Utopia and Reality in

Architecture

The University

of Melbourne

Faculty of

Architecture

and Design

702613_Production of Digital Space

By: 320534_Gustavo Carezzato

“It is good to remember that Utopia is nothing but

the reality of tomorrow and that today’s reality

is yesterday’s utopia” Le Corbusier, Modulor

Abstract

This project explores the “extremes” in

architecture: utopia and reality,

nevertheless everything in between

regarded technology (digital spaces),

procedures and social transition, after the

sixties (60’s).

Considering that Utopia is in contradiction

with reality (Camus, Albert, 1988 Between Hell and

Reason), the ideologies that aim to transform

or explain the world sometimes forget

(intentionally or naively) the contradictions

of the practical world.

Therefore this article faces Utopia as a place

of ideal perfection, which is nothing more

than the product of abstract thought (Shaffer, Butler teacher at the Southwestern

University School of Law, 30 March 2004).

Furthermore, reality as a concept where

there are better and worse ways of

accomplishing ends, mindful that in

architectural practice the vision of “ideal

will be forever up dating” and technology

will make easier to materialize any design

project.

Above all, utopia and reality reflect a

process that is a cycle itself. There is no

right or wrong. There is just the fact that

architecture nowadays is living in a

realization period because of the advance

of technology, new materials and

perspectives of the building and

community1.

It also refers to digital spaces, designs, study

of economics (evaluation of comparative

advantages), the costs, benefits from

actions, the long and the short terms, the

psychological aspect as well the transition

of the process.

Introduction

The high level of technology brings today a

new concept of space. Therefore, the

design process not just changed but

developed better ways of communication

and achieved great production’s results.

There are software’s such as Rhinoceros©,

Autodesk© Revit and Autodesk© 3D Max 2

which represent this evolution.

This article describes the design process

enhancing the importance of the

transitions’ techniques used in the past till

the present day. To illustrate that consider

three different periods: middle age,

modernism and the present day.

1 As an example, there is a short story told by Fernando

Pessoa's released as "The Anarchist Banker" which

demonstrates the flexibility of the social ideologies among

its own supporters, presenting a character that even

though he says he is an anarchist in theory and practice, he

owns a powerful financial institution: a bank. The apparent

paradox is explained in a sophisticated sociological

discourse. (book available at:

http://www.cfh.ufsc.br/~magno/bancanarco.htm) 2 Software’s features and applications will be explained

later on.

The factor which is present at all times is

the improvisation in architecture. The

difference among them is that today the

technology makes it possible, providing a

better result. Actually, in many fields,

technology appears as a problem solving

tool that already changed the way of living

for present societies.

The future will be based in these societies,

and the more people access the digital

world (internet, softwares, games, etc), the

best will be the development of digital

spaces.

"In the next few years the struggle will not be

between utopia and reality, but between

different utopias, each trying to impose itself on

reality ... we can no longer hope to save

everything, but ... we can at least try to save

lives, so that some kind of future, if perhaps not

the ideal one, will remain possible." (Albert

Camus, Between Hell and Reason)

1. Transition

To achieve understanding of how digital

production is changing the concept of space

is important to notice that the

representation and visualization process is

divided in two aspects: 1. transition of

design production from paper to digital; 2.

the importance of evolution of technology

and the creation of virtual spaces that are

so common nowadays; 3. education

1.1. From paper to digital

Paper itself is not opposed to the digital but

against certain design practices that treat

both the image and the modes of

representation as an unproblematic and

neutral transformative space. In the past

(medieval period), for instance, the space’s

representation was limited to few people

with access to knowledge and construction

skills at the same time. Analyzing Gothic

architecture as a remarkable period where

cathedrals were monuments of Christianity,

built in centuries, imagine the degree of

difficulty for those who were actually

constructing3. Considering the site,

drawings, materials and person in charge,

there were no architect or engineer but

master builder (craftsmen/architects).

There is a book named: The Pillars of the

Earth (1989), by Ken Follet4, based in

extensive research about the construction

of cathedrals in Europe. Follet’s describes

how was the representation process for the

construction itself related to the social

aspects from that time (Image 1).

The idea about how technology changes

time-space and how it is connect to utopia

and reality will be discussed later on in this

document.

