Architect Yona Friedman Dies at 96, Leaving Legacy of Mobile Architecture and Spatial City

Yona Friedman, the architect known for his Ville Spatiale concept and originally from Hungary, has died. His innovative design, Spatial City, introduced in 1958, envisioned urban environments that could continuously adapt. After training in Budapest, Friedman began formulating his ideas on mobile architecture while residing in Haifa, Israel. In 1957, he relocated to Paris, where he lived until his passing. His seminal 1956 work, Manifeste de l’architecture Mobile, inspired the establishment of the Mobile Architecture Study Group in 1958, collaborating with notable architects like Frei Otto and Werner Ruhnau. Friedman’s contributions were showcased in over twenty-five solo exhibitions, including those at De Appel and Kunsthaus Bregenz, and he participated in significant events like the 53rd Venice Biennale. In 2016, he designed a summer house for the Serpentine Galleries. Currently, Galleria Massimo Minini in Brescia is hosting an exhibition titled Sculpting the void, featuring his work until 28 March 2020.