Tall Building: Imagining the Skyscraper
$34.95
The skyscraper, whatever it may be as physical fact, looms large in our lives and, as a figment of our imaginations, carries with it ideas of ambition, dominance and commerce. The image of the skyscraper has been made and remade in the news, in literature and film, and in all forms of our now global media. Paradoxically, as the building type continues to become more complex and is designed to address fundamentally different cultural conditions, the image, that is to say, the idea, of the skyscraper in the public mind seems to become simpler, more omnipresent, and more consumable.
Description
The skyscraper, whatever it may be as physical fact, looms large in our lives and, as a figment of our imaginations, carries with it ideas of ambition, dominance and commerce. The image of the skyscraper has been made and remade in the news, in literature and film, and in all forms of our now global media. Paradoxically, as the building type continues to become more complex and is designed to address fundamentally different cultural conditions, the image, that is to say, the idea, of the skyscraper in the public mind seems to become simpler, more omnipresent, and more consumable.
Tall Building explores what the skyscraper evokes in us as a curious and complex technical achievement and also as a powerful image that has inspired artists for over 100 years. Johnson’s readable text and his intimate knowledge of tall building bring the skyscraper to life both technically and emotionally. Numerous rarely seen images of landmarks of architecture make this book a visual treat.
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Sir Peter Cook –
“It is intriguing that with the attacks on the World Trade Center, the first knee-jerk reaction was to question the role, purpose and morality of the tall building. This reaction lasted only a few weeks and yet it seems to have had a galvanizing effect. The new skyscrapers step forward with a new stride, unafraid to be even taller, or even more encompassing. What a fascinating read.”
Scott Johnson –
“It has been suggested that nearly half of the world’s skyscrapers have been built since the year 2000. It appears certain that, for many reasons, the current pace will continue into the foreseeable future. With so many skyscrapers presently in design and construction, an examination of the tall building as cultural artifact may give us a telling glimpse into the universe of our own intentions.”