Delirious New York is a polemical investigation of that Manhattan; it documents the symbiotic relationship between its mutant metropolitan culture and the unique architecture to which it gave rise. Though this book argues that it often appears that the architecture generated the culture.
I lived in NY for 8 years and I found Koolhaas to be right on point. Delirious NY is one of those books that will forever change how you experience the city An excellent read not only for readers interested in architecture.
The book greatly conveys the feel of unrealistic, almost derilic process of development of "the greatest city on earth". Surprisingly light to read and engaging through many expamles, execellent graphics and interesitng facts. Oct 25, M C rated it it was ok. I will have to give this another read. I truly tried my best to get through most of it, but I found the rhetoric and syntax to be obnoxiously tedious while lacking in cogency and force.
Jul 25, Aggrey Odera rated it liked it Shelves: architecture , rem-koolhaas , aesthetics-affect-and-emotions , all-kinds-of-criticism. I love Manhattan. Before I lived in Mexico City, I had not even considered the possibility of settling down anywhere else.
Koolhaas does a wonderful job of historicizing some of Manhattan's greatest skyscrapers and their builders. Though places like Hong Kong which I love and Singapore which I detest have attempted to recreate Manhattanism, it's clear that there's still nowhere else quite like Manhattan.
Some sections of the book seemed to me superfluous - like the part on Dali and Surrealism which, though interesting and though a case could be made for why it was included, since it was placed side by side with Le Corbusier's push into Manhattan as well I simply found not of use. I also hated the writing. Koolhaas' manifesto like ramblings, which i found a bit endearing in Junkspace and Bigness here just left me annoyed. May 19, Rocko Bauman rated it it was amazing. Definitely changed how I look at New York's architecture.
Koolhaus places every building in the city in a phallic, "Promethean," surrealist context. Someone should make a minute documentary film about this! View all 3 comments.
Oct 13, Joel rated it really liked it. A history lesson, dissertion in urbanism and thought experiment soaked in pretentious intellectualoid blabber. Should be called New York Delusion. Truly brilliant at times, it did make me marvel, but you really have to indulge the writer and power through the text to get to them. It is, I guess, the point of the book, to sell this idea of congestion and manhattanism as an urbanism concept and I am CERTAINLY not even close to being an expert on the matter , but for me, it mostly felt flat on its A history lesson, dissertion in urbanism and thought experiment soaked in pretentious intellectualoid blabber.
It is, I guess, the point of the book, to sell this idea of congestion and manhattanism as an urbanism concept and I am CERTAINLY not even close to being an expert on the matter , but for me, it mostly felt flat on its face.
Felt like he was imposing his view and his narrative on the architects that were his subject of writing, views and ideas I felt like the author is making up completely. But what would I know. Some really beautiful ideas in there though, especially in the first and last chapters of the book.
Dec 28, Mike Polizzi rated it really liked it. Delirious New York is a book that gives shape and vision to the endless collisions, accidents, and collaborations that produced the signature architecture of Manhattan. As much a history of schemes and illusions as a lucid extrapolation of the pragmatism that bore out the aesthetics of the skyscraper within the limits of the grid, the zoning law of and the city's ever present culture of congestion, Koolhaas is dazzling as he reads the formal code of the city's past through its buildings and Delirious New York is a book that gives shape and vision to the endless collisions, accidents, and collaborations that produced the signature architecture of Manhattan.
As much a history of schemes and illusions as a lucid extrapolation of the pragmatism that bore out the aesthetics of the skyscraper within the limits of the grid, the zoning law of and the city's ever present culture of congestion, Koolhaas is dazzling as he reads the formal code of the city's past through its buildings and balances their history, biography and sociology.
Feb 24, Valentin rated it it was amazing. Amazingly interesting: read it in just two sittings. Surreal, phantasmagoric, brilliant, inspiring.
No idea how true it is. No architectural background required. Mar 06, Peter rated it really liked it Shelves: essays-reports-social-sci , art-architecture. Delirious prose! Wonderful little book on the bizarre, wacky and ridiculous ideas that took Coney Island and Manhattan during the pre-and early sky scraper era. Feb 03, Vanessa Wu rated it it was amazing Shelves: architecture-my-opium.
Koolhaas is the king. May 21, Daniel Te rated it liked it. Okay, I didn't read the whole entire book, but I came pretty close. This was a pretty long and dense book, but ultimately it is a fascinating approach to looking at architecture.
Retroactively looking at the manifestation of the city as a product of ideals and technological advance is a rather fascinating viewpoint. The biggest critique I have about this approach is that it is very subjective. While Manhattan has the whole "culture of congestion" thing going on, there's nothing stopping someone Okay, I didn't read the whole entire book, but I came pretty close.
While Manhattan has the whole "culture of congestion" thing going on, there's nothing stopping someone from saying that maybe it has a "culture of capitalism" or something instead.
Since we cannot create a completely comprehensive history of the city especially something as expansive as Manhattan , we would inherently have to leave out details.
It then becomes a question of what we should necessarily value or not value looking back in history. Writing wise though, this was a fun read, even though the methodological approach taken is imperfect.
I believe Koolhaas has written an entire book about why he has written this book, which I will have to read someday. Sep 29, Billy rated it it was amazing. I was prepared to hate this book. But I loved it. Yes, it's heavy on theory, but damn is it entertaining.
The history of Coney Island is fascinating and his descriptions of Manhattan architecture at the turn of the 20th century capture the ambitions, hopes, and dreams of a city at peak technological optimism. You may not agree with him, or even find his arguments useful, but that's not the point. It's a fun ride. After reading this, I see New York, and architecture, differently. Aug 07, Prabhu rated it really liked it. I'd been pushing the thought of reading this book for so long, since buying it in Rem definitely is a thinker.
Most books on Architecture these days talk about some bullshit ideas, but described through flowery yet complex words. List this Seller's Books.
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Since its original publication in , the book ' Delirious New York' has attained mythic status. Back in print in a newly designed edition, this influential cultural, architectural, and social history of New York is even more popular, selling out its first printing on publication. Rem Koolhaas's celebration and analysis of New York depicts the city as a metaphor for the incredible variety of human behavior. At the end of the nineteenth century, population, information, and technology explosions made Manhattan a laboratory for the invention and testing of a metropolitan lifestyle - "the culture of congestion" - and its architecture.
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