands the reader's knowledge of the built space that makes this tea ceremony possible. The author explores the philosophical background as well as the esthetic and spatial prin- ciples. He takes the reader on a cultural- historical and architectural journey through time, from the beginnings in the 15th century, when the art of the tea ceremony as well as the space in which it took place were recorded for the first time to the present day, when the design and construction of a teahouse is still perceived in Japan as a great chal- lenge for designers and architects.

Confessions offers an insight into the mind of Future Systems architect Jan Kaplicky - his ideas, opinions and sources of inspiration. It is a book about an architectural life, private and professional. Written and selected by the architect himself, it is a highly personal account that avoids the speculations and intellectualisations of critical theory. This is a collection of comments on architects, architecture, design, politics, beauty, people and the future and will give architects stimulus about workings of practice, building and design. With an equal balance of images and textual observations, it is both visually and mentally engaging, and its spontaneous, honest style makes it accessible to a wide audience.

From leaves to liquids, caves to crystal formations, nature has always been a major source of inspiration for architects. This book examines how nature can act as a precedent for design solutions through twelve case studies. Packed with computer drawings, sketches, models and photographs, this will be an ideal resource of ideas for students in their studio work, as well as for practising architects.

In The Story of Post-Modernism, Charles Jencks, the authority on Post-Modern architecture and culture, provides the defining account of Post-Modern architecture from its earliest roots in the early 60s to the present day. By breaking the narrative into seven distinct chapters, which are both chronological and overlapping, Jencks charts the ebb and flow of the movement, the peaks and troughs of different ideas and themes. * The book is highly visual. As well as providing a chronological account of the movement, each chapter also has a special feature on the major works of a given period. * The first up-to-date narrative of Post-Modern Architecture - other major books on the subject were written 20 years ago. * An accessible narrative that will appeal to students who are new to the subject, as well as those who can remember its heyday in the 70s and 80s.

This collection of essays by leading scholars and practitioners addresses a timely and essential question: How can we design, plan, and sustain built environments that will foster health and healing? With a salutogenic (health-promoting) focus, Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces addresses a range of contemporary issues, including health equity, biophilic cities, healthcare facility design, environmental health, aging in place, and food systems planning.

From the pyramids and the Parthenon to the Sydney Opera House and the Bilbao Guggenheim, this book takes readers on an eye-opening tour of the mathematics behind some of the world's most spectacular buildings. Beautifully illustrated, the book explores the milestones in elementary mathematics that enliven the understanding of these buildings and combines this with an in-depth look at their aesthetics, history, and structure. Whether using trigonometry and vectors to explain why Gothic arches are structurally superior to Roman arches, or showing how simple ruler and compass constructions can produce sophisticated architectural details, Alexander Hahn describes the points at which elementary mathematics and architecture intersect.

Beginning in prehistoric times, Hahn proceeds to guide readers through the Greek, Roman, Islamic, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and modern styles. He explores the unique features of the Pantheon, the Hagia Sophia, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Duomo in Florence, Palladio's villas, and Saint Peter's Basilica, as well as the U.S. Capitol Building. Hahn celebrates the forms and structures of architecture made possible by mathematical achievements from Greek geometry, the Hindu-Arabic number system, two- and three-dimensional coordinate geometry, and calculus. Along the way, Hahn introduces groundbreaking architects, including Brunelleschi, Alberti, da Vinci, Bramante, Michelangelo, della Porta, Wren, Gaudi, Saarinen, Utzon, and Gehry.

Rich in detail, this book takes readers on an expedition around the globe, providing a deeper understanding of the mathematical forces at play in the world's most elegant buildings."

