Novels and the architecture possess many similarities.
Great writers observe the world to the tiniest details and then make the most remarkable connections.
This observation gives us great stories and experiences whether it is imagined or real. And eventually, everything connects – people, ideas, and objects.
Architects also make endless connections from materials, to geography, to time, to people, to experiences and statements of our own beliefs, all coming together in the design of a space.
Novels are therefore a great way to tell architects of creative possibilities. Here is a list of 7 novels that every architect should read and open up the architectural world.
1) Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
The novel is revolving around the philosophical discovery of the true concept of Quality, something that architects are constantly battling with. Pirsig infers that quality is something that can not be faked.
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” will take you on an exciting story with a deeper thought of what quality really means to you, and in turn, to your architecture.
To buy this book click here.
2) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
As the title suggests the novel pays attention to small things in life and how they connect to bigger things. To buy this book click here.
3) The little prince by Antoine de saint – Exupery
The Novel is known for looking beyond the world at first glance. Saint-Exupery takes you aback to the beauty and wonder of being a child, and the power of emotions that can come with certain experiences.
“The Little Prince” inspires you to “think outside the box,” and re-embodies the fascination with the world that is sometimes diluted with age. To buy this click here.
4) Austerlitz by W.G.Sebald
Sebald constructs a story that revolves around the creation of identity through memory, born from the relationship between Austerlitz and the narrator that arises from their common interests in history and architecture.
The novel is a tour through elements of architectural history with a personal story, making it informative as well as engaging.
To buy this book click here
5) The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand
It is a novel fighting for integrity and honesty, and against conformity and prestige. “The Fountainhead” forces you to think deeply about the honesty of your practice, and communicating your beliefs on what you think is of importance in this world, through architecture.
It questions everything about history, authority, and tradition, in favor of uncompromising authenticity.
To buy this book click here.
6) The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The central theme of Ondaatje’s novel is the layers that accumulate over a rose, an object, or a place over time to shape something new.
The novel conveys the message that the memories encapsulated within the architecture are not only beautiful but also thought-provoking from an architectural perspective.
How do the history and time together give a new form? How does the organization of space, nations, borders and labels fit into architecture?
Buy the book and know the answers to above questions here
7) The Aleph and other Stories by Jorge Luis Borges
The Aleph and other stories are all about imagining the unimaginable spaces. Is there any possibility of experiencing endless space or shifting the space?
Borges pushes the boundaries of what space is and consequently the architecture. To buy this book click here.