Writing on the Arctic is no small feat, and ?assembling the wealth of information present in the latest book by the principals of Toronto?s Lateral Office is a remarkable undertaking. The appearance of Many Norths: Spatial Practice in a Polar Territory is also timely, arriving at a moment when Arctic communities are ?facing many challenges and opportunities. This deftly crafted book should be mandatory reading for students in architecture and architects interested in developing a practice above the Canadian tree line.
Many Norths: Spatial Practice in a Polar Territory
The book advances research developed for the 2014 exhibition Arctic Adaptations: Nunavut at 15 at the Venice Biennale in Architecture, and is divided into five sections: Urbanism, Architecture, Mobility, Monitoring and Resources. The first sections focus on the building and settlement types that have resulted from the traditional nomadic and semi-nomadic lives of Indigenous peoples. The later chapters detail actions taken in response to geopolitics, survival and the exploitation of resources. Each section includes a timeline and essay, along with interviews with scholars, architects, resource managers and members of Inuit communities, as well as case studies abundantly supported with maps, graphics, tables and photos. These graphic components enable the Southern reader to visualize the vastness and harshness of the polar context, and familiarize themselves with technical solutions devised ?by architects and en...