Arcologies are architectural organisms.
1969
Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures that serve functional, aesthetic, and cultural purposes. It encompasses a diverse range of styles, techniques, and materials, reflecting the cultural, historical, and environmental contexts in which it is practiced. Architects consider factors such as site conditions, climate, building codes, and client needs to create spaces that are not only visually pleasing but also efficient, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of occupants. Architecture plays a crucial role in shaping the built environment and influencing the way people interact with and experience their surroundings, from homes and workplaces to public spaces and urban landscapes.
Throughout history, architecture has been closely intertwined with human civilization, serving as a tangible expression of cultural identity, technological innovation, and societal values. Architectural landmarks such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Parthenon, and the Taj Mahal stand as testament to the ingenuity and creativity of past civilizations, while contemporary architectural marvels push the boundaries of design and engineering. Architects today grapple with complex challenges such as urbanization, sustainability, and social equity, striving to create buildings and spaces that not only meet functional needs but also foster well-being, inclusivity, and connection to the natural environment. As the built environment continues to evolve, architecture remains a dynamic and interdisciplinary field that shapes the way we live, work, and interact with our surroundings.
Arcology
The City In The Image Of Man
Visionary architect Paolo Soleri challenges us to think of cities as biological entities with his concept of the arcology—a massive, self-sustaining, urban “organism of a thousand minds” designed to exist in harmony with nature. He proposes that the purpose of life is aesthetogenesis: the universe progressively complexifying itself into compassionate, beautiful structures. Soleri showcases 30 potential arcologies through incredibly detailed diagrams, explaining how each integrates itself economically and ecologically into the world and fulfills his aesthetogenic criteria. The scope of his vision ranges from cities designed to span canyons or float on the oceans to cube-shaped metropolises suspended on pillars, and even a space habitat. While comprehensive, Soleri's focus lies primarily on realizing arcologies that meet humanity's moral imperative for sustainable urban living.
Cosmography
A Posthumous Scenario for the Future of Humanity
An ambitious synthesis of Fuller’s lifetime of interdisciplinary work, spanning geometry, systems theory, design, and cosmology. He outlines synergetic principles underlying natural structures, sustainable architecture like geodesic domes, and humanity’s potential through whole systems thinking and technologies in equilibrium with the universe’s finite resources. Dense but visionary, it encapsulates Fuller’s goal of developing a “Cosmography”—a coordinated model for all knowledge.
The Bridge Between Matter And Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit
The Arcology of Paolo Soleri
This volume brings together the essays of Paolo Soleri in which he sets forth his philosophy of arcology (architecture ecology) and pleads for a new stage in the evolution of human society—a move toward compactness, or miniaturization, of our cities. To do so we must build solids rather than veneers; we must flee from a “flat” cityscape that debilitates and suppresses the individual. Arcologies, three dimensional macrostructures, are for populations of thousands or of millions.
The High Frontier
Human Colonies in Space
Gerald K. O’Neill presents his visionary plan for human space colonization in the post-Apollo era. The book details three designs for rotating space habitats that could house millions of people near Earth-Moon Lagrange points. O’Neill proposes using lunar materials, launched via mass drivers, to construct these colonies. The habitats would feature Earth-like gravity, solar power, and agricultural areas. He presents space colonization as both technologically feasible and economically beneficial through ventures like solar power satellites.
The Omega Seed
An Eschatological Hypothesis
The Ωmega Seed brings together Paolo Soleri’s writings on eschatology, that branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of mankind. Soleri believes that the simulation of the divine will provide man with a blueprint for creation not only of our physical environment but also of a new stage in the evolution of mankind. His work is against the things of a materialistic society, toward a redesigning of the urban civilization of Earth.
