Dwelling and Architecture: From Heidegger to Koolhaas

Dwelling and Architecture: From Heidegger to Koolhaas explores the influence of Martin Heidegger’s concept of dwelling (Wohnen) in disputing major imperatives of modern architecture. It is a book on both the history of architecture and the history of ideas. Focused on the substantial differences of the philosopher’s first-person approach to Le Corbusier’s positivism, it goes on to draw on the views of the ‘Other Modern’. Of Heidegger’s ideas, it pinpoints those that appealed to architects who questioned the post-war modern architecture’s record, and demonstrates the scope of appropriation of his theory on dwelling; an appropriation, nevertheless, subject to limitations-for better or worse. Last but not least, it traces Heidegger’s thoughts into the current debate on architecture generated by modern-day architects and thinkers such as Aaron Betsky and Rem Koolhaas.