Pilot and photographer Alex MacLean has flown his plane over large areas of the United States, documenting the landscape from beautiful agricultural patterns to geometric city grids. In his new book, he directs his lens at the rooftops of New York City, showing the great complexity and life of the roofs of New York's buildings.
Depicting not only the city's famous water towers, but pools, tennis courts, gardens, sunbathers, art, and restaurants up in the air, MacLean's powerful images give readers a glimpse of a part of the city that usually remains hidden. His photographs leave little doubt about New York City's "green" potential and the belief that improved outdoor spaces above lead to more livable cities below. Maps and captions help the reader to easily locate the photographs, and an essay by Robert Campbell puts MacLean's work into context. Whether you are new to the city native born, this fascinating look at hidden New York will be a revelation.
Up on the Roof: New York's Hidden Skyline Spaces
Category: Photographer Monographs & Art Books
Reviews: star
star
star
star
star
Author: Alex MacLean
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Publication Date:
2012
Print Length: 240 pages
Language: English
Price: paid
paid
paid
Selected Books by This Photographer
Books From the Same Publisher
Analog Photography: Reference Manual for Shooting Film
2019 - Princeton Architectural Press
Andrew Bellamy
expand_circle_rightLatest Books in This Category
John Baer: The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs, 1945–1954
Sep 2026 — John Baer Archive



