#books #architecture | Making dystopia : the strange rise and survival of architectural barbarism

Making dystopia : the strange rise and survival of architectural barbarism / James Stevens Curl ; with a "prolegomenon" by Timothy Brittain-Catlin.
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2018.
XXXVIII, 551 p. : il.
ISBN 9780198820864
/ EN / Libros / Arquitectura – Historia / Arquitectura – Siglo XX
ehuBiblioteka BCG A-72.036 MAK
https://ehu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1127050458

In 'Making Dystopia', distinguished architectural historian James Stevens Curl tells the story of the advent of architectural Modernism in the aftermath of the First World War, its protagonists, and its astonishing, almost global acceptance after 1945. He argues forcefully that the triumph of architectural Modernism in the second half of the twentieth century led to massive destruction, the creation of alien urban landscapes, and a huge waste of resources.

Moreover, the coming of Modernism was not an inevitable, seamless evolution, as many have insisted, but a massive, unparalled disruption that demanded a clean slate and the elimination of all ornament, decoration, and choice.

Tracing the effects of the Modernist revolution in architecture to the present, Stevens Curl argues that, with each passing year, so-called 'iconic' architecture by supposed 'star' architects has become more and more bizarre, unsettling, and expensive, ignoring established contexts and proving to be stratospherically remote from the aspirations and needs of humanity. In the elite world of contemporary architecture, form increasingly follows finance, and in a society in which the 'haves' have more and more, and the 'have-nots' are ever more marginalized, he warns that contemporary architecture continues to stack up huge potential problems for the future, as housing costs spiral out of control, resources are squandered on architectural bling, and society fractures.

This courageous, passionate, deeply researched, and profoundly argued book should be read by everyone concerned with what is around us. Its combative critique of the entire Modernist architectural project and its apologists will be highly controversial to many. But it contains salutary warnings that we ignore at our peril. And it asks awkward questions to which answers are long overdue.

#dictionaries #architecture | The Oxford dictionary of architecture

The Oxford dictionary of architecture / James Stevens Curl ; with line drawings by the author ; and contributions on landscape architecture by Susan Wilson.
Oxford University Press, Oxford : 2016 / 3rd ed.
XXII, 872 p. : il.
ISBN 9780199674992
Arquitectura -- Diccionarios ingleses.
Sbc Aprendizaje | Referencia A-(038)72 OXF
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1821874~S1*spi

Beautifully illustrated and written in a clear and concise style, this dictionary covers every period of Western architectural history. The text is complemented by over 250 beautiful and meticulous line drawings, labelled cross-sections, and diagrams. There are more than 900 new entries, including hundreds of new biographical entries on leading historical architects, as well as subjects such as algorithmic design, digital architecture, and parametric design, and many entries expanding the coverage of landscape architecture.

Contains over 6,000 entries and over 260 illustrations, primarily focusing on architectural history. Fully revised and updated, with hundreds of new entries including individuals such as Sir Francis Bacon and Liang Ssu-ch'eng, and many landscape architecture terms, including hortus conclusus and Zen garden-design. Comprehensive coverage of architectural, garden, and landscape terms with clear definitions. Includes mini-bibliographies for all entries.