Forty of the most innovative and visually striking buildings of the last 40 years are the subject of this book about "futuristic projects that have actually been built." Ranging from Eugene Tsui's Berkeley, CA, house for his parents to Norman Foster's London skyscraper for Swiss RE, the featured buildings are treated individually in sections that run between two to four pages in length and are grouped into three chapters: "Other Worlds," "Death Stars and TIE Fighters," and "Return of the Blob." As one might guess from the chapter titles, the text is sprinkled with references to imagery from popular science fiction movies. Although this makes for some amusing comparisons, the volume's real strength lies in its succinct building analyses. Architectural researcher and writer Cattermole--also the former creative director of Arcaid, an architectural picture library that houses these photos--ably sketches the cultural and historical context of each building, describing its structure and technical innovations while critiquing its aesthetic form. Recommended for large public and undergraduate architecture libraries; the absence of an index or floor plans compromises the volume's usefulness for more specialized collections.
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