Yona Friedman was born in 1923 in Budapest, Hungary, and died in 2019 in Los Angeles, USA.
Yona Friedman studied architecture in Hungary and Israel, where he began his career, before settling in Paris in 1957.
His vision of architecture, urban planning, art and society is thoroughly visionary and anticipates most of the changes the world is currently undergoing. Halfway between creative utopia and concrete reality, he prioritises autonomy, personal fulfilment and the quality of social relationships. In the field of architecture, these humanist values are reflected in self-planning, mobility, cost-effectiveness and reversibility.
In the 1950s, he theorised and promoted the concept of ‘mobile architecture', designed with the inhabitants in mind.
His Spatial City—a suspended structure that can be dismantled and transformed by its occupants—is one example among many.
His world is inspired by universal myths and folk art, and numerous models illustrate his proposals.
Friedman has continually devised playful and universal languages to encourage residents to take ownership of their environment.
His drawings, slide shows and numerous publications address current challenges such as poverty, debt and global warming with realism and optimism, with a view to better conceiving how architecture can adapt to modern life, offering the public achievable perspectives.
Yona Friedman is renowned as one of the leading theorists of post-war utopias.
Artworks
Book, 286 pages
9.45 x 13.39 in ( 24 x 34,3 cm )
