Sublime Visions: Architecture in the Alps

The Alps—a place for utopias over time

In the eighteenth century the Alps became the subject of a new view of nature, which crystallized in the sublime. Oscillating between fear and fascination, this sensual experience triggered a thrilling borderline experience: travelers ventured to the mountain world full of longing and projected a variety of different dreams onto the "wild nature" that had yet to be explored. To what extent has the sublime influenced architecture in the Alps, from the early days of tourism to the present? Prompted by this question, the author analyzes Alpine architecture in its historical context and offers a critical assessment of contemporary tourism. This is a book that inspires us to reflect on the future of building in the Alps and on our relationship with nature.

• Alpine architecture in the context of cultural history
• A broad spectrum with an original approach: from the philosophy of the sublime to visionary architecture
• Edition Angewandte – Book Series of the University of Applied Arts Vienna