Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra-Thin: Architecture and Capitalism in the 21st Century - Hardcover

Soules, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1616899468 ISBN 13: 9781616899462

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press, 2021

Synopsis

“Soules’s excellent book makes sense of the capitalist forces we all feel but cannot always name… Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin arms architects and the general public with an essential understanding of how capitalism makes property. Required reading for those who think tomorrow can be different from today.”― Jack Self, coeditor of Real Estates: Life Without Debt

In Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin, Matthew Soules issues an indictment of how finance capitalism dramatically alters not only architectural forms but also the very nature of our cities and societies. We rarely consider architecture to be an important factor in contemporary economic and political debates, yet sparsely occupied ultra-thin "pencil towers" develop in our cities, functioning as speculative wealth storage for the superrich, and cavernous "iceberg" homes extend architectural assets many stories below street level. Meanwhile, communities around the globe are blighted by zombie and ghost urbanism, marked by unoccupied neighborhoods and abandoned housing developments.

Learn how the use of architecture as an investment tool has accelerated in recent years, heightening inequality and contributing to worldwide financial instability:

•   See how investment imperatives shape what and how we build, changing the very structure of our communities
•   Delve into high-profile projects, like the luxury apartments of architect Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue
•   Understand the convergence of technology, finance, and spirituality, which together are configuring the financialized walls within which we eat, sleep, and work

Includes dozens of photos and drawings of architectural phenomena that have changed the way we live. Essential reading for anyone interested in architecture, design, economics, and understanding the way our world is formed. 

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Soules is an associate professor of architecture at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

From the Back Cover

The global financial crisis of 2008 revealed the damage done by unchecked housing speculation, yet in the ensuing years, the use of architecture as an investment tool has only accelerated, heightening inequality and contributing to worldwide financial instability. We rarely consider architecture to be an important factor in contemporary economic and political debates, yet unoccupied ultra-thin "pencil towers" develop in our cities, functioning as wealth storage for the superrich, and cavernous "iceberg" homes burrow many stories below street level. Meanwhile, communities around the globe are blighted by zombie and ghost urbanism, marked by unoccupied neighborhoods and abandoned housing developments.

In Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin, Matthew Soules issues an indictment of how finance capitalism changes not only architectural forms, but the very nature of our cities and societies. From Ireland's devastated housing estates, to the chic luxury apartments of architect Rafael Vi–oly's 432 Park Avenue, Soules demonstrates how investment imperatives shape what and how we build. Photos and drawings of architectural phenomena that have changed the way we live make the urgency of these issues even more apparent.

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
• Publication date: 2021
• ISBN 10: 1616899468
• ISBN 13: 9781616899462
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224