Drawing on the format of the urban guidebook, A Guide to the Dirty South―Atlanta generates a new discourse about the architecture of the American South. By guiding readers on a tour of Atlanta, this project seeks to reclaim a regional identity for cities otherwise deemed to be a "backwoods" by the East and West Coasts. Borrowing from the hip hop industry and recognising the rivalry between the two coasts, A Guide to the Dirty South―Atlanta redirects our attention to a ‘third coast’. Steeped in geography, historical events, typology, storytelling, and popular culture, trajectories through the city that the guide takes are idiosyncratic but urge the discipline of architecture toward a long overdue reading of Dirty South regionalism. Part tour guide, part architectural manual, the publication also features oral histories in a set of interviews with prominent architects, theorists, chefs, community leaders, and hip hop artists, from architectural historian Mario Carpo to hip-hop group Goodie Mob. Authored by Jennifer Bonner, the guide takes the reader on a tour of “Rap City”, “Pop up Surface Lots”, “Architecture of Quarantine” and a “Geography of Smells”. Wittily designed, and featuring beautiful illustrations throughout, A Guide to the Dirty South―Atlanta is perfect for those new to the architectural delights of Atlanta, and long-time fans alike.

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Author: Jennifer Bonner

Date: 2018

Publisher: Artifice Books on Architecture (United Kingdom)
Designer: Neil Donnelly
Cartographer: Nat Slaughter
Contributors: Katie Bouret, Patrick Deveau, Sara Frederick, Jennifer Lewis, Annie Mccarthy, Claire Pardo, Mary Coleman Rogers, Freya Schlemmer, Cynthia Ocampo Smith, Liz Teston, Emily Tuttle, Kasia Zycinska
Specs: 176 Pages, softcover,  4 x 7.5 in
ISBN  978-1908967770