Phantom Architecture
£7.60£23.80 (-68%)
’60 fantastical structures described and illustrated in this colourful and highly entertaining book.’ The Sunday Times
‘If you can’t think of a present for the armchair architect in your life – well, problem solved’ The Daily Telegraph
‘These ghostly architectural echoes entrance the reader.’ The Field
‘This is a lavishly illustrated book of wonder for the dreamer in your life’ The Metro
A skyscraper one mile high, a dome covering most of downtown Manhattan, a triumphal arch in the form of an elephant: some of the most exciting buildings in the history of architecture are the ones that never got built.
These are the projects in which architects took materials to the limits, explored challenging new ideas, defied conventions, and pointed the way towards the future. Some of them are architectural masterpieces, some simply delightful flights of fancy. It was not usually poor design that stymied them – politics, inadequate funding, or a client who chose a ‘safe’ option rather than a daring vision were all things that could stop a project leaving the drawing board.
These unbuilt buildings include the grand projects that acted as architectural calling cards, experimental designs that stretch technology, visions for the future of the city, and articles of architectural faith. Structures likeBuckminster Fuller’s dome over New York or Frank Lloyd Wright’s mile-high tower can seem impossibly daring. But they also point to buildings that came decades later, to the Eden Project and the Shard.
Some of those unbuilt wonders are buildings of great beauty and individual form like Etienne-Louis Boullée’s enormous spherical monument to Isaac Newton; some, such as the city plans of Le Corbusier, seem to want to teach us how to live; some, like El Lissitsky’s ‘horizontal skyscrapers’ and Gaudí’s curvaceous New York hotel, turn architectural convention upside-down; some, such as Archigram’s Walking City and Plug-in City, are bizarre and inspiring by turns. All are captured in this magnificently illustrated book.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster UK, 1st edition (2 Nov. 2017) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1471166414 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1471166419 |
| Dimensions | 25.4 x 2.8 x 20.3 cm |
by StrangeTrout
Thrilled with this book which is beautifully produced and packed with the most stunning architecture. It’s a book I delve into frequently to read about the most fascinating architecture projects which never were but should be built – Newton’s mausoleum is amazing and I would be delighted to see it built. Definitely one to be left out to be pored over again and again.
by Bethany Hartshorn
Amazing book! so interesting, very good price and great quality, enjoyed this book so much.
by Joe Treasure
Weird and wonderful buildings that got designed but never built. Sharply written and beautifully illustrated.
by originalisa
Goodness me, what an awesome book this is. I was drawn to it having recognised Philip Wilkinson right down there at the bottom of the front cover; I had bought his book ‘Myths and Legends’ a few years back which held me spellbound and was a book I found myself dipping into for weeks. This book is no less engrossing and I don’t know whether it is the 60 projects which are superbly described and illustrated, all in colour, or the fascinating imagination of Philip Wilkinson which is inspiring me, never mind though, it is a book which is stretching my imagination. Most of the buildings were never built but Watkin’s Tower in London was partly built then demolished, it was London’s answer to the Eiffel tower and was 60m taller. In the book there is the ambitious project by Buckminster Fuller (dare I call it a ‘Bucky Ball’) for a dome to cover New York. I just love this book, positively one for those with a wild imagination.
by Tom
Disappointing, the pictures are dull and the writing lifeless, was hoping for interesting facts but bland and uninspired. Same story over and over! They were almost made but then they weren’t. Plus architectural plans really not interesting to look at
by Spriteyuk
This was recommended by a friend, and it is a beautiful, high quality book – and if you love architecture, it is really interesting. It is in no way a how-to book – more an exploration of ideas. If you value beautiful books with beautiful covers that are lovely to hold and read, this will be one of them. It is one of a series – we have the atlas also, and love them both. Fast delivery in excellent condition.
by Dr Barry Clayton
This book tells the story of 5o buildings that never constructed. They exist only as plans, models or drawings. They are phantoms. Why?
There are many reasons including: unexpected structural issues, money running out, failure to meet building regulations. Being regarded as too far ahead of its time is another. Many of the 50 were unlucky masterpieces. An example is Wren’s Great Model design for St. Paul’s. Unfortunately, it upset a very conservative clergy. There are many other examples. All were visionary designs. Many were studied and imitated around the world. Boullee’s buildings are a fine example.
The author examines and discusses examples from the Enlightenment, the Renaissance and later eras. Some like Leonardo da Vinci’s Split Level City meant to reduce the spread of infectious disease such as bubonic plague. Often the cost stopped construction. Some plans were for buildings that were absurd, for example a building in the shape of an elephant.
Wilkinson gives examples of the beautiful pencil sketches and paintings of designs. They are quite superb. Frank Lloyd Wright’s massive drawing of his one mile high skyscraper for Chicago is very persuasive. It would have had 528 floors. Nuclear-powered lifts would have carried up to 1,200 people at a time. Wright was in his nineties when he conceived it. Richard Buckmaster proposed a dome in the 1960s to cover most of midtown Manhattan. He said it would be an energy saver.
There are six chapters, a bibliography and pictures. The chapters are entitled: Ideal Worlds, Enlightened Visions, The Exploding City, Build It New, Radiant Cities and Moving On.
Some of the plans are preposterous, some fantastical. Some seemingly foolish. All are fascinating. This is a highly engaging and entertaining account. It is beautifully illustrated.
by E. J. Reed
This is a lovely book, I stupidly thought there would be more pictures although that makes no sense as these things were never built! Plenty of info to wade through though and a good gift for anyone into architecture. My other half plans to build some of these in Minecraft!