The formal and content-related concept of this publication is based on a series of lectures by Armon Semadeni, covering a number of years. The book sheds light on and documents 14 selected buildings, studies and competitions that have been designed, planned and implemented by the architectural practice since its foundation in 2009. Going beyond classic project presentation, the volume offers a thematically focused investigation of contemporary urban-planning and architectural aspects, with the aim of guiding readers beyond the concrete projects to a critical engagement with society and its constructed environment.

The renowned book designers Valeria Bonin and Diego Bontognali were responsible for the volume’s high-quality design and graphic implementation. Roman Keller has photographically documented all the buildings, from their conception to their presentation to the clients; Alexandre Jaquemet and Anja Schori use their unconventional photographic perspectives to highlight specific urban, landscape and architectural moments.

Text in German.

Revised, updated, and expanded by nearly 100 projects, this new edition of the catalogue for the “a_show,” Architekturzentrum Wien’s (Az W) permanent exhibition on Austrian architecture of the 20th and 21st century, has become a stand-alone reference book. Its scope extends beyond the themes of the exhibition. Apart from condensing the current discourse on Austrian architecture of the last 150 years, it also documents relevance and singularity of the Az W collection.

Featuring more than 2,300 images and plans, accompanied by explanatory texts structured chronologically as well as thematically the book points out both historical connections and contemporary tendencies. Paired with a timeline, and also offering an overview of all relevant media since 1836, brief biographies, and an index, this is the authoritative survey of modern and contemporary Austrian architecture.

Following on from the 2017 House 1 project, a public architectural intervention in Zurich, ALICE’s teaching programme and the All About Space series enter the realm of urban and suburban space. The series’ latest volume Beyond the Object: The Imagination of Space proposes an alternative idea and cultural history of architecture that is derived from the notion of spatial design rather than that of technical objects and constructions. Thus current topics like urban planning, the correlation of public and private spaces, social and economic development are wrapped up into more general questions: What are our common and scientific understandings of space and spatial correlations and how can they apply to contemporary architectural practice and education? The underlying narrative of Beyond the Object: The Imagination of Space is loosely tied to the exemplary urban context of Zurich. Yet it addresses the topic with decidedly global scope. And like the previous books The Invention of Space and House 1 Catalogue, the new volume combines fact with fiction to broaden the view upon future scenarios.

A collaboration with UNESCO’s GEM Report, Mother Nature in the Bardo explores the impact between art, culture, and the environment. The book illuminates the innate connections between creativity and nature and inspires crucial conversations about humanity’s relationship with nature, sustainability and climate change. Bringing together historical and contemporary artworks from over 100 renowned international artists, galleries, institutions, estates and foundations, Mother Nature in the Bardo speaks to the most critical global dialogues of our time.

Riegler Riewe Architects is among the most distinguished and internationally renowned Austrian architectural firms with branches in Berlin and Katowice, Poland. Since establishing the firm in Graz in 1987, Florian Riegler and Roger Riewe have been rejecting the mere pictorial with striking continuity and consistency. Riegler Riewe focus on use-orientated, yet still usage-neutral spatial structures and aim for an inquiring, “undesigned”, yet precise and subtle architecture. This position is evident in their buildings that embody both the “common” and the ambiguous and offer latitude rather than rigid form at all scales, in floor plan as well as in urban planning. The new monograph Riegler Riewe – 10 Years 20 Projects presents twenty built and unrealised projects between 2004 and 2014, most of them published here for the first time. Richly illustrated with images and plans, the book features essays by internationally renowned authors analysing Riegler Riewe’s work in the contexts of both architecture and urbanism.

From the authors of Understanding Jewellery, considered to be one of the most important and frequently referenced books on jewellery ever produced, Age of Grandeur focuses solely on the 19th century, bringing with it over 250 new colour photographs of jewellery from this most celebrated era.
Taking the reader through the history of jewellery over the decades, we learn how and why particular styles came about and then changed. From Napoleonic classicism and Victorian sentimental and memorial jewellery, through the Romantic era and its penchant for naturalism, the Gothic style and recreation of the Renaissance and, finally, the unique designs of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods, this comprehensive study enlightens and fascinates. With stunning photographs accompanying us on our journey through the decades, creating a rich visual history that brings the text to life, this book remains the essential bible on 19th-century jewellery.

“It’s very hard for me to accept that Sukita-san has been snapping away at me since 1972, but that really is the case. I suspect that it’s because whenever he’s asked me to do a session, I conjure up in my mind’s eye the sweet, creative and big-hearted man who has always made these potentially tedious affairs so relaxed and painless. May he click into eternity.” – David Bowie

For Sukita, the creative mastermind behind the iconic cover for David Bowie’s album ‘Heroes’, photography is an expression of a ‘fundamental secret’ shared between artists: a spiritual communication that transcends the minutiae of language. Born and raised in Kyushu, Japan, Sukita’s reverence of American and Western counter-culture lured him to New York and London. He immersed himself in the western music scene which he loved, while his relaxed photo sessions endeared him to many celebrity figures, including David Bowie and Iggy Pop (with both of whom Sukita had a 40-year long professional relationship), Marc Bolan, and Japanese musician Hotei, best known for his work on the Kill Bill soundtrack. His work spans the early US and UK seventies rock scene, the London punk-rock era to the present crop of emerging Japanese rock artists.

