Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife

Dialectical images are at the core of the methods suggested by two books written four decades apart yet published around the same time. The Arcades Project (first published as Das Passagen-Werk in 1981) and Delirious New York (1978) use images to critique established modes of historical interpretati...

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Main Author: Frances Hsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: TU Delft OPEN Publishing 2016-04-01
Series:Footprint
Online Access:https://ojs-libaccp.tudelft.nl/index.php/footprint/article/view/974
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author Frances Hsu
author_facet Frances Hsu
author_sort Frances Hsu
collection DOAJ
description Dialectical images are at the core of the methods suggested by two books written four decades apart yet published around the same time. The Arcades Project (first published as Das Passagen-Werk in 1981) and Delirious New York (1978) use images to critique established modes of historical interpretation. Each proposes a methodology of historical speculation based on the interpretation of fragmentary visual phenomena. Both construct alternative historical narratives about the impact of technology, mass culture and economy on the city. This essay contrasts and compares the similarities and differences between the respective authors’ treatments of the nineteenth century arcade and the Manhattan skyscraper to examine how the strategies and definitions suggested by Benjamin and Koolhaas address the function of images as tools for critical architectural analysis and knowledge.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1875-1504
1875-1490
language English
publishDate 2016-04-01
publisher TU Delft OPEN Publishing
record_format Article
series Footprint
spelling doaj-art-4ebc4d520bca4386a4a19614ff7044782025-02-03T01:05:03ZengTU Delft OPEN PublishingFootprint1875-15041875-14902016-04-0110110.7480/footprint.10.1.974Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's AfterlifeFrances Hsu0Aalto UniversityDialectical images are at the core of the methods suggested by two books written four decades apart yet published around the same time. The Arcades Project (first published as Das Passagen-Werk in 1981) and Delirious New York (1978) use images to critique established modes of historical interpretation. Each proposes a methodology of historical speculation based on the interpretation of fragmentary visual phenomena. Both construct alternative historical narratives about the impact of technology, mass culture and economy on the city. This essay contrasts and compares the similarities and differences between the respective authors’ treatments of the nineteenth century arcade and the Manhattan skyscraper to examine how the strategies and definitions suggested by Benjamin and Koolhaas address the function of images as tools for critical architectural analysis and knowledge.https://ojs-libaccp.tudelft.nl/index.php/footprint/article/view/974
spellingShingle Frances Hsu
Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
Footprint
title Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
title_full Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
title_fullStr Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
title_full_unstemmed Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
title_short Benjamin and Koolhaas: History's Afterlife
title_sort benjamin and koolhaas history s afterlife
url https://ojs-libaccp.tudelft.nl/index.php/footprint/article/view/974
work_keys_str_mv AT franceshsu benjaminandkoolhaashistorysafterlife