On a Burglar’s Guide to the City / Geoff Manaugh

Architecture Off-Centre

While the intentions of architects and burglars are diametrically opposite in nature – with the former designing for safety, and the later breaching it through the very design aimed to protect, the single common thread between the two is how they foreground architecture in their operations. All of a sudden, storm water drains, vaults, staircases, parking lots, terraces and retaining walls become conduits for escorting large amounts of cash and gold bars out of the buildings.

Geoff Manaugh is a Los Angeles-based writer and the author of the New York Times-bestselling book, “A Burglar’s Guide to the City.” His most recent book, “Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine,” co-written with Nicola Twilley, was picked as one of the Best Books of 2021 by Time Magazine, the Financial Times, and the Guardian. His short story “Ernest” has been adapted for film by Netflix, under the title “We Have a Ghost,” and will premiere globally in 2022.

For an overview of Geoff’s work: http://burglarsguide.com/, http://untilprovensafe.com/, http://bldgblog.com/