This photo book is the first time the photographer has collaborated on a major retrospective of his career and includes some of his early documentary work and his rarely-seen travel and street photography. It introduces the artist through two essays that explore his place within the wider context of both Western and Japanese photography, presented alongside the many iconic shots of both Western and Japanese artists that earned him his eternal reputation.

The formal and content-related concept of this publication is based on a series of lectures by Armon Semadeni, covering a number of years. The book sheds light on and documents 14 selected buildings, studies and competitions that have been designed, planned and implemented by the architectural practice since its foundation in 2009. Going beyond classic project presentation, the volume offers a thematically focused investigation of contemporary urban-planning and architectural aspects, with the aim of guiding readers beyond the concrete projects to a critical engagement with society and its constructed environment.

The renowned book designers Valeria Bonin and Diego Bontognali were responsible for the volume’s high-quality design and graphic implementation. Roman Keller has photographically documented all the buildings, from their conception to their presentation to the clients; Alexandre Jaquemet and Anja Schori use their unconventional photographic perspectives to highlight specific urban, landscape and architectural moments.

On 5 February 1916, Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings, together with Marcel Janco, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Arp, inaugurated the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich. The evening marked the birth of Dada as an artistic movement, and Cabaret Voltaire with its legendary performances became a place of historic significance. It was soon to be followed by the short-lived, while no less significant, Gallery Dada in Zürich, where the Dadaists staged four exhibitions over the course of half a year. Dada’s further evolution was significantly shaped by these two spaces, each with its own particular atmosphere, constituting the differing poles of the Dada movement. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck in Spring 2016 to celebrate the Dada centenary, this new book for the first time tells the full story of Dada’s genesis. It sheds light on the early years of 1916 17 in Zürich in historical context and, from today’s point of view, and also explores the intellectual and social background that informed Dada, considering aspects such as the Great War, psychoanalysis, or the art scene of the time. Genesis Dada illustrates how Dada turned into a worldwide phenomenon with which artists and intellectuals such as Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Jean Cocteau, or Man Ray were associated, and which has lost nothing of its momentum and topicality over time. Also available: Dadglobe ISBN 9783858817754

Peter Liechti (1951-2014) was a Swiss film author and director, cinematographer, and producer. Many of his more than 100 documentaries, music and experimental films have been shown at international festivals. His last and unfinished project Dedications he began when he was already suffering from a terminal illness. Originally intended to become a trilogy dedicated to the Swiss writer Robert Walser (1878-1956), the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1880), and to “the unknown Sudanese Chief”, the progress of his illness made him alter his concept to a very personal review and reflection on his life’s most significant personal and artistic impressions and moments. Liechti’s widow and working partner Jolanda Gsponer, together with a group of his former collaborators, has assembled all the material of Dedications in three parts to preserve it and make the work visible. Part one is a filmed reading by Liechti from the diary he kept during his stays at the hospital and which was intended to be the film’s underlying text. Part two is an audio-visual installation of the raw material for Dedications. Part three is this book, a self-contained publication of Liechti’s entire diary, illustrated with some 100 video stills with captions, and including a DVD with the film’s unedited 15 opening minutes.

When African Modernism was first published in 2015, it was showered with international praise and has been sought after ever since it went out of print in 2018. Marking Park Books’ 10th anniversary, this landmark book will now be available again.
Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial powers. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed states expressed their national identity. African Modernism investigates the close relationship between architecture and nation-building in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia. It features 100 buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans, selected floor plans and sections. The vast majority of images were taken by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster especially for the book’s first edition, documenting the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed through an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Additional essays on specific aspects and topics of postcolonial Africa, likewise richly illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding volume.

Philosophy exercises a massive influence on contemporary architectural culture and the understanding of the built environment. Discussions of architects and architectural academics are heavily loaded with theoretical ideas, concepts and views imported from the works of philosophers. At the same time this architectural employment of philosophy rarely goes beyond the tendency to mine philosophical works for ideas, words and phrases and use them, often without much understanding, in order to promote architectural agendas and embellish theoretical claims made by architects and academics.

The book presents the history of this phenomenon for the past 100 years. It describes and analyses numerous, often funny, entertaining as well as embarrassing, examples of false intellectual pretence and pompous but incompetent philosophical posturing by prominent architects and architectural academics of the era and their efforts to bamboozle readers, colleagues and the general public. The book presents a powerful criticism of modernist views on architecture and argues that the rise of obfuscation and philosophical posturing among architects and architectural academics is a defensive strategy intended to draw attention away from the failure of Modernism in architecture.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Overbeck Society, a comprehensive publication has been published presenting the history of the Lübecker Kunstverein (Lübeck Art Association) in the 20th and 21st centuries. Together with the works of the anniversary exhibition, an architectural history study of the Bauhaus Pavilion, which is important for northern Germany and in which the Overbeck Society’s exhibitions have been held since 1930, and a complete chronology of its exhibitions and publications, the commemorative publication provides an impressive panorama of societal developments of the past 100 years.