Visions of the City is a dramatic account of utopian urbanism in the twentieth century. It explores radical demands for new spaces and ways of living, and considers their effects on planning, architecture and struggles to shape urban landscapes. Such visions, it shows, have played a crucial role in informing understandings and imaginings of the modern city. The author critically examines influential traditions in western Europe associated with such figures as Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier, uncovering the political interests, desires and anxieties that lay behind their ideal cities, and drawing out their 'noir side'. He also investigates oppositional perspectives from the time that challenged these rationalist conceptions of cities and urban life, and that disturbed their dreams of order, especially from within surrealism. At the heart of this richly illustrated book is an encounter with the explosive ideas of the situationists. Tracing the subversive practices of this avant-garde group and its associates from their explorations of Paris during the 1950s to their projects for an alternative 'unitary urbanism', David Pinder convincingly explains the significance of their revolutionary attempts to transform urban space and everyday life. He addresses in particular Constant's vision of New Babylon, finding within his proposals for future spaces produced through nomadic life, creativity and play a still powerful challenge to imagine cities otherwise. The book not only recovers vital moments from past hopes and dreams of modern urbanism. It also contests current claims about the 'end of utopia', arguing that reconsidering earlier projects can play a critical role in developing utopian perspectives today. Through the study of utopian visions, it aims to rekindle elements of utopianism itself.

This collection of Burgess's public talks and writings offers a unique insight into the social and intellectual dimensions of architecture and town planning during the first half of the twentieth century. Architectural history, the impact of the Arts and Crafts and Modernist movements, the meaning of domestic architecture, and the connection of architecture and town planning to everyday life figure prominently in this collection. A contemporary of Cecil Burgess said that no one in Canada was superior in architectural scholarship. Cecil Burgess was professor of architecture and resident architect at the University of Alberta between 1913 and 1940. A similar collection of writings and talks has not been published about Canadian architecture for this period.

Photography -- Southern Studies -- Travel

There is no place in America like New Orleans's famed French Quarter.

With photographs and history, "The French Quarter of New Orleans" explores the unique evolution of this district. The author and photographer team to reveal how war, fire, floods, politics, cultural conflict, and architectural innovation shaped the Quarter.

In West Freeman's 160 color photographs the present-day romance of the Vieux Carre is here to savor. But "The French Quarter of New Orleans" moves beyond the Old World facades and into the heart and history of the many peoples-Spanish, French, Creole, Native American, African American, and Italians-who have lived here.

From humble, wooden French cottages to stately, brick Spanish Colonial mansions, from Madame John's Legacy to the St. Louis Cathedral, the Quarter's architecture enthralls, and Jim Fraiser's text creates an anecdotal walking tour of memorable and storied sites.

Studying buildings, Fraiser points out the struggle between native Creoles and newcomers in the replacement of Creole townhouses and cottages with "shotgun houses" and American Greek Revival homes. Freeman's photographs and Fraiser's text detail the historical significance and architectural styles of over one hundred structures.

The history of the Quarter teems with vagabonds and saints, warriors and playwrights, musicians, and politicians. Fraiser animates the fascinating story with such evocative figures as the pirate Jean Lafitte, the conquering general Andrew Jackson, and the voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Riverboat gamblers, ladies of the night, duelists, opera aficionados, plague victims, jazz musicians, charlatans, and Mardi Gras revelers populate the streets and edifices Fraiser describes.

For those who have visited the Quarter, this book will be a treasured memento of the district's unparalleled romance and flavor.

Jim Fraiser is the author of "Mississippi River Country Tales" (2001) and, with West Freeman, "The Majesty of the Mississippi Delta" (2002). He lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

West Freeman is a native of New Orleans. His photographic work has been featured in "Architectural Digest" and is in the permanent collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Since opening in 2003, the revolutionary urban design of Federation Square, Melbourne has captured the imagination of visitors and residents alike. At the heart of its appeal is Nearamnew, a 7500 square metre ground pattern woven into the fabric of the square's main plaza. In collaboration, artist Paul Carter and Lab architecture studio have produced a complex poetic sculpture that is public artwork at its best. As pedestrians cross its patterned surface, they are invited to participate, to stop and read the text, to feel the texture embedded within, to play hopscotch in ""The Child's Vision"", to experience the work from within. ""Mythform"" tells the story of how this extraordinary work was conceived, developed and installed. A selection from some of the hundreds of studies, drawings and plans made over the four years of design and construction allow the reader 'behind the scenes' into the making of this immense project; the detailed photographs reveal the beauty of the design at all stages of its progress and Paul Carter's commentary provides insights into how the 'concrete poems' commemorate the extraordinary wealth of myth, legend and dream associated with Federation Square.

