Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination [Hardcover]

Ernest Burden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1999

How the world's great artists envisioned the future
A panoramic exploration of works of the creative imagination throughout history, Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination, by Ernest Burden, introduces you to a wide range of far-reaching, original designs that, unbuilt, survived purely as artistic vision.

The significant international content, from Prehistory through Medieval, Renaissance,and Modern periods: includes full-page illustrations of baroque stage sets, designs for the film Metropolis and urban cityscapes by M.C.Escher, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hugh Ferriss, and much more. A timeline integrates architectural events alongside their historical and cultural counterparts. The architectural imagery is represented by several media and stylistic techniques; sketches, drawings, paintings, models, andcomputer-generated images.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ernest Burden (New York, NY) is an architect, an author, and principal of Burden Associates, a media and marketing consulting firm.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (December 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070089949
• ISBN-13: 978-0070089945
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,887,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Judge a Book by its Cover!, January 29, 2000

By 

Hans-Christian Lischewski - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination (Hardcover)

While built architecture always reflects the compromises designers have to make with physics and economics, unbuilt visionary architectural projects do not have those limitations. They show the pure imagination and non-compromised execution of conceptual design imaginations. The sophisticated appearance of the jacket reflects very much the content of the whole publication. It is a firework of bold and innovative design concepts. The selection of projects demonstrates clearly that architectural design can be interpreted as the ultimate three-dimensional art form. The works presented in the book were created over the past 250 years by some of the world's best known (and unknown) architects. I highly recommend this book with its fresh array of unconstrained architectural design as a stimulant to all who will or already practice architecture. For those who are just interested in the subject, it will be a dazzling, provocative alternative on the coffee table to issues of Architectural Digest and Martha Stuart Living!

Prof. Hans-Christian Lischewski

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Collection, January 18, 2000

By 

William C. Dunn (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination (Hardcover)

A dazzling collection of the most creative expressions of the world's greatest architects. Every page in this book is as much art as architecture and the printer has done a magnificent job of preserving every detail.

If you ever get a chance to examine this book you will insist on having a copy for your own library (or coffee table). Every practicing architect, and architecture student should have this book for reference. The rest of us will simply enjoy it for the art.

I can't imagine how Ernest Burden managed to assemble this splendid collection. I think it is his best work so far.

William C. Dunn

5.0 out of 5 stars the incredible WOW!, January 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination (Hardcover)

To pick up this book, with its unbelievably compelling jacket design, is to enter into a world of incredible imagination. From cities of the future to Blade Runner, Star Wars, and the remarkable insights of Y1K, this book has it all! There are futures both sanguine and frightening, and unbeliebable architecure and drawing. Read it and feast!