“Megastructures: The City as a Building.” Jonathan Barnett. 1. What essential question is the author addressing? The main question explained is how the city as a building can be shaped in different forms and how it can impact cities and its system of living in different ways. Powered by relative new technologies of the late 19th century such as streetcars, new materials, and construction methods, as well as other mechanisms of transportation, the beginnings of mobile architecture, started to flourish. 2. What is the thesis being examined or proposed, in what context? Several ideas of elevating walkways for pedestrians and have separate physical hierarchies of roads, one for cars, transportation, pedestrians, etc. have been presented by different architects and …show more content…
What essential question is the author addressing? The essential question addressed is the relationship between the building and the dwelling itself, and the building and the urban fabric that is around it. One of the most important arguments is the individual lot and private houses that contribute to individual gain vs. the bigger picture that is the urban fabric, its streets, public buildings and public squares or plazas. And more importantly how this concept of superblocks is a type of types, not a simple unique building typology that is indeed destroying the traditional aspects of cities. 2. What is the thesis being examined or proposed, in what context? Superblocks can vary in size and form depending on the street that is in front of the building, the function, it can also consist in separate buildings or one untied one, however, they all have one main purpose, which is the economic gain driven by these structures. Moreover, the 18th and 19th century introduced a new hierarchy of spaces and buildings, however, superblocks were considered part of the overall structure of the city, meaning it did not stand out. 3. What are the stakes (why is this important for