Book Review: Bruce Mau and the Institute without Boundaries - Massive Change
Most architects will know designer Bruce Mau from his work on S, M, L, XL. In fact, Massive Change informs us that “major attention focused on the studio in 1995 with the release of S, M, L, XL, a 1,300-page compendium of projects and texts designed and conceived by Bruce Mau Design with architect Rem Koolhaas and OMA.” An unfortunate sequence of words perhaps, but Mau’s input was undeniably influential on that book’s success. Since then he has published Life Style, an equally weighty and impressively designed and conceived cultural/design monograph.
Massive Change continues the high standard of graphic design set by its predecessors, but the subject matter has certainly changed. In a back cover tag-line that wouldn’t seem out of place on a movie poster, it boldly states that “Massive Change is not about the world of design; it’s about the design of the world.” Amazingly, it manages to live up to this assertion, with chapters based around urban, movement, energy, information, image, market, material, military, manufacturing, and living economies, and a final section on wealth and politics.
It is essentially a manifesto for global change, each chapter starting with a statement like “we will create urban shelter for the entire world population,” or “we will design evolution,” or “we will eradicate poverty.” And design is held up to be the key to each of these intentions, whether it’s the design of technology, drugs, legal systems or strategies of peace-making. Yes, it’s idealistic, but you’ll be so engrossed in the texts, images and sheer self-belief that you will forgive it.
The layout also aids in the clarity of the arguments, with single-page factual introductions and spreads of images with concise descriptions interspersed with yellow double-page interviews with prominent members of the extended “design” community. Enormous in its scope, Massive Change is a wake-up call to everyone concerned with the ‘sustainability’ of the human race on earth. And it’s only 20 quid. Incredible!