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Reyner Banham
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Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies Second Edition

by Reyner Banham (Author), Joe Day (Foreword)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
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Reyner Banham examined the built environment of Los Angeles in a way no architectural historian before him had done, looking with fresh eyes at its manifestations of popular taste and industrial ingenuity, as well as its more traditional modes of residential and commercial building. His construct of "four ecologies" examined the ways Angelenos relate to the beach, the freeways, the flatlands, and the foothills. Banham delighted in this mobile city and identified it as an exemplar of the posturban future. In a spectacular new foreword, architect and scholar Joe Day explores how the structure of Los Angeles, the concept of "ecology," and the relevance of Banham's ideas have changed over the past thirty-five years.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0520260155
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0520260153
  3. Edition
    Second
  4. Publisher
    University of California Press
  5. Publication date
    March 5, 2009
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
  8. Print length
    296 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“What [Banham] went looking for, and the way he wrote about what he saw and felt, redefined the way the intellectual world—and then the wider world—perceived the city. . . . Banham wrote like a blissed-out lover, surrendering to his feelings of derangement and wonder while keeping his eyes wide-open. . . . [Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies] has now been reissued in a new edition with an excellent introduction by architect and scholar Joe Day. It is a landmark in the history of writing L.A.” ― Los Angeles Times

“Still as penetrating now as when Banham completed his observations on the city in 1971.” ― LA Observed

“Four decades later [Banham’s] observations still seem sharp and illuminating. . . . Even now, to look at his aerial view of the I-10/405 interchange is to forget all the hours spent inching through its torn-up lanes and simply agree. The interchange is a work of art, full of rhythm, grit, and expansive grace—like Banham’s book itself. In one volume he does the near-impossible: He makes us see this fragmented city as a breathing whole. As he expected, its ephemerality has begun to look like a virtue. Los Angeles, the city built not to last, is the city that adapts.” ― Los Angeles Magazine

“[Los Angeles] has emerged as a central text on the city. . . . Perhaps because of its uncompromising vision, Banham's book has remained au courant.” ― Palisadian Post

"This is a book which everyone interested in the history of Los Angeles must read. It has the rare qualities of an original vision, an easy breezy style, and an organic order. Moreover, it is richly illustrated with over a hundred photographs, maps, and charts." ― Pacific Historical Review

"An excellent book." ― American Studies

About the Author

Reyner Banham (1922-1988) was Sheldon H. Solow Professor of the History of Architecture at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Joe Day leads deegan day design llc and serves on the design faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; Second edition (March 5, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520260155
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520260153
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

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Reyner Banham

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
62 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dean
5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding LA is to understand your future.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a terrific revelation of the myth and legend of LA. Although a work on this subject would be expected to have a short shelf life, this thing turns into an exceedingly insightful, strangely erudite, and soft warning of our fossil fuel based life— and its expectancy. What a ride!
3 people found this helpful
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cami viand
5.0 out of 5 stars really in depth and a great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2019
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well written, good accounts. interesting to see what's been torn down and what's still here 50 years later
3 people found this helpful
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Colette R.
3.0 out of 5 stars Fine
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2019
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Fine
2 people found this helpful
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James B. Garrison
5.0 out of 5 stars LA Re-visited
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2006
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Even though Banham's book was written in the early '70's, it remains a cogent view of a metropolis that has changed yet remained the same. It is a place, yes a real place, that is defined by geography and the various cultures of its inhabitants to a unique degree. Architecture is but a backdrop to Banham's larger point about the inter-relationship of people to the natural and built environments. The perspective of 35 years only sharpens the observations made by the insightful author.
26 people found this helpful
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S.L.K.
4.0 out of 5 stars Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2013
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I had to buy this book for school and Amazon had a great price. The ideas the author presents are interesting and his writing style is definitely interesting. I definitely recommend it for people who live in LA.
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Ying Hao
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2017
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Good read
2 people found this helpful
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John W. Ehrlich
5.0 out of 5 stars Still a classic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2011
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A wonderful introduction to the roots of L.A. and how it came to be what it was in the arly 70's, and amazingly still relevant for the 21st century.
3 people found this helpful
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wellson
5.0 out of 5 stars Required classic for anyone that loves Los Angeles
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2016
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A classic that every Angeleno should own - so sad that so much has disappeared
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Dr Cheeseburger
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book of any kind that I've ever read on ...
Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
The best book of any kind that I've ever read on any city. Banham takes the unusual position of embracing those negative clichés about LA and making us understand that there's a reason for them, even a benefit. The book reminds us of just how unique is the LA landscape and cityscape, and that its inhabitants, as much as the weather, beaches, freeways and mountains, contribute to its deserved reputation as a city like no other.
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Anne-Marie Clarke
1.0 out of 5 stars An easy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2017
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A romantic view of LA in its time of being written. An easy read
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