Landscrapers: Building With the Land [Hardcover]

Aaron Betsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2002

Aaron Betsky's study explores how builders and architects are working with the land to produce structures that mirror, or are contained by, their surroundings. Ever since the discovery of the cave humans have made use of nature's geological formations, but only since developments in structural engineering has it been possible to engage the earth's surface as a building element in its own right. With an increasing awareness of our planet's limited natural resources and with landscape architects exerting ever-greater influence on contemporary design, architects around the world are building into the earth, merging man-made form with the contours of the land. The results are at once preternatural and breathtaking. Presenting these exciting, sensitive and innovative buildings, "Landscrapers" offers a global tour of these structures. From Zaha Hadid's Landesgartenschau pavilion in Germany to MVRVD's villa VRPO in the Netherlands, from Future System's hill-burrowing house in Wales to May Lin's Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, more than 50 projects reveal the breadth and depth of this direction in architecture. Aaron Betsky begins this global tour with an introduction that considers our historical preoccupation with communing with the land through building. In four central chapters, Betsky explores the different ways in which "geotecture" responds to, interacts with, becomes part of, is integrated into - and yet remains distinctive within - our natural landscape. A reference section includes useful project and architect information, along with further reading.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Recently appointed director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute, Betsky has made his reputation as a curator, lecturer, and author unafraid to challenge conventional thinking in architecture criticism. His Architecture Must Burn and Building Sex: Men, Women, and the Construction of Sexuality sparked debate in the fields of urban planning and gender studies. His latest effort might at first be mistaken for another glossy, photo-packed album of recent work by some of today's most prominent cutting-edge architects. Betsky proposes that the grand theme unifying this deceptively diverse assortment of modernist, mostly high-tech structures is that, well, they're all on land or partially underground. In a labyrinthine deconstructionist critique, Betsky transforms his thesis into a manifesto that he evidently believes ushers in a revolutionary new architectural paradigm. His arguments, however, are considerably weakened by frequent bizarre, unsupported assertions such as "the rediscovery of the cave started in 1930." Devotees of Continental philosophy will find this a diverting exercise in imagining that architecture uncovers "readings" as it scrapes the "text" of the land. Only for academic and research libraries.
David Soltesz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Aaron Betsky is Director of the internationally acclaimed Netherlands Design Institute in Rotterdam. His previous publications include Architecture Must Burn and critical studies of Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500341885
• ISBN-13: 978-0500341889
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,352,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome for inspirations, June 29, 2010

By 

Mike Xavier "bike riderz" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Landscrapers: Building with the Land (Paperback)

I had to buy this for class and I thought it would turn out to be like any other boring book, but it turned out to be great. I based my final project off of a project I found in this book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book., January 19, 2007

By 

Donovan J. Weber "Those who trade their freed... (Columbia, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Landscrapers: Building with the Land (Paperback)

This book was referred to me by a proffesor, so i knew what to expect. There are some great images. There where a couple to many "Theoretical" Designs for my liking. It is a good book.