New London-based publishing platform Volume has reissued English architectural critic and writer Reyner Benham's seminal work on large-scale structures in a new "Megastructure" book, which was originally published in 1976. 

Through the new edition of the book, Volume aims to revitalize Benham's very first in-depth critics and multiple points of view with new illustration and printing techniques, as well as in response to the 21st Century's city builders and technologists.

It is a rare book that captures the zeitgeist of a particular period, and a rare writer who can present that spirit through references that range from art history to engineering, from architectural theory to pop culture. British-born author, critic, and cultural commentator Reyner Banham is generally regarded by manyas the finest architecture and design critic of his generation, if not of all time.

Before he died prematurely, at the age of 66, Banhampenned many essays and books. His paean to Los Angeles,The Architecture of Four Ecologies, played a vital role in transforming the city from a design hinterland to a hotbed of innovation. 

But it is Megastructure, published in 1976, that is perhaps the best testiment of the breadth of his knowledge, of his enthusiasm for the possibilities of the built world, and his embrace of technology, all interwoven through his enlightened personal perspective – and animated by his often provocative positions. 

In Megastructure – loosely defined as the concept of a giant, adaptable, multipurpose building containing most of the functions of a city – Banham artfully and entertainingly chronicles its rise and fall, from its idealistic beginnings in the 1950s to its demise in the early 1970s.

"Originally published in 1976, this illuminating book will find resonance with those who lived through an exciting periodof visionary architectural ideas and the lively characterswho espoused them, and will attract a new audience amonga younger generation of architects and designers facing the challenges of today," said Lucas Dietrich, publisher of Volume.

Presented on Volume, this revitalizated edition of Megastructure retains the original layouts and imagery, but has been completely overhauled using 21st-century production and printing techniques. 

The book is offered in two forms, including a collector’s edition limited to 250 copies and a lithograph of the rarely seen coloured rendering of Paul Rudolph’s 1970 Lower Manhattan Expressway project, which appears in monochrome on the cover of the original edition.

Volume, a start-up enterprise supported by independent visual-arts publisher Thames & Hudson, was founded by Lucas Dietrich and Darren Wall to offer an alternative publishing model for creating, financing, producing, and selling high- quality illustrated and printed books throughout the world.

You can buy the book with different prices starting from £40.00 to £175.00 (including 5 book pack), plus, add your name in the book. 

All images courtesy of Volume

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