3 Construction of the Gothic church (Cologne cathedral)

began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to

complete – a period of over 600 years. It is 144.5 meters

long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall

(http://www.koelner-dom.de - Cologne Cathedral)

4 Author of The Pillars of the Earth - In a time of civil war,

famine and religious strife, there rises a magnificent

Cathedral in Kingsbridge. Against this backdrop, lives

entwine. At once, this is a sensuous and enduring love

story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a

passionate age.

Image 1: Representation of design production in

1880s. Ref.: www.http://www.ken-

follett.com/pote/illustrations.html

Comparing middle age to Modernist times

in architecture, the implementation of new

techniques raised significantly the number

of people with knowledge based design,

resulting in more detailed representations

and efficient constructions in much less

time.

An example for that is the designing and

construction process of Brasilia5, (Brazil). At

that time Lucio Costa6 and Oscar Niemeyer

7

won the contest to build the new capital

(Image 2). Because of the complexity of the

project, short period to conclude the

construction and facing the limitation in

communication at that time, the designing

team was allocated to the region to work on

the representation (drafts) and to control all

process. Everything was made line by line,

plan by plan, section by section. For

instance, to make a project’s alteration was

necessary to manage all others drawings

one by one8.

5 Brasília is a planned city. It was built in 41 months and

was inaugurated on April 21, 1960. The construction of the

city was ordered by President Juscelino Kubitschek. The

main urban planner was Lúcio Costa and the chief

architect of most the public buildings was Oscar Niemeyer.

The city plan was based on Le Corbusier ideas

(http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Bras%C

3%ADlia/). 6 Lucio Costa (1902/1998) was a pioneer and one of the

most important modernist architects in Brazil. 7Oscar Nyemeyer – Brazilian architect who is considered

one of the most important names in international modern

architecture. 8 Mastering Revit Architecture 2008 / Tatja Dzambazova/

Greg Demchak / Eddy Krygiel

Image 2: Representation of urban planning from

Brasilia, BRA, by Lucio Costa,1956. Ref.:

www.http://pessoas.hsw.uol.com.br/brasilia.htm

Then, during the period of 1990 to 1995,

considering the implementation of CAD9 in

many architectural offices, the space’s

representation started changing.

It is important to notice that the production

and representation played a

complementary role. CAD helped in terms

of visualization, details and variety of

information which transformed the way to

see design production. However, still there

is paper, drafts and old style architecture.

Since that period into the present day, new

types of softwares appeared claiming to

“help” professionals developing their

quality in representation of space.

Furthermore, this innovative circumstances

were not restricts just to an architectural

and engineering proposals but for industries

related to education, marketing, media,

government, transportation,

telecommunications and manufacturing.

There is a world leader in 2D and 3D design

software for manufacturing known as

Autodesk©, that contribute for this market

9 CAD – Computer-Aided Design

with a large number of users (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=

123112&id=5659302).

However, there are limitations to achieve

integration with others professionals

involved at the production process, because

few types of software compete to each

other and consequently there is no

recognition between them.

As an example for that, if there is an

architectural office using Autodesk© Revit

and an engineering office using CAD, they

will have to work together using paper as in

the past days.

Therefore, will be necessary to spend lots of

time to coordinate and manage every

necessary design alterations. As a result,

mistakes are more expressive if compared

to the BIM (Building Information

Modeling)10

process.

Considering more complex projects, there is

a necessity of being better in terms of result

and agility (connecting all points in charge,

such as: owner (client), professionals

(architects, consultants, constructors) and

providers). There is no need of paper or

drafts anymore caused by implementation

of BIM.

The association of design, manufacturing

and production is more connected than

ever and it is not essential to manipulate

10

Building Information Modeling results in higher quality

work, greater speed and productivity, and lower costs for

building industry professionals in the design, construction,

and operation of buildings based in three points; A - create

and operate on digital databases for collaboration, B -

manage change throughout those databases so that a

change to any part of the database is coordinated in all

other parts, C - capture and preserve information for reuse

by additional industry-specific applications.

(http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/autodesk_bim.pdf)

materials at the construction site any more

(Image 3). Every component arrives on the

site already done to be built. One example

is the concept of Loblolly House11

that

shows an innovative structure involved

from design to production.

Image 3. The wall panels developed and refined

within the virtual model. The lower sequence of

images shows the same panels fabricated off-site

being delivered and installed on the site. (© Barry

Halkin, KieranTimberlake Associates) ref.:

11 Loblolly House won the BIM Award citations for both of

the categories in which it was submitted: Creating Stellar

Architecture Using BIM, which recognizes outstanding

quality of architectural design achieved through the use of

BIM; and Outstanding Design for Fabrication Using BIM,

which looks at how BIM enabled fabrication rules and

techniques to be incorporated into the design.

