Overview
- New updated and fully revised edition of the standard work Portable Architecture
- Numerous spectacular international examples
- Enhanced documentation of the basic technical principles
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Table of contents (6 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
Since the earliest people lived as nomads, their buildings were portable, constructed in a way that allowed them to be rebuilt as they moved to new locations for better living conditions as the seasons changed. This book discusses the forerunners, present context, and technology of portable architecture. It documents numerous international examples, organized by areas of application, and offers a broad array of suggestions for practical design. In the Arts and Culture section, Shigeru Ban’s Nomadic Museum, made of shipping containers in the USA and Japan is examined, as is Mark Fisher’s event architecture for concert tours by the Rolling Stones and U2. Suggestions for flexible living include Richard Horden’s micro compact home and the Container Home Kit from LOT/EK. The design of mobile structures used in extreme situations, such as the Antarctic or in the aftermath of natural catastrophes, is explored. Exhibition and entertainment facilities are other typical areas of application for light, mobile structures. Demountable, temporary structures allow for exciting architectural experimentation which can then be prototyped for regular use.
Reviews
From the reviews:
“Following an introductory essay that situates portable architecture as a vital and expanding enterprise in contemporary life, Kronenburg … a leading authority of the subject, has assembled 31 contemporary mobile structures by 22 firms under five headings: ‘Exhibition and Commerce,’ ‘Entertainment,’ ‘Shelter and Residential,’ ‘Arts and Education,’ and Military and Expedition.’ … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers.” (J. Quinan, Choice, Vol. 46 (9), May, 2009)About the author
Robert Kronenburg is an architect and a professor at the University of Liverpool, whose School of Architecture he heads. He is the author of numerous publications, including Spirit of the Machine: Technology as an Inspiration in Architectural Design (2001); Houses in Motion: The Genesis, History and Development of the Portable Building (2002); and Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Change (2007).
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Portable Architecture
Book Subtitle: Design and Technology
Authors: Robert Kronenburg
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8325-1
Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel
eBook Packages: Architecture and Design, Engineering (R0)
Copyright Information: Birkhäuser Basel 2008
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: 160
Number of Illustrations: 225 b/w illustrations, 72 illustrations in colour
Topics: Building Types and Functions, Architecture, general, Mathematical Physics