Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory

By Neil Leach

Book Overview

Brought together for the first time - the seminal writing on architecture by key philosophers and cultural theorist of the twentieth century.
Issues around the built environment are increasingly central to the study of the social sciences and humanities. The essays offer a refreshing take on the question of architecture and provocatively rethink many of the accepted tenets of architecture theory from a broader cultural perspective.
The book represents a careful selection of the very best theoretical writings on the ideas which have shaped our cities and our experiences of architecture. As such, Rethinking Architecture provides invaluable core source material for students on a range of courses.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415128269
• ISBN13: 9780415128261
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.9" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

A great sourcebook

The editor of the books is to be congratulated for compiling all the key texts of the leading Continental philosophers on the topics of architecture, urbanism, or the built environment per se. Whether or not you are smitten by the so-called Continental philosophy -- a loosely connected group of twentieth century figures mostly active in Germany and France, from Heidegger and Adorno through Foucault and Derrida -- you can't deny that they have decisively influenced the contemporary architectural discourse. It's useful to have most of the relevant writings available in one volume.

solid choice of readings

Contrary to the opinion of the fellow who gave this book 1 star, this book has an excellent selection of essays from many key 20th century thinkers (including three essays and 1 extract from Heidegger, which should be enough to undermine the critic's credibility). For the most part, they are presented unedited in full. Many of the selections are must-reads for people who wish to understand particular periods in the history of modern architecture, and it is nice to have them all together under a single cover.

Rethinking Compilations

This book is a compilation of essays on architecture from a very distinctive and unique point of view, which shows people involved with architecture or its related fields the perspective of recognised sociologists, communicators, semiologists et cetera, and which constitutes a very valuable tool for a deeper understanding of our everyday proceedings in such a globalizing practice as the art of designing works of art where we can dwell.