(http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/01/05/prefab-friday-loblolly-

house/)

http://www.aecbytes.com/buildingthefuture/2007/

BIM_Awards_Part1.html

As a result of implementation (BIM), some

important aspects have been emerged,

such as time savings, efficiency, productivity

and a new world of possibilities in

architecture, engineering and construction

production (Image 4).

It is the realization of the Utopia’s past and

the beginning of a new era of Utopia for the

future.

Image 4. Some views of the completed Loblolly

House project. (© Barry Halkin, KieranTimberlake

Associates)

1.2 Evolution of technology

The second important issue of that

transition is the appearance of many virtual

spaces based on a high technology and

acceptance from the society. Considering

that the first important aspect was the

evolution of researching tools and the

second, the implementation of the

electronic-mail (email); both created a

revolution in communication generally. The

time was not a barrier any more. People

where connected everywhere around the

globe, anytime.

This digital data or digital information acted

as a direct influence for the concept

emerging of space, realizing the Utopia of

being in two places (real and virtual) at

same time.

A paradigm shift occurred when people

started to figure out how best to use the

power of computers and the Internet was in

order to do things faster and better. In early

80’s, as many new technologies were being

introduced to the public, the discipline of

Architecture also benefited significantly

when an architectural design tools began to

be developed. Shortly thereafter, people

began to move away from traditional 2D

design and closer towards 3D CAD/BIM.

Many virtual spaces are available today not

just as social communities such as,

Facebook© (www.facebook.com/) and Orkut©

(www.orkut.com/), but also through internet

games like Second Life (http://secondlife.com/)

and World of warcraft

(www.worldofwarcraft.com).

Seems that the more society uses

technology and appliances, the more

devices will be created to develop this new

space. It is an attempt to make the virtual

looks even more alike the real.

Furthermore, there is the tendency from

architecture’s schools to upgrade their

educational systems in order to prepare

future professionals for the unstoppable

advance of technology. A variety of books

are available and a new era in on line or

virtual classrooms from schools12

started to

12

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Established

in 1865, the Department of Architecture at MIT is the

oldest and one of the most highly respected in the United

States. Through a program called OpenCourseWare, MIT

offers almost all its classes online - for free. Downloads

rise. A whole new world opened up for

students, architects and engineers.

1.3 Education

Nowadays you can also learn from your

desk when it is most convenient for you.

This approach reflects virtual events

happening across the Internet as companies

responding to learner times and shrinking

budgets. Moreover, virtual events are

enabling participants from around the

world to meet and learn all in cyberspace13

.

Besides that, new methods of education are

being evaluated between architects and

Autodesk (software company mentioned

before) to develop, test and deliver tools

that are changing the industry in a positive

way while enabling architects to deliver the

work faster, better and more affordably. All

these inputs helps the software company

develop tools that best support the

workflow of the design and construction

industry.

Nevertheless that BIM Education

Corporation provides an affiliation of firms

and individuals, the collective resources of

which will allow the flexibility to offer

educational products and services for

projects of any size in international markets,

and to provide collective benefits to its

members.

include lecture notes, assignments, reading lists, and, in

some cases, galleries of student projects for more than

100 undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture.

MIT also offers some architecture courses in audio and

video formats.

(http://architecture.about.com/od/schools/tp/freecourses

.htm) 13

Cyberspace does not have a standard, objective

definition. Instead, it is used to describe the virtual world

of computers.

(http://www.techterms.com/definition/cyberspace)

The movement and communication across

space, from the geographical stretching-out

of design production, and the professional

experiences currently have been increasing

internationalization in the design process.

2. Improvisation in Architecture

Thinking about improvisation in

architecture14

is actually thinking of a real-

time improvisational system employing

evolutionary principles for the

transformation of space.

Improvisation in architecture shows how it

is possible to achieve the best quality in

production using alternatives design

process, based in a high level of technology.

But a design process based on graphic

computing and advanced visual

representations does not necessarily

exclude cognitive design processes. Design

computing can as well engage in the

visualization of abstract aspects of design

problems, and the rendering of the

relations between those aspects in

diagrams. Also structural or compositional

issues could as well benefit from graphic

design computing. (The Renaissance of Visual

Thinking - BIRGER SEVALDSON)

2.1 BIM (Building Integration Modeling)

BIM is the perfect example to visualize and

understand more about Utopia,

improvisation and reality related to

architecture.

