#books #architecture | Hidden treasures of Ethiopia : a guide to the remote churches of an ancient land

Hidden treasures of Ethiopia : a guide to the remote churches of an ancient land / María-José Friedlander and Bob Friedlander.
I. B. Tauris, London [etc.] : 2015.
xxiii, 322 p. : il.
ISBN 9781780768168
Iglesias -- Etiopía.
Sbc Aprendizaje A-726.54 HID
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1825763~S1*spi

Ethiopia is a land of hidden treasures, and among the greatest are its remote churches, whose richly decorated interiors amaze and astound with their vibrant colours and extraordinary illustration. Yet steeped in ancient legend, and often situated in remote locations, a true appreciation and understanding of these unique churches and their spectacular murals has been restricted to a select few. Now, in Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, Maria-Jose Friedlander provides a unique guide to the churches, their architecture and decoration. Ranging from the rock-hewn churches of the Tigray region to the spectacular timber-built cave church of Yemrehane Krestos, Maria-Jose Friedlander provides detailed descriptions of the wonderful murals and of the stories behind them. Many of the wall paintings contain inscriptions in Ge'ez - the ancient language of Ethiopia - and full translations of these scripts are given. Detailed plans show the exact location of the paintings within the churches and the superb colour photographs by Bob Friedlander show the many aspects of the churches and their decoration in rich detail.

#books #townplanning | Cities of change : Addis Ababa : transformation strategies for urban territories in the 21st Century

Cities of change : Addis Ababa : transformation strategies for urban territories in the 21st Century / Marc Angélil, Dirk Hebel.

Birkhäuser, Basel [etc.] : 2009.

255 p. : il

ISBN 9783034600903

Urbanismo -- Etiopía.

Urbanismo -- Siglo XXI.

Addis Ababa (Etiopía)

Sbc Aprendizaje A-711.4(63) CIT

https://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1588418~S1*spi

The Urban Laboratory – Addis Ababa is a research initiative launched by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich in collaboration with Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the Ethiopian Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP). The laboratory sets as its objective the development of sustainable strategies for urban environments. Rather than upholding an a priori vision of an ideal city, the publication "Cities of Change: Addis Ababa" acknowledges the heterogeneous and at times messy conditions of urban territories, and makes a case for their transformation over time. One of the key aspects of the work encompasses scenario planning: designing processes for potential ‘futures’ according to varying constraints. Urban design as a discipline is reframed in view of an understanding of the city as a dynamic system, one delineated by stocks and flows of resources – with specific attention given to fluxes of people, energy, water, material, capital, space, and information. Emphasizing the specific case of Addis Ababa, the research brings to the forefront general questions of method and procedure that can be transferred to other ‘cities of change,’ whether in the developing or the developed world.

The research was undertaken at ETH Zurich’s Department of Architecture in the context of the Master of Advanced Studies Program in Urban Design, led by Marc Angélil and Dirk Hebel. Both have taught architectural and urban design at universities in Europe and the United States. Their research focuses on contemporary developments of large metropolitan regions. Over the last three years, their interest has centered on Ethiopia, one of the fastest growing nations in the world. The publication "Cities of Change: Addis Ababa" documents the research and exposes its findings to critical observations by invited authors.