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«Ein inspirierender <Body of knowledge>, in dem es sich zu stöbern lohnt.»

«Ein inspirierender <Body of knowledge>, in dem es sich zu stöbern lohnt.»

TEC21

The Last Grand Tour

Contemporary phenomena and strategies of living in Italy

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For much of the 16th to early 19th centuries, the Grand Tour of Italy was an important part of European aristocrats’ education. Emulating this tradition, this book takes a close look at today’s Italy, with a focus on the topic of housing as a gauge of political and socioeconomic interrelationships.

English edition
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Title Details
Edited by Michael Obrist, Antonietta Putzu
2023
Paperback
520 pages, 467 color and 71 b/w illustrations
23.5 x 32 cm
ISBN 978-3-03860-323-8

Since antiquity, Italy has been the origin of key themes of Western architecture and culture, many of which have evolved in exemplary and universally valid ways. Many of these continue to provide an inspiring frame of reference even today. Emulating the tradition and itinerary of the classic Grand Tour followed by European aristocrats, this comprehensive and visually appealing book takes a nuanced look at Italy today. Using the aspect of housing as a hub, it offers new narratives and positions on current issues and developments that are also highly relevant outside Italy.

In the format of a graphic and textual atlas, the volume explores Italy at various scales. Zooming in and out of themes, cities, and regions, it allows for associative and nonlinear comprehension and reflection. Housing is examined as a complex construct, acted upon by diverging interests and needs as well as historical legacies. The spatial aspect of living, with its huge impact on the limited resources of land and the landscape, is the starting point for the proposals and strategies the book offers. Its audience reaches beyond the professional architecture community, aiming at anyone with an interest in the much-debated topic of (affordable) housing or in 21st-century Italy.

Echo

«So wie die Grand Tour einen Versuch des Ablösens, des Suchens nach Erkenntnissen durch erweiterte Vergleichsgrössen bedeutet, bilden die Texte, Abbildungen, Dokumentationen und Utopien einen inspirierenden «Body of knowledge», in dem es sich zu stöbern lohnt. Das Buch richtet sich an ein breites Publikum, das sich für zeitgenössische Phänomene rund um die Themen Wohnen und Italien interessiert.» Hella Schindel, TEC21

„So wie die Grand Tour einen Versuch des Ablösens, des Suchens nach Erkenntnissen durch erweiterte Vergleichsgrössen bedeutet, bilden die Texte, Abbildungen, Dokumentationen und Utopien einen inspirierenden «Body of knowledge», in dem es sich zu stöbern lohnt.“ Hella Schindel, espazium.ch

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