14

An improviser thinks about what he is doing at different

levels of abstraction simultaneously. Continuously

switching between the macro- and micro-levels, he

attends to the minute details at one moment, only to

switch to structural development a second later (http://www.springerlink.com/content/5t2aea1vly6b422w/)

Building Information Modeling covers

geometry, geographic information, spatial

relationships, quantities and properties of

building components (for example

manufacturers' details). It can be used to

demonstrate the entire building life cycle

including the processes of construction and

facility operation. Quantities and shared

properties of materials can be extracted,

not to mention that specifics situations of

work can be isolated and defined. Systems

and sequences are able to be shown in a

relative scale with the whole facility or

group of facilities.

BIM is a process which differs from the

traditional sequence of drawings in the

parametric nature of it and goes far beyond

switching to new software. It requires

changes of the definition of traditional

architectural phases and more data sharing

than most architects and engineers are

used to. This will reflect on structured text

documents such as specifications may be

able to be searched and linked to regional,

national, and international standards.

The system is being responsible to act

consistently into project teams, producing

reliable information in a common

collaborative environment, increasing

understanding of design intent, improving

efficiency, and showing new ways of

working that creates more sustainable

design and construction. For instance,

integrated project delivery (IPD)15

is an

emerging business model in the building

industry that allows for the entire extended

team to collaborate early in the process to

make the most effective decisions together.

The IPD process is built on behavior and

contractual relationships that are increased

15

IDP - Integrated Project Delivery

by incorporating the technology-based

process of BIM.

“The time has come for geospatial to take

the hand of BIM and move toward the

building community and architecture.”

(http://vector1media.com/vectorone/?p=349)

2.2. Parametric Modeling

Since the 1960s the parametric modeling

has been present, but the design

production focused on is more common

nowadays. This is possible by a high

technology level for design production

where the time-space has been changing

usual characteristics.

One example of this: “the team can change

geometric features of a building and see

how the change affects, say, aerodynamic

or acoustic properties. They can explore

how complex shapes that are hard to build

can be broken down into simpler ones, and

they can quickly calculate how much

material is needed to estimate the cost. The

results are buildings that would have been

impossible only a few decades ago, both

because their complex shapes were next to

impossible to construct and because of the

degree to which they exploit science to

interact optimally with their

environment.”16

16 Perfect buildings: the maths of modern architecture by

Marianne Freiberger.

(http://plus.maths.org/issue42/features/foster/)

2.3. Intelligent Materials and Simulations

Here the article describes the relationship

between Utopia and reality beyond the

implementation of intelligent materials and

simulations (Image 5) in architectural field.

The result of this is a reconfiguration of

thinking and producing space as

“adaptable, flexible and responsive – in

short, a fluid object”17

.

Image 5: A model of air currents flowing around the

Gherkin. Image © Foster + Partners.

(http://plus.maths.org/issue42/features/foster/)

2.3. Art and design

Looking at creative design computing it is

important to deal with certain dogmas that

obscure the understanding of what these

processes really are. The computer is

regarded as a rational tool and what is seen

on the screen often is taken as a simulation

based on logics.

To understand what is going on and take

advantage from design computing as a

generative technique were parts of the

design process are taken out of the

designers control and given over to the

machine, it is necessary to accept that

designers and artists playing and

17

The Zimbabwe Bush Pump: Mechanics of a Fluid

Technology – Amrianne de Laet and Annemarie Mol –

social studies of science 30/2 (April 2000) 225-63

experimenting with computers more than

often operate beyond pure rationality.

Though, there is a tendency to label and

explain what it is made in phrases that

seem to be based in rational explanations

there is often not any consistency in these

explanations. This may be a natural way of

working, or it may be a result from an

unfinished tentative exploration of the

potentials in a relatively new technology.

Designers have a lot to learn from

electronic artists who have been much

more able to accept and explore the

imaginative potential in new technologies.

