Architectures of Hiding: Crafting Concealment | Omission | Deception | Erasure | Silence

Architecture is a space of concealment and unconcealment, with its making and agency hidden and revealed. This book argues for a critical study of hiding in the context of architectural processes, urging the understanding of inherent opportunities, power structures, and covert strategies related to their hidescapes. Examples explored in the book cover a broad range of geographic and cultural contexts, disclosing hidden aspects of architectural meaning.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Architecture is a complex realm that encompasses both concealment and revelation, a delicate balance between lethe and alêtheia. It manifests as an intricate space where the processes of its creation and agency are simultaneously hidden and exposed. This book seeks to amplify narratives that often go unnoticed, silenced, and overlooked within and by architectural spaces, histories, and theories. It argues for a critical exploration of hiding within the context of architectural processes, urging a deeper understanding of the inherent opportunities, power structures, and covert strategies that shape our built environments. Whether rooted in socio-cultural, geo-political, environmental, or economic factors, these hidden landscapes—the constructed landscapes of our built environments—play a significant role in the architectures of hiding.

Architectural spaces, in their multifaceted nature, serve as powerful tools for various forms of concealment and un(hiding). By examining and transcending the intentions and agency of architects, these spaces become vehicles for revealing hidden aspects of architectural meaning. The examples explored in this book and the creative works presented in the interviews enclosed within the interludes showcase a diverse range of geographic and cultural contexts, discursively unveiling the concealed dimensions of architectural significance.

The book delves into the imaginative allure of concealing and revealing in design processes, exploring the moral responsibilities and ethical dilemmas inherent in crafting concealment through the making and reception of architecture. It encourages readers to contemplate the profound implications of hiding and its role in shaping our understanding of the built world, challenging us to reevaluate our perceptions and engage with architecture in new and meaningful ways.

Weight: 800g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032412337