OASE 86 / Baroque

In OASE 86 the architecture of the baroque era is placed under the microscope and assessed with regard to its relevance for modern and contemporary architecture. On the basis of several historical studies, this issue examines how the complex geometric compositions and surface treatments of the baroque might be coupled with contemporary design practice. To that end, the authors turn their attention to buildings from this epoch (which often receive too little attention), such as the Bohemian baroque of Santini Aichel and the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor, and examine the reception of the baroque by architects such as Hans Scharoun and Luigi Moretti.
The manner in which the baroque has been a fertile medium for recent architectural practice in Europe is investigated in interviews with Hermann Czech and Christ & Gantenbein and in studies of the work of, for example, Robbrecht & Daem and Valerio Olgiati. This reveals that architects are repeatedly and purposefully employing the baroque as an antidote when design practice or architecture theory is in danger of becoming sterile.
OASE is an independent, international journal published in Dutch and English that features architecture, urban design and landscape design. Each issue is devoted to a topical theme and thus makes an important contribution to the international discourse within these fields. OASE is published three times a year.