Modern architecture is underpinned by a strictly reductionist rationale that tries to explain the causality behind every spatial phenomenon. The spiritual and ritual aspects of spatial production are regarded as atavistic and have been largely ignored by theorists. Yet rituals, along with their landscapes and built structures, are a vibrant part of the modern world. How can these sites be approached in a scientific way? What kinds of theories lend themselves to the study of these spaces? Wonders of the Modern World is a first, tentative attempt at an atlas of todays ritual landscapes. Case studies with detailed drawings and photographic documentation intertwine with essays and interviews in an exploration of how these contemporary wonders happen. For this bilingual issue in German and English, ARCH+ is collaborating with Pier Paolo Tamburelli and Anna Livia Friel of the Design Theory and Design Research unit at TU Wien; photographer Giovanna Silva provides visual documentation of the case studies.

Hersteller:
Spector Books OHG
Jan Wenzel
wenzel@spectorbooks.com
Harkortstr. 10
DE 04107 Leipzig