Luc Deleu Reader

This small publication is part of Luc Deleu & T.O.P. office: Founder’s Choice as a reader, exploring the visionary architectural and urban concepts of Luc Deleu and his long-standing practice T.O.P. office (Turn On Planning). For over five decades, Deleu has redefined the relationship between architecture, society, and the planet, operating at the intersection of art, urbanism, and environmental ethics. His radical, speculative proposals — ranging from floating cities to planetary-scale planning — provoke reflection on global responsibility and sustainable futures.

Together with T.O.P. office, Luc Deleu spent over half a century building an architectural and artistic oeuvre across a variety of media. At the same time, he critically reflected on his own practice as well as on the role of architecture and urban planning in general. As both reader and writer, he searched for the words to clarify and substantiate his position, resulting in a unique body of texts. Luc Deleu: A Reader brings together his most important texts, lectures, and articles for the first time – from the Orbanist Manifesto (1980) to Darling Springs: A Call for Beauty (2024). The book opens with a conversation between Hans Ulrich Obrist, Nico Dockx, and Luc Deleu.

A must-have for architects, theorists, and artists interested in the evolving dialogue between design, ethics, and ecology.

Luc Deleu (b. 1944, Duffel, Belgium) is an architect and urban planner internationally recognized for his pioneering vision that redefines the ethical and global dimensions of architecture. In 1970, he founded T.O.P. office (Turn On Planning), a collective practice operating at the crossroads of architecture, art, and social critique. Deleu’s projects — ranging from the conceptual “Orban Space” to speculative large-scale infrastructures — challenge conventional notions of functionality, authorship, and urban scale. His work has been exhibited widely, including at M HKA (Antwerp), Bozar (Brussels), and CIVA (Brussels), and is held in major public collections. Deleu continues to influence generations of architects and thinkers through his teaching, writings, and his ongoing inquiry into the balance between the built environment and planetary responsibility.

148 pages
13,9 x 22,5 cm
English
Publication date: June 2025
ISBN: 9789464002652