Between 2002 and 2005, Haubitz + Zoche travelled the Sinai and documented abandoned hotel resorts. These ghost-towns are filled with unfinished hotel structures, isolated in the middle of the desert. Due to the instability of the region and dubious investments, these hotel sites were never completed. They are photographed as the sad consequence of a tourism policy of uncontrolled urban development. This series depicts a form of new archaeology, showing a bygone era, wich is the opposite of the pharaohs architecture.
The Russian Maze, a Geographical Game
This Russian maze is a lithographed game dating from the 1870 Russian Empire. It includes the coat of arms of 57 major cities of Russian Empire, all numbered. Besides being a maze game, it is also kind of a map as the russian cities are located on the leaf in accordance with their geographical position.
La Description de l’Égypte: Antiquités, Volume V – Giza, Alexandria, Rosetta Stone
La Description de l’Egypte (The Description of Egypt), is the first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to Egypt. It is a work from Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, recounting the discoveries made during this scientific voyage. The fifth book of plates is La Description de l’Égypte: Antiquités, Volume V. It describes the pyramids of Giza, the city of Alexandria, and the Rosetta Stone.
The two faces of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna
The Basilica of San Petronia in Bologna is a huge religious example of Gothic architecture which has the specificity of being made of brick with only half of its facade in marble. The basilica is dedicated to the city’s patron, saint Petronius. It was not consecrated until 1954 although its works began in the end of the 14th century.
Ukivok Island, The Ghost Village on Stilts
The geography of the Ukivok island is particular for an inhabited island. It’s 1.6km long and is mainly made up of steep rocky coasts and cliffs, without a beach, which makes landing difficult. The island has few natural resources, the animals are mainly birds, and the high vegetation is almost absent. Therefore it seems almost impossible to live there year-round, but for several decades Inupiat people lived on the island in unique houses on stilts.
Outlines of Botanical Geography
The Outlines of Botanical Geography is a complete survey of the plants distribution in the world. It presents a world map showing the geographical distribution of plants, a graphic document representing plants distribution in a few mountain ranges, but also some graphical statistics and some plants drawings.
La Description de l’Égypte: Antiquités, Volume IV
La Description de l’Egypte (The Description of Egypt), is the first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to Egypt. It is a work from Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, recounting the discoveries made during this scientific voyage. The fourth book of plates is La Description de l’Égypte: Antiquités, Volume IV. It describes the most recent sites along the Nile.
Centraal Beheer Office Building, Dutch Structuralism
Herman Hertzberger is a Dutch architect born in 1932 in Amsterdam. As a disciple of Aldo van Eyck, he was one of the main influences behind the Dutch structuralism movement. The project considered to be one of the most inspiring examples of the movement is the Centraal Beheer office building in Apeldoorn. It was designed as a sixty cubes workspace forming a single articulated unit.
Yu Ji Tu, an example of traditional Chinese cartography
The Yu Ji Tu is a map made by an unknow Chinese mapmaker under the Song dynasty (907-1276). It was carved in stone and employs the Ji Li Hua Fang, a rectilinear grid system well ahead of its time.The stele was made in honor of Yu, and represents with an exceptional precision the rivers and the coastline of China.
Velsertunnel Ventilation Building
The Velsertunnel ventilation building is an iconic building of the period of reconstruction in Netherlands. It is primarly recognized for its ventilation shafts, made of square concrete tubes, forming an alveoli structure. It was built by Dirk Roosenburg, a renowned architect also known to be Rem Koolhaas’s grandfather.