Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination

Rating:
Summary: A work of soaring architectural imagination
Review: "A strong tool for architects ... [this book] amounts to a commitment to excellence." -Darrel Rippeteau, preservationist architect

"Stimulating to our creative juices." -John Rattenbury, principal of Taliesin Architects

"Of strong interest, particularly as architecture is celebrated as the most visible of the arts as we approach the millennium." -Louis Marines, former Executive Director, AIA

A world of soaring architecture and soaring imagination ... a world of surreal beauty where fantasy and inspiration intersect ... this is the world that awaits your discovery in Visionary Architecture.

In this panoramic tour of visions of the future that were drawn, rendered, or modeled-but never constructed-you'll visit tomorrow, as captured by the world's greatest minds, from Hugh Ferriss, Paolo Soleri, and Fritz Lang to Frank Lloyd Wright. Overflowing with images from prehistory to virtual cities online, and media from sketches to stage sets, Visionary Architecture--authored by noted designer/architect Ernest Burden-is much more than a gift to the eye and the imagination. It remains a unique historical record of the leading edge in architectural imaginings of the future-and a reference that will be valued as long as we dare to ponder the shape of things to come.

That distinguishing trait of humanity-the ability to anticipate the future-has also spawned a distinctive tradition in architecture: the design of visionary structures never intended for brick-and-mortar reality. Charged with imagination, fired with creativity, and fueled by dreams of what could be, these imaginary structures conjured the future and gave it form, if not substance.

In this breathtaking voyage "back to the future," you will view the work of architectural visionaries from their first markings in the dawn of prehistory to the latest microchip-powered fantasies, in many full-color and numerous full-page illustrations. A rare look into the imaginations of some of the sharpest minds of their times, these images fulfill every definition of creativity, in its highest incarnation.

From baroque stage sets to classic films such as Metropolis and the fantastic renderings of architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, these eye-opening structures-painted on stage and movie sets, painstakingly drawn on paper, and welded together from flying electrons-provoke our thought, teach us about time, and inspire our dreams.

Written by noted architect and design consultant Ernest Burden, author of more than a dozen books, this very special compendium draws examples from far and wide into a well-integrated whole. Visionary Architecture documents the history of architectural imagination within cultural and historical frameworks. With its unique timeline, this book allows you to track the development of architectural vision, technique, and concept of the future across the years.

Launched on the wing of a dream or the whisper of a vision, these structures were never actually built. Many of them are, in fact, unbuildable. For some, perhaps, their day will yet come. The future, after all, is not yet over. But even if they never grow beyond their present form, these images have played a role in shaping what we have made real. Visionary Architecture gives them a chance to play a wider role, and to inspire today's visions of what lies ahead.

Though never built in lumber, steel, or concrete, nor made to stand upon real plots of ground, these imaginary structures still claim important geography and substance-in the hearts and minds of those who discover Visionary Architecture.

About the Author Ernest Burden is a well-known architect and principal of Burden Associates in New York City, a media and marketing consulting firm to the design professions. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Oklahoma with pioneering architect Bruce Goff, and has been a Prix de Rome finalist. He has written extensively on design presentation topics, visual elements of design, and aesthetic issues in more than one dozen books, including the recently published Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture, and other works, such as Entourage, 3rd Edition; Building Facades: Faces, Figures, and Ornamental Detail; Design Presentation: Creating Marketing and Project Proposals, 1st and 2nd Editions; and Architectural Delineation, all published by McGraw-Hill.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid Collection
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: the incredible WOW!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: beter than a coffe table book
Review: Unbuilt works of Imagination is just that. this book has gotten picked up a looked at more then the typical t.v guide( not to compare too). With each look at this book you notice something diiferent everytime which keeps you coming back for more. The cover in itself will hold your attention for quite a period of time. As one who may flip pages- the color contrast will entice you to see what each page does hold. As for those who dream or are forever thinking (as I myself do) you will find your self in the greatest of unknown worlds wondering if and when this will be the new sights in our future. thank you Ernest

Rating:
Summary: Judge a Book by its Cover!
Review: 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