Materan Contradictions

Architecture, Preservation and Politics

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Environment, Environmental Conservation & Protection
Cover of the book Materan Contradictions by Anne Parmly Toxey, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Anne Parmly Toxey ISBN: 9781317099512
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Anne Parmly Toxey
ISBN: 9781317099512
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Shaped by encrusted layers of development spanning millennia, the southern Italian city of Matera is the ultimate palimpsest. Known as the Sassi, the majority of the ancient city is composed of thousands of structures carved into a limestone cliff and clinging to its walls. The resultant menagerie of forms possesses a surprising visual uniformity and an ineffable allure. Conversely, in the 1950s Matera also served as a crucible for Italian postwar urban and architectural theory, witnessed by the Neorealist, modernist expansion of the city that developed in aversion to the Sassi. In another about-face, the previously disparaged cave city has now been recast as a major tourist destination, UNESCO World Heritage Monument, and test subject for ideas and methods of preservation. Set within a sociopolitical and architectural history of Matera from 1950 to the present, this book analyses the contemporary effects of preservation on the city and surrounding province. More broadly, it examines the relationship between and interdependence of preservation and modernism within architectural thought. To understand inconsistencies inherent to preservation, in particular its effect of catalyzing change, the study lays bare planners' and developers' use of preservation, especially for economic goals and political will. The work asserts that preservation is not a passive, curatorial pursuit: it is a cloaked manifestation of modernism and a powerful tool often used to control economies. The study demonstrates that preservation also serves to influence societies through the shaping of memory and circulation of narratives.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Shaped by encrusted layers of development spanning millennia, the southern Italian city of Matera is the ultimate palimpsest. Known as the Sassi, the majority of the ancient city is composed of thousands of structures carved into a limestone cliff and clinging to its walls. The resultant menagerie of forms possesses a surprising visual uniformity and an ineffable allure. Conversely, in the 1950s Matera also served as a crucible for Italian postwar urban and architectural theory, witnessed by the Neorealist, modernist expansion of the city that developed in aversion to the Sassi. In another about-face, the previously disparaged cave city has now been recast as a major tourist destination, UNESCO World Heritage Monument, and test subject for ideas and methods of preservation. Set within a sociopolitical and architectural history of Matera from 1950 to the present, this book analyses the contemporary effects of preservation on the city and surrounding province. More broadly, it examines the relationship between and interdependence of preservation and modernism within architectural thought. To understand inconsistencies inherent to preservation, in particular its effect of catalyzing change, the study lays bare planners' and developers' use of preservation, especially for economic goals and political will. The work asserts that preservation is not a passive, curatorial pursuit: it is a cloaked manifestation of modernism and a powerful tool often used to control economies. The study demonstrates that preservation also serves to influence societies through the shaping of memory and circulation of narratives.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Kantian Foundation of Schopenhauer's Pessimism by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Breaking the Thread of Life by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Settlement Ecology of the Ancient Americas by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Rethinking Environmental Management in the Pacific Rim by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Walking Methodologies in a More-than-human World by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Tourism Marketing for Cities and Towns by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Changing Teacher Professionalism by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Function and Fantasy: Iron Architecture in the Long Nineteenth Century by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Imagination, Illness and Injury by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Legacy of Slavery and Indentured Labour by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book The Trickster in Contemporary Film by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Communities of Devotion by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book Leadership of Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Music Education by Anne Parmly Toxey
Cover of the book A Roadmap for Understanding African Politics by Anne Parmly Toxey
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy