Western society is being terrorized by fear. Whether concerning national security, road safety or the protection of public health, every form of risk is meant to be spread, accounted for or eradicated. The safety and security obsession is leaving behind ever more visible traces, especially in public space. Speed bumps, smoke-free zones and surveillance cameras serve a society where prevention is the order of the day.
This second book in the Group Portraits series - a collaboration between the Netherlands Architecture Fund and the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (Fonds BKVB) - once again brings together four groups of young and talented designers around a highly topical theme. As a sequel to the successful City Branding book, this publication explores the various aspects of fear and prevention and considers the impact on contemporary urban space in four chapters. All the stops are pulled out: text, photography, research and design alternate in a thought-provoking sequence.
This publication is the result of intensive research into the presence of fear in our Western society and the role that architecture might play herein. It is therefore an indispensable instrument for students, researchers, architects and policy-makers who are concerned with security issues