Geometric Dreams
A look at the rejected blueprints for a perfect 17th-century city, where geometry met utopian idealism.
This oversized portfolio contains the master plans for 'Celestia,' a city designed to be a perfect octagon, centered around a massive astronomical observatory. Drafted in 1672 by a disgraced protégé of Vauban, the plans were rejected for being 'fantastically expensive and dangerously idealistic.' The description explores the mathematical precision of the street layouts, which were designed to align with the solstice sun, and the innovative sanitation systems that were centuries ahead of their time. The ink is a deep sepia, and the large-scale fold-outs show the architect's obsession with symmetry and social control. It remains a fascinating 'what-if' of urban planning, a blueprint for a future that the 17th century was simply not ready to inhabit.