Topic
Megastructure
About: Megastructure is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 61 publications have been published within this topic receiving 573 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
Book•
19 Feb 2016
TL;DR: In The Stack, Benjamin Bratton proposes that these different genres of computation can be seen not as so many species evolving on their own, but as forming a coherent whole: an accidental megastructure called The Stack that is both a computational apparatus and a new governing architecture.
Abstract: What has planetary-scale computation done to our geopolitical realities? It takes different forms at different scales -- from energy and mineral sourcing and subterranean cloud infrastructure to urban software and massive universal addressing systems; from interfaces drawn by the augmentation of the hand and eye to users identified by self -- quantification and the arrival of legions of sensors, algorithms, and robots. Together, how do these distort and deform modern political geographies and produce new territories in their own image? In The Stack, Benjamin Bratton proposes that these different genres of computation -- smart grids, cloud platforms, mobile apps, smart cities, the Internet of Things, automation -- can be seen not as so many species evolving on their own, but as forming a coherent whole: an accidental megastructure called The Stack that is both a computational apparatus and a new governing architecture. We are inside The Stack and it is inside of us. In an account that is both theoretical and technical, drawing on political philosophy, architectural theory, and software studies, Bratton explores six layers of The Stack: Earth, Cloud, City, Address, Interface, User. Each is mapped on its own terms and understood as a component within the larger whole built from hard and soft systems intermingling -- not only computational forms but also social, human, and physical forces. This model, informed by the logic of the multilayered structure of protocol "stacks," in which network technologies operate within a modular and vertical order, offers a comprehensive image of our emerging infrastructure and a platform for its ongoing reinvention. The Stack is an interdisciplinary design brief for a new geopolitics that works with and for planetary-scale computation. Interweaving the continental, urban, and perceptual scales, it shows how we can better build, dwell within, communicate with, and govern our worlds.thestack.org
810 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the formation and evolution of urban design ideas in Tokyo Bay are examined, focusing on two epochal mega-projects, Tange's 1960 Tokyo Bay Plan and the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21.
Abstract: The Tokyo Bay is characterized by one of the highest concentrations of mega-projects in Asia. However, the tradition of mega-project development in this region can be traced back to the megastructural movement in the 1960s from which it drew inspiration in planning and design. From the megastructural movement in the 1960s to the ongoing mega-projects in Tokyo Bay, there has been a marked evolution in planning concepts and urban development strategies. Underlying these changes is the substantial transformation of economic patterns and social ideologies that occurred as Japanese society entered the post-industrial era. To examine the formation and evolution of urban design ideas in Tokyo Bay, this paper focuses on two epochal mega-projects, Tange's 1960 Tokyo Bay Plan and the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21, and compares them in terms of their socio-economic objectives, planning approaches, relationships between architecture and infrastructure and the notion of symbolism embodied in the project. Through the analys...
59 citations
Book•
9 Apr 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the Spirit of Experimentation by Anne-Ange Brayer is used to describe non-standard orders: ''nsa codes'' by Frederic Migayrou.
Abstract: Introduction by Jane Alison * The Spirit of Experimentation by Marie-Ange Brayer * Non-standard Orders: `nsa codes' by Frederic Migayrou * New Babylon * New Urban Habitat * Organic City * Inflatable City Megastructure * The Oblique City * The Metabolists * Radical Architecture in Italy * The Delirious Metropolis * Concept City Deconstruction * Machine Architecture * Urban Intervention Experimental Living * Non-standard architecture * Contemporary Process * Architects and Works
32 citations
TL;DR: The development of the Central Area at Cumbernauld New Town was a landmark in town centre design and an intriguing example of the convergence between architectural modernism and town planning in the 1950s and 1960s as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The development of the Central Area at Cumbernauld New Town was a landmark in town centre design and an intriguing example of the convergence between architectural modernism and town planning in the 1950s and 1960s. This paper, which considers the genesis, development and subsequent reassessment of this extraordinary structure, comprises five main parts. The first supplies conceptual background, by seeing the Central Area as an expression of thinking about megastructures. The next section examines the background to the designation of Cumbernauld New Town and the challenges that its location posed for town centre design. The third part discusses the way that Cumbernauld’s town centre, one of the few megastructures ever built, evolved as the chosen form for this site, looking at the progress from initial ideas through to the formal design. The fourth section reviews the various phases of implementation, concentrating on the two initial phases – the only ones that proceeded in line with the original megastru...
19 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the West Kowloon development in Hong Kong by considering the kowloon Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station and its attached properties in the form of a megastructure.
Abstract: This article examines the West Kowloon development in Hong Kong by considering the Kowloon Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station and its attached properties in the form of a megastructure. It begins by reviewing the socio-political and economic background of the project in its historical context, which has ultimately given the urban development project its unique characteristics. For a more clear understanding, various types of megastructure prototypes are analysed in comparison to the Kowloon MTR station and the properties in the West Kowloon development. The article describes the entire process of the megastructure, from the formation of the architectural design concept to its final realization. A final part concludes with a consideration of the project as a megastructure and as a significant node along the metro network in Hong Kong. Through the case study of the West Kowloon development, this article aims to assess the spatial characteristics and configurations of the megastructure project, and to establish the criteria by which to critique it in an architectural context.
19 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2016 | 6 |