Universal Principles of Architecture

81

UTOPIA

Architectures of ideal or cautionary societies, cities, and states

Utopian architectures address aspirations, desires, and hopes for a future that is different from the present or the past. Coming from the Greek word ou-topos, the direct translation of utopia is “no place.” Later, it was popularized in Thomas More’s eponymous 1516 novel Utopia. Thus, utopia is an ideal space, area, city, or state that doesn’t quite yet exist. The concept of utopia, however, has been at the center of many architectural imaginaries long before Thomas More’s time. As a source of inspiration, utopia has been the engine of many visions (both positive and negative) of the future for many generations and in different civilizations. As ideal narratives, projects, ...