Absolute Beginners— Iñaki Ábalos

In this book, Iñaki Ábalos explores forms of innovation in architecture and examines how and why architectural creation—at least that which generates the greatest cultural interest—is so closely linked to philosophical thought, especially to essays and aphorisms. The author guides us to understand why innovation, as defined in philosophy, inevitably requires reflecting on the past and arriving at new ways of appropriating old problems.

While the book is based on various research and teaching materials from the last two decades, the text should be read as a single essay written for the sheer pleasure of composing a new and complex work, understanding the original materials as necessary fragments, while remaining open to the adjustments and interconnections that may be found between them. As with a musical piece, Ábalos organizes his texts into a cohesive composition, for the delight and insight of his readers.