designboom · Creativity & design

Superstudio's 12 Ideal Cities Question Perfect Design

In 1971, Superstudio published "Twelve Ideal Cities," presenting imaginary urban environments that push design principles to extreme conclusions.

Each city explores a single concept, like total automation or perfect order, to its extreme. The "2,000-Ton City" offers convenience but punishes dissent with a crushing ceiling, showing how ease can eliminate action and connection.

Other cities, like "New York of Brains," eliminate physical bodies, questioning habitation when needs like eating or moving are obsolete.

Some cities absorb inhabitants into mechanical structures or production systems, reversing the usual relationship where cities are built for people. Inhabitants must adapt to the city's rhythm.

Control is explored through less obvious means, like the "City of the Book," where life is dictated by an instruction manual, or the "City of Order," where deviation is corrected.

The project's unsettling nature stems from starting with recognizable desires like comfort or order. Focusing solely on one desire leads to extreme consequences.

Superstudio's work remains relevant as concepts like automated environments are now common. The cities prompt reflection on what we sacrifice for a faster, easier, or more controlled existence.

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