A very well known, architect Frank Gehry18

is a visionary professional that is not afraid

of improvisation and definitely invests in

technology and communication to achieve

the results he wants in terms of the

realization of an “utopian project”. For

many architects such as, Norman Foster19

,

18

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in

1929. His deconstructed architectural style began to

emerge in the late 1970s when Gehry, directed by a

personal vision of architecture, created collage-like

compositions out of found materials. Instead of creating

buildings, Gehry creates ad-hoc pieces of functional

sculpture. Gehry's architecture has undergone a marked

evolution from the plywood and corrugated-metal

vernacular of his early works to the distorted but pristine

concrete of his later works. However, the works retain a

deconstructed aesthetic that fits well with the increasingly

disjointed culture to which they belong.

(http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Frank_Gehry.h

tml) 19

Norman Foster: was born in Manchester in 1935. After

graduating from Manchester University School of

Architecture and City Planning in 1961 he won a Henry

Fellowship to Yale University, where he gained a Master’s

Degree in Architecture. Since its inception, the practice has

received 470 awards and citations for excellence and has

won more than 86 international and national

competitions.

(http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Team/SeniorPartners

/11/Default.aspx)

Zara Hadid20

and Rem Koolhaas21 there is

no limitation, there is improvisation in the

architectural process.

Based on the idea of “what separates good

design from bad design may be determined

more by how people deal with the

experience of thrownness and interruption

than by the substance of the design itself”22

,

the article uses the examples below not to

determine good or bad design results.

To picture the idea of improvisation in

architecture, this article mention three

projects which is possible to see a new

perspective of representing form and space

beyond relationship between high

technology level and digital space of

production.

The first relevant project is The

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Image 6),

Spain (1992) by Frank Gerhy.

20

Zara Hadid is first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for

Architecture in its 26 year history, ZAHA HADID (1950-) has

defined a radically new approach to architecture by

creating buildings, such as the Rosenthal Center for

Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, with multiple perspective

points and fragmented geometry to evoke the chaos of

modern life.( http://www.designmuseum.org/design/zaha-hadid) 21

A Dutch graduate of the AA School in London, Rem

Koolhas is both a rhetorical architect and a creator of real

physical buildings. He has been considered a noted

Deconstructivist at least since the major MOMA exhibition

in New York during 1987 or 1988, although Koolhaas tends

perhaps toward the more humanist, less absolute branch

of the Deconstructivist School.

(http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Rem_Koolhaas

.html) 22

Managing as Designing: Edited by Richard J. Boland, Jr.

and Fred Collopy, Standford Business Books

(http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=1448)

Image 6: Picture from Guggenheim Museum in

Bilbao (http://www.culturefeast.com/frank-gehry-

and-fetishism-ofform/)

The second relevant example is Vilnius

Guggenheim Heritage Museum in Vilnius,

Lithuania (Image 7) project by Zaha Hadid.

Image 7: Perspective of Vilnius Guggenheim Heritage

Museum (http://www.tuvie.com/guggenheim-

hermitage-museum-by-zaha-hadid)

The last example is Casa da Musica (Image

8), “Music’s House” free translation from

Portuguese to English; Porto, Portugal by

Rem Koolhaas.

Image 8: Casa da Musica by Rem Koolhaas. Photo ©

Christian Richters

(http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfo

lio/archives/0507oporto.asp)

3. Case Study

To explore this idea about time and design’s

production using a digital space, this article

will describe the design project of Nordpark

Cable Railway (Image 9), by Zaha Hadid.

Image 9: Congress Station by Thomas Mayer

(http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfo

lio/archives/0805nordpark-1.asp)

3.1. Case Study Introduction

The 1.8 km long Nordpark Cable Railway,

comprised of four new stations (Congress,

Loewenhaus, Alpenzoo and Hungerburg)

and a cable-stayed suspension bridge over

the river Inn, connecting the center of

Innsbruck to the top of the mountain in less

than half an hour.

The design for each station adapts to the

specific site conditions at various altitudes,

whilst maintaining the coherent overall

architectural language of fluidity. This

approach was critical to the design for the

railway, and demonstrates the seamless

morphology of Hadid’s most recent

architecture.

The project’s result gave the mention of

Zaha Hadid on The World’s 50 Most

Innovative Companies by SOM23

(http://www.archdaily.com/?s=Nordpark+Cable+Rail

way).

