At first sight the title “Architecture of Happiness” seems to be a book about architecture dedicated to fun like theme parks or shopping malls (when thinking of what many people consider to be happiness nowadays) – but it isn’t!
Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton, a Swiss writer who lives in London, is a dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our locations.
Alain de Botton asks:
What makes a house truly beautiful?
Why are many new houses so ugly?
Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures – and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?
To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home.
The book attracted favourable attention from architects and architectural critics. In the Boston Globe, the architectural critic Robert Campbell declared it the “best introduction to architecture” that he had ever read.
The book was originally published in 2006 by Pantheon Books and is available in English here.
Schöner leben statt schöner wohnen! – Glück und Architektur auf Deutsch ist hier erhältlich (Ja, wir unterstützen Fachbuchhandlungen wie die Buchhandlung Werner in München!). Leseprobe
Architettura e Felicità è disponibile qui in italiano.
Images: penguin.co.nz, Kondensat.co.uk, dipfifth.files.wordpress.com
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