Arcosanti Archetype: The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri

by Marie Wilson

A thought provoking book about Arcosanti, that features an ongoing community project reflecting the philosophy of architect Paolo Soleri, Ph.d. The town is being built near Phoenix, Arizona, by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966808606
• ISBN13: 9780966808605
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Treasure Chest Books
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

The perfect introduction to arcologies.

This book is the perfect introduction to the concept of arcologies in general and Arcosanti in particular. It tells just enough about the history of arcologies, background on Paolo Soleri, and the social and ecological roles that arcologies can and should play in our future to whet the appetite for more. (The word arcology is formed from the words architecture and ecology.) The great and plentiful photos help to turn a concept into a real place where readers can imagine-or dream of-living and working. If you have an interest in arcologies, trends in architecture, the future of city design, or ways people can live more harmoniously with nature, this book is a wonderful place to start.

Close look at the actualization of a great urban living idea

This is an introduction to one of the very few new urban experiments being performed in the western world. It's an intimate portrait of a great vision that is in the birthing process. The Arcosanti vision attempts to solve the problem of urban sprawl and high consumption of resources, while embracing the fundamental human needs to develop and to be social. Cities have developed in response to these fundamental drives. Urban living allows us to arrange our lives so that we can interact to provide for our mutual needs in efficient ways, to enjoy social activities, and to promote our human inventiveness and creativity. But it has led to urban sprawl, high resource consumption and serious pollution. Arcosanti is an alternative that appears to have promise. But why has the Arcosanti experiment, in existence for thirty years, not yet created the movement needed to attract the support it needs to be completed, much less be a major force in our society? I liked the book because it examines the personalities that have given the experiment life, and lets us make judgements on how personalities have helped -- and may have hurt -- the promulgation of the vision. It includes a portrait of Paolo Soleri, the reticent genius behind its creation. I wished it probed the visions a little deeper, because all of Soleri's books are out of print. However, the potential of the vision is clear and made goose bumps rise on my arm. It locked the architectural vision in my mind, and has sparked many conversations about it. Hopefully it will open the vision to many more people.