Ideal Spaces is an internationally active, nonprofit foundation based in Germany. Its work has always focused on the relationship between space, place, and community—with the goal of developing concepts that better shape our living spaces today and in the future. To this end, Ideal Spaces organizes international symposia and workshops, produces podcasts, and presents exhibitions. The Ideal Spaces series, published by TriMax Media, features books that have emerged from the foundation’s work. Learn more about the foundation and its current projects: www.idealspaces.org
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
Today, absolute architectures are everywhere. They are a symbolic expression of total domination, of longing, and of an ideological message. They range from cathedrals, government buildings, corporate citadels, and infrastructure to supposedly ordinary architectures such as housing developments and entire cities. They can be found everywhere today and dominate us.
Hardcover, 120 pages, German/English, €24.90
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
The column serves as a mediator, a support, and a structuring element. Reminiscent of a tree trunk, the column was associated in early cultures with the Tree of Life, a mediator between heaven and earth. Together with its crown, the capital, the column forms a unity that symbolizes growth, development, and, at the same time, limitation.
Hardcover, 72 pages, German/English, €19.90
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
Living in a world as an orderly whole—a cosmos—was a concept shared by nearly all premodern cultures. With the advent of modern science and technological progress, this idea faded; the notion of the world as a consistent and harmonious entity was no longer conceivable. But the longing for it remained—the mythical desire to regain such a world, including a reconciliation with nature. A desire that is regaining significance in times of climate crisis, social upheaval, and political threats.
Hardcover, 72 pages, German/English, €24.90
by Ulrike Sattler and Ideal Spaces
Gestalt is wholeness, and the whole is more than just the sum of its parts. This wholeness does not arise from the parts; rather, it constitutes them and gives them meaning in the first place. Gestalt is not synonymous with form. Gestalt stands for the inner connection that constitutes the essence of an object or being—its nature. Whereas “form” refers to the specific manifestation in which this inner connection has been realized—the specific way in which this connection has found its concrete expression. Gestalt expresses identity; it gives meaning. Let’s delve into various Gestalts and forms using Ulrike Sattler’s glass collection as an example.
Hardcover, 45 pages, German/English, €19.90
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
Ideal Spaces explores the foundation of our work: space. It is about space and human experience, space and imagination, imagination and form, community and the ideal space, cultural heritage and the ideal space, and artificial natures. The book concludes with our exhibitions and events on all these topics at the Venice Biennale and elsewhere.
Hardcover, 120 pages, English, €24.90
by Ulrike Sattler and Ideal Spaces
Pearls have always held a special fascination for people. Their luster and luminosity touch the soul. Pearls have been used as jewelry; they have found their way into fashion and have become an integral part of the design of all kinds of accessories, from handbags to lampshades. Let’s let the images speak for themselves through Ulrike Sattler’s collection.
Hardcover, 77 pages, German/English, €19.90
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
The Tree of Life is an archaic symbol found in many cultures. In our Western culture, it can be traced back to its Mesopotamian origins, and in the Garden of Eden, it was one of the two most important trees. It is the World Tree, the axis mundi, a cosmic symbol that stands for unity in diversity: its branches symbolize the heavens, its trunk the earth, and its roots the underworld. The Tree of Life can be seen as the epitome of an ideal space—and as the starting point for a series of volumes devoted to various aspects of the imagination.
Hardcover, 73 pages, German/English, €19.90
by Ulrich Gehmann and Ideal Spaces
Virtual worlds emerged long before the digital age. At first glance, a virtual world is one that does not exist. It is associated with pure fantasy; it is a world of possibilities, but not of reality. But some of these worlds have become real, and the park is one of them. To imagine a park as a world, we must use our power of imagination. If we imagine that the park we are standing in is part of a larger whole designed in the same style, then we get a sense of what a park as a world means. We can imagine an entire world of the same style that extends far beyond the boundaries of the actual park.
Hardcover, 140 pages, German/English, €24.90
Absolute Architectures (Excerpt) Columns & Capitals (Excerpt) Cosmos (Excerpt) Design & Form (Excerpt) Ideal Spaces (Excerpt) Pearls (Excerpt) Tree of Life (Excerpt) Virtual Worlds as Gardens (Excerpt)
Experience the World of Monasteries (Excerpt) FREEDOM?! (Excerpt) The manor house pod - reading sample The Manor House Pod Volume 2 Reading sample All memory is present - reading sample The Park Reading sample LIVING MANORS Selection 01 Reading sample German LIVING MANORS Selection 02 Reading sample LIVING MANORS Selection 03 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 23/01 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 23/02 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 23/03 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 23/04 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 24/01 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 24/02 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 24/03 Reading sample LIVING MANORS 24/04 Reading sample Ida von Hahn-Hahn (Excerpt) Luise Aston (excerpt) Malwida von Meysenbug (excerpt)
LIVING MANORS Selection 01 Reading sample English LIVING MANORS Selection 02 Reading sample (English) LIVING MANORS Selection 03 Reading sample English LIVING MANORS 24/04 Reading sample English LIVING MANORS 24/03 Reading sample English LIVING MANORS 03/23 Reading Sample We just wanted to make some Noise - Reading sample Forgotten Horses reading sample
Community · Space · Meaning
Ideal Spaces brings together people from the worlds of culture, politics, urban planning, and architecture with interested citizens—through exhibitions, symposia, workshops, and podcasts. The central question is: What kinds of spaces do communities need to become places of identity and belonging?
