Architecture and Surrealism

by Neil Spiller

A pioneering major survey on the rich relationship between the imagery and concepts of Surrealist art and the architecture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries In a world where “smart” objects can talk to each other and a gun can be printed with a desktop 3D printer, the conditions for contemporary design are nothing if not surreal. The long-standing interaction between architecture and Surrealism is being reinvigorated by the new technology that makes the protocols and concepts of otherworldly Surrealism more relevant to architects than the dogmas of architectural modernism. This book charts the development of this fertile relationship, revealing how Surrealist ideas are being put to use by contemporary architects in extraordinary ways. Architecture and Surrealism opens with an introduction on the precursors of Surrealism in the Baroque and Rococo periods, moving into the twentieth century through the Symbolists and Dadaists. The four main chapters present the interplay between architecture and Surrealism through the key concepts of the body, the interior space, the house, alternative realities, and the environment. In an era of wearable technology and big data, the fascinating possibilities for new worlds, new buildings, and new spaces are creating the most exciting futures for contemporary architects. Written by Neil Spiller, a leading academic and architect known for his own Surrealist-influenced work, this book is a breathtaking resource of spatial ideas and visionary buildings for architects, students, lovers of Surrealism, and all creative types. 250+ illustrations

Genres: Architecture

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2016

Reviews

[Freca - Narrazioni da Divano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellissimo libro d'arte con un ricco apparato d'immagini, fra foto e progetti. Il contenuto è esplicato dal titolo, la parte testuale è abbastanza limitata e passa dagli aspetti filosofico della corrente artistica a aspetti più tecnici.
Un'ottima immersione su una branca artistica purtroppo spesso meno considerata rispetto alla pittura, e sicuramente non la prima che viene in mente quando si parla di surrealismo ma in cui questa avanguardia non si è risparmiata, anzi ha dato vita a progetti molto interessanti sia concettualmente che visivamente, strutturalmente.