3.2. Description

Total roof structure area (all stations

inclusive): 2,500 square meters

Client: inkb (innsbrucker nordkettenbahnen

gmbh)

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

Design: Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher

Project Architect: Thomas Vietzke

Design Team: Jens Borstelmann and Markus

Planteu

23

SOM: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

(http://www.som.com/content.cfm/www_home)

Production Team: Caroline Andersen,

Makakrai Suthadarat, Marcela Spadaro,

Anneka Wagener, Adriano di Gionnis, Peter

Pichler, Susann Berggren

Local Partner: Malojer Baumanagement

GmbH

Planning Adviser: ILF Beratende Ingenieure

ZT

Contractor: Strabag AG

Engines & Cables Contractor: Leitner GmbH

Facade Contractor: Pagitz Metalltechnik

GmbH

Structural Engineers (concrete base):

Baumann & Obholzer Ziviltechniker

Structural Engineers (roof structure):

Bollinger Grohmann Schneider ZT

Bridge/Track Engineer: ILF Beratende

Ingenieure ZT

*Drawing: Zaha Hadid Architects - Site Plan

*Rendering Zaha Hadid Architects

Congress Station

*Longitudinal Section Congress Station by Zaha

Hadid Architects

*Congress Station - Photo: Thomas Mayer

*Rendering Zaha Hadid Architects

Loewenhaus Station

*Longitudinal Section Loewenhaus Station by Zaha

Hadid Architects

*Loewenhaus Station - Photo: Thomas Mayer

*Rendering Zaha Hadid Architects

Alpenzoo Station

*Alpenzoo Station - Photo: Thomas Mayer

*Rendering Zaha Hadid Architects

Hungerburg Station

*Longitudinal Section Hungerburg Station by Zaha

Hadid Architects

*Hungerburg Station - Photo: Thomas Mayer

*Images, renderings and drawings are from

arcspace.com

(http://www.arcspace.com/architects/hadid/nordpa

rk/nordpark.html)

4. Conclusion

The incorporation of high technology to the

daily life of society becomes transparent to

our activities, so that rarely, it is possible to

realize how much the technology has been

defined several changes of paradigm of

different aspects in society.

In this sense, mentioned as an example the

emergence of a redefinition of time-space

in architecture practice enabled by the

migration from information on the paper to

the digital environment (computer).

A parallel between this change and other

possible changes quietly, focusing on

question the practice of contemporary

architecture which is experiencing a

profound - and possibly silent - change of

paradigms, based on intensive use of digital

technology now no longer only in the stage

of development of projects in architecture,

but throughout the time between Utopia

and reality.

Based on high technology level, between

design production, space production and

materials, Utopia and reality now are more

connected than ever and time-space

between both is smaller each day.

References:

KIEFERLE, J. et al. 2006. Interactive Simulation of

architecture in Virtual Environments. In: V.

BOURDAKIS e D. CHARITOS (eds), Proceedings of the

24th Conference on Education in Computer Aided

Architectural Design in Europe 2006. Volos, Greece.

KOLAREVIC, B. 2003. Architecture in the digital age:

design and manufacturing. New York, Spon Press,

313p.

MITCHEL, W.J. 2005. Constructing Complexity. In: B.

MARTENS e A. BROWN (eds), Computer Aided

Architectural Design Futures 2005. Vienna, Austria.

MITCHELL, W.J. 1996. City of Bits, space, place, and

the infoban. Cambridge, The MIT Press, 225 p.

Sites:

EACbytes

2007 Third Annual BIM Awards, Part 1 http://www.aecbytes.com/buildingthefuture/2007/

BIM_Awards_Part1.html

Plus Magazine … living mathematics http://plus.maths.org/issue42/features/foster/

Great Buildings http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Frank_Ge

hry.html

Foster + Partners http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Team/SeniorPar

tners/11/Default.aspx

Tuvie Design of the Future

http://www.tuvie.com/guggenheim-hermitage-

museum-by-zaha-hadid

arcspace.com (http://www.arcspace.com/architects/hadid/nordpa

rk/nordpark.html)

SOM.com

http://www.som.com/content.cfm/www_home

arch daily http://www.archdaily.com/?s=Nordpark+Cable+Rail

way

MIMOA – mi modern architecture http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Austria/Innsbruck/N

ordpark%20Cable%20Railway

World Building Directory http://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/project.cf

m?id=48

archiDE http://archide.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/nordpar

k-cable-railway-by-zaha-hadid-architects-austria/

Architectural Record http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfol

io/archives/0805nordpark-1.asp

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfol

io/archives/0507oporto.asp

guardian.ca.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2007/dec/

03/architecture.railtravel?picture=331434481