Archiflop
_ A very different kind of architecture guide
_ Remarkable but sensationally failed projects since the early 20th century
_ With an essay introducing different aspects of the topic
_ Extensive photographic documentation of the presented projects
Once an architectural project has emerged from the perfect atmosphere of the computer, the drawings and the 3-D models, it inevitably comes up against the logic of the real world. In most cases, this does not necessarily happen smoothly, but without major problems—sometimes, however, it goes really wrong! What remains are disappointed expectations and shattered dreams of overly optimistic architects, builders, and clients.
With a twinkle in the eye, this book presents a selection of the most spectacular architectural flops from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Each project is briefly described, the circumstances of its failure analyzed, and documented in detail with photos. The reader is taken to monumental ghost towns in Asia, the grotesque remnants of amusement parks, for example in the USA, and a nuclear power plant in Crimea. The author is not concerned with finding faults and condemning failed projects, but with reflecting on how difficult, if not impossible, it is for any kind of project to predict its own future.
