Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin: Architecture and Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century

Soules's excellent book makes sense of the capitalist forces we all feel but cannot always name. Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin arms architects and the general public with an essential understanding of how capitalism makes property. Required reading for those who think tomorrow can be different from today.-- Jack Self, coeditor of Real Estates: Life Without Debt

In Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin, Matthew Soules issues an indictment of how finance capitalism dramatically alters not only architectural forms but also the very nature of our cities and societies. We rarely consider architecture to be an important factor in contemporary economic and political debates, yet sparsely occupied ultra-thin pencil towers develop in our cities, functioning as speculative wealth storage for the superrich, and cavernous iceberg homes extend architectural assets many stories below street level. Meanwhile, communities around the globe are blighted by zombie and ghost urbanism, marked by unoccupied neighborhoods and abandoned housing developments.

Learn how the use of architecture as an investment tool has accelerated in recent years, heightening inequality and contributing to worldwide financial instability:

- See how investment imperatives shape what and how we build, changing the very structure of our communities
- Delve into high-profile projects, like the luxury apartments of architect Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue
- Understand the convergence of technology, finance, and spirituality, which together are configuring the financialized walls within which we eat, sleep, and work

Includes dozens of photos and drawings of architectural phenomena that have changed the way we live. Essential reading for anyone interested in architecture, design, economics, and understanding the way our world is formed.

Author: Matthew Soules
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Published: 05/18/2021
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781616899462

About the Author
Matthew Soules is an associate professor of architecture at the University of British Columbia and a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD). Soules has been visiting faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, a visiting associate professor at the GSD, and a guest critic at institutions throughout Canada and the United States. He is the founder and director of Matthew Soules Architecture.