Henri Lefebvre on Space: Architecture, Urban Research, and the Production of Theory

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In this innovative work, Lukasz Stanek frames a uniquely contextual appreciation of Henri Lefebvres idea that space is a social product. Stanek explicitly confronts both the philosophical and the empirical foundations of Lefebvres oeuvre, especially his direct involvement in the fields of urban development, planning, and architecture.
Countering the prevailing view, which reduces Lefebvres theory of space to a projection of his philosophical positions, Stanek argues that Lefebvres work grew out of his concrete, empirical engagement with everyday practices of dwelling in postwar France and his exchanges with architects and planners. Stanek focuses on the interaction between architecture, urbanism, sociology, and philosophy that occurred in France in the 1960s and 1970s, which was marked by a shift in the processes of urbanization at all scales, from the neighborhood to the global level. Lefebvres thinking was central to this encounter, which informed both his theory of space and the concept of urbanization becoming global.
Stanek offers a deeper and clearer understanding of Lefebvres thought and its implications for the present day. At a time when cities are increasingly important to our political, spatial, and architectural world, this reassessment proposes a new empirical, and practical, interpretation of Lefebvres ideas on urbanism.

Reviews

"Henri Lefebvres diverse contributions to sociospatial and urban theory have inspired considerable commentary in recent years. Lukasz Staneks brilliant, erudite book takes the discussion to a new level of philosophical sophistication while also grounding Lefebvres work in relation to a series of concrete engagements with architecture and urbanism in postwar France. This is a pathbreaking work, indispensable for anyone concerned to understand Lefebvres powerful contemporary resonance as an urban thinker." Neil Brenner, New York University

"This book is a strong and important reassessment of the theories and writings of Lefebvre. As cities are becoming more and more an essential part of our political, spatial, and architectural world, Lukasz Stanek launches a type of new generational take on Lefebvre, one that is both more contextual and more speculative." Mark Jarzombek, MIT

Author Bio

Lukasz Stanek is postdoctoral researcher and teacher at the Institute of History and Theory of Architecture (GTA), Faculty of Architecture, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.