Portable architecture : design and technology /

Following an introductory essay that situates portable architecture as a vital and expanding enterprise in contemporary life, Kronenburg (Univ. of Liverpool), a leading authority on the subject, has assembled 31 contemporary mobile structures by 22 firms under five headings: "Exhibition and Commerce," "Entertainment," "Shelter and Residential," "Arts and Education," and "Military and Expedition." Using paper tubing, wood, stressed cable domes, inflatables, shipping containers, polycarbonate elements, aluminum, and computer technologies, many of these structures stack, swell, puff up, and curve about while serving their various purposes. Each featured structure is represented by a cogent explanatory essay and a lively visual presentation consisting of numerous black-and-white and color photographs and structural drawings. The spirits of R. Buckminster Fuller and Archigram loom over every delightful page. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J. Quinan University at Buffalo, SUNY