The Loneliness of a Long Distant Future

This book is about the passing of global events and conflicts in some geographical spaces through the window of contemporary architecture. It is about the obliteration of existing contexts (in Kosovo, Jerusalem, Samarkhand, Tibet) and the formation of new architectural identities in the twenty-first century. The author takes the reader into regions that are witnessing catastrophic changes. He recalls the initial concerns of modern architecture, of bringing about social transformation through design. Having witnessed the growing disorder in these regions, he argues for the need to engage architecture as a solution. In the essays that compose this book, Romi Khosla re-defines the broader social concerns of architecture. He argues for new architectural ideals while accepting the need for ethic-free haute couture designer buildings. This is required for the newly emergent polarities that are becoming apparent: issues like order and disorder, state and non-state government, globalization and regional resistances to it. He concludes with two ambitious solutions, as metaphors of architecture in regions where dirty military solutions have been imposed on communities.