Sabine Lebesque, Helene Fentener van Vlissingen (ed.)

Yona Friedman
Structures serving the unpredictable

Design: Arlette Brouwers and Koos van der Meer, Hardcover, 132 pages, Format: 23.5 x 22.5 cm
text in English, ISBN 90-5662-108-4 / 978-90-5662-108-7, € 29.50 € 7,50 OUT OF PRINT

This monograph of the Hungarian-French architect Yona Friedman (1923) is the first to present an extensive survey, in both text and image, of over fifty years of work and ideas by Yona Friedman, casting light on its many different facets. After an introduction, 55 projects are presented in chronological order, all richly illustrated with inspiring drawings, photomontages, plans en photographs. In an interview Friedman explains how his life experience is related to his work. Finally an extended chronology puts together the most important events, projects and publications of Friedmans chequered life.

Yona Friedman (1923) rose to prominence with his manifesto L'Architecture Mobile and his idea for La Ville Spatiale. He aimed to provide maximum flexibility through huge 'superstructures' over existing cities and other locations. Future inhabitants were free to construct their dwellings within these structures.

Friedman's ideas led him to go beyond architecture. His sphere of engagement broadened to include sociology, economics, mathematics, information science, planning, visual art and film-making. Although Friedman's oeuvre would seem to encompass a wide field, all his life he has adhered to principles based on the requirement of individual freedom.

In embracing the unpredictability of human behaviour, he has always sought to provide people with the knowledge and structures to determine their own living environment. Among the means devised by Friedman were manuals that illustrate basic skills in the fields of architecture, urban planning and administration for the non-specialist.