Studio Sputnik
With a contribution by Lars Lerup

Snooze
Immersing architecture in mass culture

Design: Self, Paperback, sewn, illustrated (colour and b/w), 128 pages, size: 20x17 cm
text in English, ISBN 90-5662-313-3 / 978-90-5662-313-5, € 27,50 / OUT OF PRINT

With the support of the Netherlands Architecture Fund, the Netherlands Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture, and the Mondriaan Foundation

Mass culture is a fact. Its irresistible vitality and force are enthusiastically exploited by all manner of enterprises, whether network providers for mobile phones, hip lifestyle magazines or trendy fashion labels. Oddly enough, architecture and urban planning have so far failed to exploit the potential offered by mass culture.

This book presents the findings of a study by studio Sputnik, a Rotterdam-based architecture practice, into the opportunities that mass culture presents for architecture. Snooze is a lavish book that analyses products successful in consumer society and relates the patterns behind their success to the city. The nature and importance of communication proves to be pivotal to architecture's role in this. What does a building signify, what does it actually want to communicate?

Snooze is not about style or form, nor is it about commercial motives or technical ingenuity. Snooze employs insights into the experience economy and links design criteria to them. It adds a new voice to architectural discourse at the intersection of theory and design. The surprising insights that this book offers are presented in a highly visual essay that reflects the snooze condition in its design.