Since the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1991, Prague has become one of Europe's--and the world's--most popular tourist destinations. As in London, Paris, and Rome, visitors flock to the gorgeous buildings and monuments that grace the streets of Prague, entranced by structures ranging from Gothic and baroque to cubist and neoclassical. And while hundreds of thousands stroll over the Charles Bridge and gaze up at the St. Vitus Cathedral each year, far fewer venture away from the crowds to seek out the countless gems of art nouveau peppered throughout Prague.

With "Art-Nouveau Prague," Petr Wittlich--one of Europe's leading experts on nineteenth- and twentieth-century architecture--tours those monuments and buildings of Prague representative of the art nouveau movement and offers insightful commentary on each. Along the way, Wittlich visits such sites as the Municipal House, the Wilson Railway Station, the Grand Hotel Europa, and works by sculptors Frantisek Bilek, Ladislav Saloun, and Stanislav Sucharda.

An introductory essay by Wittlich emphasizing the role of art nouveau within contemporary currents of modern European art accompanies more than one hundred color illustrations of some of the most stunning examples of art nouveau architecture and decoration in existence, and a detailed bibliography provides additional reading for each of the sites displayed in the book. "Art-Nouveau Prague" is a must-have for those traveling to Prague for the first time or for anyone who appreciates or wants to learn more about art nouveau style.

Text in English and German. This monograph describes the construction of reality through the cognitive subject, and, associated with this, potential ways for producing space. The book studies methods for exposing, through indeterminacy, the definition of space to a larger field of possibility within personal interpretation, and thus virtually de-bordering space. Against a historical background of past attempts to de-border space visually, new possible ways of indeterminately defining space through the modulation of light are shown. The analysis of various modulation phenomena is illustrated with references to works of art, and the phenomena are studied with a view to integrating them in the actual production of space. The modulation of light has the potential of creating diffuse and ambivalent characteristics on space-defining surfaces. This fuzziness offers an opportunity for a freer interpretation of spatial definition and thus also for de-bordering space due to the process of perception. New materials and technologies can be used to create spatial worlds that open up genuine, hitherto unknown realms of cognition and experience. Based on multilayered, ambiguous spatial situations, according to the author, new open spaces of perception are possible and thus an expansion of human consciousness as well with respect to the world around us.

As the modern world rose from the rubble of Second World War, it was shaped by one material above all others. In 1947, a new magazine honed in on this paradigmatic shift in architecture and design: Concrete Quarterly. The World Recast charts this journey through the stunning photography and eyewitness testimony of Concrete Quarterly's rich and fascinating archive. It is the story of heroic architecture, ingenious engineering and how the world we now take for granted came into being. The World Recast celebrates Concrete Quarterly's summative coverage of this pivotal era in architecture, focusing on 70 buildings from the magazine's 70-year history. It charts the genesis of some of the modern world's greatest monuments and its boldest ideas, from the ethereal beauty of Ove Arup's Brynmawr Rubber Factory to the sleek modernism of the Pirelli Tower, the fairytale churches of Gottfried Boehm and the digitally enhanced imagination of Zaha Hadid. Plentiful and cheap, but also bold and undeniably modern, concrete suited the spirit of the post-war period perfectly. It was the obvious means of building the power stations, motorways and factories that would be the engines of economic recovery, and made possible a new era in architecture and design. But it was also the choice of a generation of designers keen to express themselves through radically new architectural forms and types of structure. The World Recast reflects upon the legacy of Concrete Quarterly and the significance of concrete within modernism and other architectural movements. It also expands the conversation into the present day, offering crucial insight into concrete's comeback within today's architecture, as well as its recent popularity in contemporary culture at large.