In The Possibility of an Absolute Architecture; Pier Vittorio Aureli proposes that a sharpened formal consciousness in architecture is a precondition for political; cultural; and social engagement with the city. Aureli uses the term absolute not in the conventional sense of "pure;" but to denote something that is resolutely itself after being separated from its other. In the pursuit of the possibility of an absolute architecture; the other is the space of the city; its extensive organization; and its government. Politics is agonism through separation and confrontation; the very condition of architectural form is to separate and be separated. Through its act of separation and being separated; architecture reveals at once the essence of the city and the essence of itself as political form: the city as the composition of (separate) parts. Aureli revisits the work of four architects whose projects were advanced through the making of architectural form but whose concern was the city at large: Andrea Palladio; Giovanni Battista Piranesi; Étienne Louis-Boullée; and Oswald Mathias Ungers. The work of these architects; Aureli argues; addressed the transformations of the modern city and its urban implications through the elaboration of specific and strategic architectural forms. Their projects for the city do not take the form of an overall plan but are expressed as an "archipelago" of site-specific interventions.
#3201621 in eBooks 2000-07-03 2000-07-03File Name: B00EKN8QJA
Review
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. "I cannot separate myself from my clothes."By Amelia GremelspacherIn this intriguing collection of short memoirs; Spivack interviews a number of people both famous and not. She has asked for a piece of clothing that evokes a piece of time for the owner. The resulting entries ensnare the mind with the everyday magic of an item. I do;however; suspect it is also her interpretation of the story in precise and elegant prose that further enhances these little worlds.I am captured by the uncanny spread of clothing and stories. Some are totemic such as first Converse sneakers; but others are prosaic such as a pencil skirt that stood for adulthood for its owner. Perhaps even more telling than the clothing we buy are those clothes we save through the years. I especially love the fact that some of these items are not lovely and will never be candidates for clothing lust or envy. This book is a lovely little peek into the role of our much maligned "stuff" that follows our travels by design or habit.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Quirky but good reading!By CustomerI accidentally hit the one touch order button on ; and was going to cancel; but after I read the synopsis I decided this book might just be a keeper. Im so glad I did. Some of the stories are funny; some are full of wisdom; and some will break your heart; but I enjoyed every single one. Its amazing how ordinary items of clothing can invoke so many memories and instantly transport us to another place and time. For me; the only thing that might have made it better; would have been a small thumbnail photo of each owner (or better yet; a picture of them wearing their item). I loved it!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Garments as glimpses into peoples livesBy Sarah WebbI enjoyed it greatly. Glimpses into the lives of people through a garment with personal meaning to them. It had a few too many statements from people in the clothing industry; but I enjoyed it so much overall; I still give it five stars. I chose it as a book for our book club; and in addition to discussing it; we all brought a garment and told about it to the group. Oral history; peoples stories in a nicely focussed way to get into each persons daily life; not the overall arc of a life.