Form Follows Finance

Download or read book Form Follows Finance written by Carol Willis and published by Princeton Architectural Press. This book was released on 1995-11 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In contrast to standard histories that counterpose the design philosophies of the Chicago and New York "schools," Form Follows Finance shows how market formulas produced characteristic forms in each city - "vernaculars of capitalism" - that resulted from local land-use patterns, municipal codes, and zoning. Refuting some common cliches of skyscraper history such as the equation of big buildings with big business and the idea of a "corporate skyline," this book emphasizes the importance of speculative development and the impact of real estate cycles on the forms of buildings.