Anthony Paletta reviews the recent glut of art volumes devoted to communist architecture in the former Eastern bloc, and includes stunning photos of "sublime sci-fi" Soviet architecture largely unseen in the West.
Paletta looks at some of the incredible architecture captured in five volumes published in the last several years: Taschen's CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed, Hatje Cantz's Socialist Modernism, Monacelli's The Lost Vanguard: Russian Modernist Architecture 1922-1932, Roma's Spomenik, and Jovis's Modernism In-Between: The Mediatory Architectures of Socialist Yugoslavia.
While Paletta's ruminations on the symbolism of architecture built under totalitarian societies once such rule is over deserves attention, the images of the buildings themselves, with their uniformly durable materials and commanding presences, are the star of this essay.
FULL STORY: The Sublime Sci-Fi Buildings That Communism Built
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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