Pamphlet Architecture 21: Situation Normal [Paperback]

Paul Lewis (Author), Marc Tsurumaki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998 | Series: Pamphlet Architecture (Book 21)

In this volume, the latest addition to the award-winning Pamphlet Architecture series, the authors examine common architectural forms (chairs, doors, and walls) and programs (a cinema, a health club, a skyscraper) in order to dissect and reconfigure them. In the process they create ten new projects that draw their power from an oscillation between the recognizable and the surreal. Cleverly undermining the conventions and norms of contemporary architectural design, the authors pose a direct challenge to the seemingly endless search for new styles, arguing instead that the greatest potential for architecture in the twenty-first century rests on an imaginative examination of what we take for granted. Designed by authors, Situation Normal... weaves together text, photographs, and drawings. An introductory essay establishes the theoretical and historical position of the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis (Lewis-Tsurumaki-Lewis) is a collaborative architectural group based in New York City. Their work has been featured in a solo exhibition at StoreFront for Art and Architecture. Paul Lewis teaches at Columbia a

Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis (Lewis-Tsurumaki-Lewis) is a collaborative architectural group based in New York City. Their work has been featured in a solo exhibition at StoreFront for Art and Architecture. Paul Lewis teaches at Columbia a

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568981546
• ISBN-13: 978-1568981543
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a primer to tactical thinking, February 3, 2005

By 

K. McCaughey "avid architect" (LA. CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pamphlet Architecture 21: Situation Normal (Paperback)

While the pencil provides a compelling graphic for the authors, their method of representation is not the point (I think they've moved on to renderings at this stage, anyway). LTL discusses the advantages of TACTICS over STRATEGIES. Strategies rely heavily on an overall structure, while tactics are much more agile and fluid. Although definitely not the only architects to promote a situationist method, LTL offers a way of thinking in a way that is succinct, and they make their point without too much embellishment. They instead use this framework to present past (conceptual) projects. A good example of letting the work talk as much as the text, itself.

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful drawings, September 13, 2007

By 

Sarah J. Fugate - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pamphlet Architecture 21: Situation Normal (Paperback)

The selected projects are presented with concise explanations and always that just-right drawing that conveys an idea effectively. Definitely worth owning.

2 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an excellent example of the power of the pencil, October 11, 2000

By 

"terry92" (columbus, oh usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pamphlet Architecture 21: Situation Normal (Paperback)

situation normal is a fine example or what can be done in architecture with a tool that is becoming somewhat of a lost art, the pencil. the authors use the pencil exclusively in their design process, and Situation Normal is a fine resource for architectral students and architects, whom it is very important to, to understand the power of the pencil. the pamphlet is by no means wordy, but it does contain a strong body of designs and projects by the author, that demonstrate how the pencil can holds its own in a profession where the pen and especially the computer have become the norm.