Second World Postmodernisms: Architecture and Society under Late Socialism

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Second World Postmodernisms: Architecture and Society under Late Socialism
Authors and Contributors      Edited by Vladimir Kulic
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreArt History
History of architecture
ISBN/Barcode 9781350166189
ClassificationsDewey:720.103
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Illustrations 63 bw illus

Publishing Details

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Bloomsbury Visual Arts
NZ Release Date 24 December 2020
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

If postmodernism is indeed 'the cultural logic of late capitalism', why did typical postmodernist themes like ornament, colour, history and identity find their application in the architecture of the socialist Second World? How do we explain the retreat into paper architecture and theoretical discussion in societies still nominally devoted to socialist modernization? Exploring the intersection of two areas of growing scholarly interest - postmodernism and the architecture of the former socialist world - this edited collection stakes out new ground in charting architecture's various transformations in the 1970s and 80s. Fourteen essays together explore the question of whether or not architectural postmodernism had a specific Second World variant. The collection demonstrates both the unique nature of Second World architectural phenomena and also assesses connections with western postmodernism. The case studies cover the vast geographical scope from Eastern Europe to China and Cuba. They address a wealth of aesthetic, discursive and practical phenomena, interpreting them in the broader socio-political context of the last decades of the Cold War. The result provides a greatly expanded map of recent architectural history, which redefines postmodernist architecture in a more theoretically comprehensive and global way.

Author Biography

Vladimir Kulic is Associate Professor, College of Design, Iowa State University.

Reviews

An important book for our understanding of the cultures of late socialism, and one which has the capacity to stimulate further research far beyond the domain of architectural history itself. * Journal of Contemporary History *