Tower and Slab looks at the contradictory history of the modernist
mass housing block - home to millions of city dwellers around the
world. Few urban forms have roused as much controversy. While in
the United States decades-long criticism caused the demolition of
most mass housing projects for the poor, in the booming
metropolises of Shanghai and Mumbai remarkably similar developments
are being built for the wealthy middle class. While on the surface
the modernist apartment block appears universal, it is in fact
diverse in its significance and connotations as its many different
cultural contexts.
Florian Urban studies the history of mass housing in seven
narratives: Chicago, Paris, Berlin, Brasilia, Mumbai, Moscow, and
Shanghai. Investigating the complex interactions between city
planning and social history, Tower and Slab shows how the modernist
vision to house the masses in serial blocks succeeded in certain
contexts and failed in others. Success and failure, in this
respect, refers not only to the original goals to solve the housing
crisis and provide modern standards for the entire society but
equally to changing significance of the housing blocks within the
respective societies and their perception by architects,
politicians, and inhabitants.
These differences show that design is not to blame for mass
housing 's mixed record of success. The comparison of the
apparently similar projects suggests that triumph or disaster does
not depend on a single variable but rather on a complex formula
that includes not only form, but also social composition, location
within the city, effective maintenance, and a variety of cultural,
social, and political factors.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
