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Mostafavi, Mohsen.

On weathering : the life of buildings in time / Mohsen Mostafavi and David Leatherbarrow. - Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, c1993. - 139 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

The book presents a philosophical and theoretical argument for embracing the effects of weathering in architectural design. It includes a bibliography and index.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-135).

On Weathering illustrates the complex nature of the architectural project by taking into account its temporality, linking technical problems of maintenance and decay with a focused consideration of their philosophical and ethical implications.In a clear and direct account supplemented by many photographs commissioned for this book, Mostafavi and Leatherbarrow examine buildings and other projects from Alberti to Le Corbusier to show that the continual refinishing of the building by natural forces adds to, rather than detracts from, architectural meaning. Their central discovery, that weathering makes the "final" state of the construction necessarily indefinite, challenges the conventional notion of a building's completeness. By recognizing the inherent uncertainty and inevitability of weathering and by viewing the concept of weathering as a continuation of the building process rather than as a force antagonistic to it, the authors offer alternative readings of historical constructions and potential beginnings for new architectural projects.

ISBN: 0262132915 026263144X 9780262132916

LCCN: 92030318

Subjects--Topical Terms:
Weathering of buildings.
Deterioration
Aesthetics
Weathering

LC Class. No.: TH9039 / .M67 1993

Dewey Class. No.: 720.288 MOS / 3721