NOX: Machining Architecture
Perhaps humans are not meant to operate in the "dry grid" of cubic spaces. A leading Dutch theorist and architect, Lars Spuybroek (principal of NOX) pushes form and substance in astoundingly improbable, winding, curving, globular directions. Jazzed by neurology and philosophy, and influenced by ever-more intricate computer modeling, Spuybroek asks whether building movement ought to more comfortably reflect body movement. "A curve is an intelligent, better-informed straight line," he writes. In Spuybroek's realm the operative idea is no longer that form follows function; it's a unified system where typology precedes topology. His projects thus lead to "soft" offices and sinuous biomorphs. Best known on these shores for envisioning a complex of twisting, porous towers on the World Trade Center site, Spuybroek is commanding increasing attention. This huge compendium of his work and ideas is sometimes dense, but in a challenging, eye-opening way as it navigates the implications of the intellectual dichotomies and design complexities in NOX's^Bvision and projects. Visually dazzling, this book will appeal to architects, design and architecture students, artists, and futuristic dreamers.Steve PaulCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved