Das geteilte Europa war nach dem Ende des zweiten Weltkriegs durch die Phase des Wiederaufbaus gepragt. Diese wurde durch die unterschiedlichen politischen Systeme beeinflusst: im sozialistischen Osten wie auch im kapitalistischen Westen ging es um den Zusammenhalt der Gesellschaft sowie um deren kulturellen und baulichen Ausdruck. Parallel zur schnell einsetzenden Industrialisierung des Bauwesens wurden auf beiden Seiten intensive Debatten uber die Humanisierung der gebauten Umwelt gefuhrt. Der Band zeigt, wie vor dem Hintergrund von Existentialismus, New Monumentality und sozialistischem...

From 1960-1980, both eastern and western Europe experienced a construction boom of new dimensions. Cybernetics, the science of planning, and sociology, as well as the new possibilities offered by technology and production, paved the way to large-scale processes and systems in architecture and urban design, which favored technocratic and utopian concepts. Increasingly, architects and planners saw themselves as designers of comprehensive infrastructure and mega-structures in a technology-focused world.

The authors assesses these developments on the back of a knowledge transfer...

From 1970-1990, architecture experienced a revision as part of the post-modern movement. The critical attitude to the functionalistic Moderne style and the influence of semiotics and philosophical trends, such as phenomenology, on architectural theory led to an increased interest in its history, expression, perception, and context. In addition, architectural heritage and the care of architectural monuments gained importance.

This development also increasingly challenged the ideologically based division between East and West. Instead of emphasizing the differences, the search was...

Materiality is a recurring and key issue in architecture. This book explains how materials are "constructed," how they become substances of our culture. Metabolic Processes follows up on the relationship between natural materials and technology, science, and sensuality.

Gottfried Semper (1803-1879) made the concept of metabolic processes the key element of his theory. He referred to the fact that architectural forms originally resulting from a method of processing a material are used for other substances.

For the first time, the book investigates the subject from a...

Materiality is a recurring and key issue in architecture. This book explains how materials are "constructed," how they become substances of our culture. Metabolic Processes follows up on the relationship between natural materials and technology, science, and sensuality.

Gottfried Semper (1803-1879) made the concept of metabolic processes the key element of his theory. He referred to the fact that architectural forms originally resulting from a method of processing a material are used for other substances.

For the first time, the book investigates the subject from a...