Topophilia and Topophobia Reflections on Twentieth-Century Human Habitat [Paperback]

This book is about the love and hate relations that humans establish with their habitat, which have been coined by discerning modern thinkers as topophiliaand topophobia. Whilst such affiliations with the topos, our manmade as well as natural habitat, have been traced back to antiquity, a wide range of twentieth-century cases are studied here and reflected upon by dwelling on this framework. The book provides a timely reminder that the qualitative aspects of the topos, sensual as well as intellectual, should not be disregarded in the face of rapid technological development and the mass of building that has occurred since the turn of the millennium.

Topophilia and Topophobiaoffers speculative and historical reflections on the human habitat of the century that has just passed, authored by some of the worlds leading scholars and architects, including Joseph Rykwert, Yi-Fu Tuan, Vittorio Gregotti and Jean-Louis Cohen. Human habitats, ranging broadly from the cities of the twentieth century, highbrow modern architecture both in Western countries and in Asia, to non-architect/planner designed vernacular settlements and landscapes are reviewed under the themes of topophilia and topophobia across the disciplines of architecture, landscape studies, philosophy, human geography and urban planning.

Architectural Enclosure: A Prologue to Topophilia and Topophobia Xing Ruan and Paul Hogben  1. Topo-philia and -phobia Joseph Rykwert  2. Time, Space, and Architecture: Some Philosophical Musings Yi-fu Tuan  3. Topophilia/Topophobia: The Role of the Environment in the Formation of Identity Neil Leach  4. Heterotopias and Archipelagos: The Shape of Modern Topophobia Jean-Louis Cohen  5. Agreement and Decorum: Conversations within the ArchiteclS!