Hives by Aladin Borioli

Aladin Borioli’s survey of 4000 years of architectural diversity and structural innovation in bee hives & the lore of beekeeping—before its 1852 modernization and the subsequent demise of its diversity—includes 371 archival images and a bow to Ursula K. Le Guin.

Since the birth of the modern beehive in 1852, structural innovation in hive construction has entered a dormant period. By favouring the standardised box hive, beekeeping turns its back on 4,400 years of architectural diversity. This little book focuses on that period of history prior to homogenisation, drawing from as far back as 2400 BCE. By rejecting a fixed narrative, linearity makes way for polymorphism, introducing graphic design, photography and writing to retell the story of beehives. The 375 images offer a glimpse into this proliferous history of architecture for non-humans.

2020; paperback; 6 x 4 1/2 inches; 424 pages, illustrated throughout; ISBN: 9791090306981.