How nineteenth-century social reformers devised a new set of
radical blueprints for society In the middle of the nineteenth
century, a utopian impulse flourished in the United States through
the circulation of architectural and urban plans predicated on
geometrically distinct designs. Though the majority of such plans
remained unrealized, The Shape of Utopia emphasizes the enduring
importance of these radical propositions and their ability to
visualize alternatives to what was then a newly emerging capitalist
nation. Drawing diagrammatic plans for structures such as octagonal
houses, a hexagonal anarchist city, and circular centers of
equitable commerce, these various architectural utopians applied
geometric forms to envision a more just and harmonious society.
Highlighting the inherent political capacity of architecture, Irene
Cheng showcases how these visionary planners used their blueprints
as persuasive visual rhetoric that could mobilize others to share
in their aspirations for a better world. Offering an extensive and
uniquely focused view of mid-nineteenth-century America’s rapidly
changing cultural landscape, this book examines these utopian plans
within the context of significant economic and technological
transformation, encompassing movements such as phrenology,
anarchism, and spiritualism. Engaging equally with architectural
history, visual culture studies, and U.S. history, The Shape of
Utopia documents a pivotal moment in American history when ordinary
people ardently believed in the potential to reshape society.
General
| Imprint: |
University of Minnesota Press
|
| Country of origin: |
United States |
| Series: |
Buell Center Books in the History and Theory of American Architecture |
| Release date: |
August 2023 |
| First published: |
2023 |
| Authors: |
Irene Cheng
|
| Dimensions: |
254 x 178 x 20mm (L x W x T) |
| Pages: |
376 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-1-5179-0746-4 |
| Categories: |
Books
Promotions
|
| LSN: |
1-5179-0746-2 |
| Barcode: |
9781517907464 |
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