Anarchitectural Experiments: When Unbuilt Designs Turn to Film Maciej Stasiowski (Independent reseacher, Poland) 9781789385427

The book investigates speculative filmic architectural projects and animations that go beyond representing buildings, touching upon issues concerning medium, act of representation, or conducting criticism on history, culture, society, or urban politics, along with the mediated character of contemporary spatial experience - interpreting it primarily through protocols of architectural imaging.

The book centres on the influence of simulation and cinematic design on visionary or speculative architecture. It outlines the impact of film and animation in architectural representation through key projects. The opening analysis is useful in contextualizing speculative architectural projects, while the later chapters link the theory to the imagery. Stasiowski uses a diverse collection of interesting case studies that are easy to read and well-chosen to support his argument.

This is a well-researched work and comprehensive review of speculative architecture and various media that describe it. Stasiowski makes a thorough argument about the use of cinema and animation as a method of architectural visualization.

Stasiowki's book sets itself apart from other work in the same area by in discussing speculative projects in relation to cinema. and specifically, the effect that modern technologies are having on the subject now and in its potential futures.

The borderline between material environment and spatialized imagery becomes progressively more blurred, while demand for visionary works that would make sense of this merging, has never been greater.

It will appeal primarily to architects and designers, filmmakers and academics. It may also be of interest to artists, set designers, and film production designers.

Dr. Maciej Stasiowski is a graduate in film and media studies from the Institute of Audiovisual Arts, in the Faculty of Management and Social Communication at the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.