The Nature of Order – An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book Four – The Luminous Ground
“The Luminous Ground” is the fourth and last volume of “The Nature of Order” series. In this volume, Alexander attempts to show the cosmological underpinning of the nature of order. The book has two goals. First, to show that the intellectual scheme of wholeness and centers that has been laid out and elaborated in Books 1-3, while not consistent with the mechanistic cosmology that has been current since the time of Descartes, is consistent with a new cosmology in which the personal is a necessary integral part of the nature of matter.
The book also describes a view of architecture and art in which the “I”, Alexander’s phrase for the personal core of existence, is necessarily part of the interpretation of centers.
The book contains what is virtually a book within a book, Alexander’s theory of color, in which he shows the rules for calculation with color, and an analysis of great color masters like Van Gogh, Bonnard, and the Persian miniaturists.
Most important are two chapters, the first and the last, showing the implicit assumptions under our prevailing cosmology, and a new cosmology, based on the set of assumptions, which follow from the analysis of order given in these four books. This book, mystical and personal, describes a realm of existence rarely touched in modern scientific writing. It is, perhaps, the first time that a serious cosmological theory has been set on a foundation of questions that arise in Architecture.
The book was exhibited at Locus Manifesto-exposition “Re-enchant the World: Architecture and the City facing society´s transitions”, together with others in Science Cabinet #1.
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The Nature of Order: Response to request for bidding on the book printing and binding, quoting specifications and price for 5,000 and 7,500 copies of the book; handwritten notes by Christopher Alexander
27/10/1988
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The Nature of Order: Upon request, provision of breakdown of costs for 5,000 and 7,500 copies of the book
04/11/1988
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Re: Christopher Alexander - The Nature of Order: Response letter providing specifications and price quotations to the publishing house for the printing, binding and shipping for 6000, 7000 or 8000 copies of the book; also a duplicate of the letter with handwritten notes is included
07/07/1989
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The Nature of Order: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe - Book Four: The Luminous Ground; mockup of the book
06/08/1997
Bound copy, sample for the printed book, with detailed editing on each page; ISBN and publisher information taken from “The Mary Rose Museum” as indicative reference.
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The Nature of Order: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe - Book Four: The Luminous Ground; mock-up of the book
01/01/1999
Color mock-ups with all book images.
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The One; an early version of "The Nature of Order"
01/01/1977
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The Nature of Order: A New View of the Nature of the Universe Inspired by Certain Basic Questions in the Art of Building
01/01/1981
111-page early discussion on the concept of “Order” and what its elements are. Includes: 1. Introduction; 2. Part One: The Nature of Order; 3. Part Two: Deeper Version – The “Being” Nature and 4. Conclusion: Outline of a New Cosmology.
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Geometry; an early version of "The Nature of Order"
01/01/1981
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The Nature of Order: Thoughts on the design and structure of the book through the course of its lengthy development
01/01/1993
12-page handwritten notes with thoughts regarding the overview of headings, content and organization of the books; connection between chapters and references to project material to be used as examples.
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The Nature of Order: Six Ideas for Christopher Alexander
30/06/1993
Outlines six ideas to be considered by Alexander for publishing “The Nature of Order”.
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"The Nature of Order" Press Kit
10/01/2005
Press Kit for the release of “The Nature of Order” includes a press release, Alexander’s short biography, reviews of the publications.
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The Nature of Order: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe; book cover photographs
01/04/2021
Photographs of the covers of the four books of “The Nature of Order”.
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The Nature of Order - An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe.
Book 4 - The Luminous Ground: Book cover photographs
30/07/2022
Photographs of the cover of book “The Nature of Order: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe. Book 4: The Luminous Ground”.
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From 'The Nature of Order'
01/03/1989
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The Laws of Architecture From a Physicist’s Perspective
17/06/1995
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New Concepts in Complexity Theory: Arising from Studies in the Field of Architecture - An Overview of the Four Books of 'The Nature of Order' with Emphasis on the Scientific Problems which are Raised
01/05/2003
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Arch. 207, Winter 1980 - Seminar class on Geometry and Color: Sketches on Japanese Kimono motifs
01/03/1980
Analysis of the structure of the patterns and the arrangement of the colors on the motifs.
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Arch. 207, Winter 1980 - Seminar class on Geometry and Color: Preliminary State of Discussing the Color Problematic of the "Nameless Quality"
01/01/1980
38-page paper on “An attempt to discuss the possibility of establishing properties, rules and process-algorithms for the color problematic of the nameless quality”: 1. Introductory Remarks; 2. The Phenomenon; 3. The Color Problem in General; 4. An Approach to Establish ...