Text in English and German.

The 500 Hidden Secrets of Rome helps you set out to discover the most attractive, fun and unique places in Italy’s capital. Luisa Grigoletto and Christopher Livesay share 500 addresses and facts that many tourists don’t know, sometimes off the beaten track, but always loved by the locals and worth a visit.

This book lists, among other things, the 5 best gelaterías, the 5 most beautiful historic shops, 5 breathtaking palazzi which played an important role in art history and 5 sites where major Italian films were shot. It is the perfect book for those who wish to discover the city, but avoid all the usual tourist haunts, as well as for residents who are keen to track down the city’s best-kept secrets.

A festive photographic collection of the laughs, shouts, tears, kisses, pledges, oaths, toasts, and above all, joys of weddings. In the tradition of Abbeville’s Tiny Folio Hug and Kisses, Weddings brings readers down the aisle in an intimate and touching portrait of this most public of private ceremonies. With more than 100 images drawn from the finest wedding photographers around the world, this small book captures all aspects of the big day, from the first primping and preening to the seriousness (or absolute lack of seriousness) of the ceremony, from the perfect, still beauty of every bride to the furious celebration that seals the day in every guest’s memory. Poetic quotes trumpet the complex joys of weddings throughout, adding depth to the proceedings. A perfect gift for the future bride and groom.

Christmas at the White House is the most beautiful and grand celebration of the year. As Chief of Floral Design during the Obama administration, Laura Dowling was responsible for the dazzling floral pieces that made the season so memorable. Here, she invites readers behind the scenes of this complex year-long planning process, where some of the most innovative and ambitious hand-made craft displays were created. From architectural details including intricate hydrangea-covered archways, illusionary cube-patterned column covers, and gilded maple leaf rosette panels, to sugar paste floral vases and robotic versions of the First Family’s dogs, the décor inspired and delighted visitors and guests from across the country and around the world.  

In addition to her White House experiences, Laura shares advice and ideas, tips and techniques for planning holiday-themed displays at home, including step-by-step instructions for re-creating some of the most popular and original White House holiday designs.

Conradin Clavuot’s work is based on his dedication to his own roots, his discussions during his training in the field of Analogue Architecture, and the values he learned to implement while working for the architect Peter Zumthor. With his minimalist approach and integration of natural elements, Conradin Clavuot has played a key role in shaping the modern architectural landscape in the last 30 years. The works of the Chur-based architect are characterised by clear lines and a harmony with the landscape, while also combining conception, functionality, regionalist cultural interests and constructive sophistication. In recognition of his overall work, this publication compiles his most formative buildings in hand-stitched volumes and a striking slipcase. The publication presents projects including the school facility in Laax (2023), the emergency unit of the Waldhaus Psychiatric Clinic in Chur (2022), the Carboni-Brot single-family home in Rhäzüns (2014), the Kuoni house in San Nazzaro (2012), the ­railway station in Chur (2006), the school with a multipurpose hall in St. Peter (1998) and the Vorderprättigau Substation in Seewis (1995).

Text in English and German.

“… essential reading for anyone interested in conservation, African history, and the human spirit. It is a moving portrait of a park that continues to inspire global efforts in environmental stewardship, even under the most difficult circumstances.” — Ninu Ninu

“This book is a reminder of the park’s value both in local terms and on a global scale, and why the fight to protect it must continue.” —Outdoor Photography

Virunga National Park, the green lung in the eastern DR Congo, is Africa’s oldest nature reserve. The park is breathtakingly beautiful and offers an unparalleled diversity of ecosystems—from active volcanoes to tropical rain forests, from the glaciers of the Rwenzori peaks to the savannas of Rwindi. It is home to an exceptional array of wildlife, including the world’s last mountain gorillas. Thanks to these unique features, Virunga is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This publication, written by around 40 experts, explores the complex history of this Congolese gem. It sheds light on those who have dedicated themselves to its preservation since 1925, as well as the current teams fighting to address the countless environmental and social challenges in a region plagued by conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Through their efforts, the park has become a catalyst for development and stabilization of the entire region. The book invites us on a fascinating journey where resilience and innovation serve the park and surrounding communities, continuing to shape the legend of Virunga.

Jean-Michel Wilmotte and his collaborators are leading more than 100 projects in 27 different countries, from the biggest to the smallest, from the most spectacular to the most ordinary, with the same fervour from the initial sketch to completion. This practice has recently completed the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris (France), the headquarters of L’Oréal Group in Clichy (France), the headquarters of Unilever group in Rueil-Malmaison (France), the Center for Arts of the International School of Geneva (Switzerland), the Allées Richaud & Allées Foch high-end residential buildings in Versailles (France), the Cultural Center of Daejeon (South Korea), the 36,200-seat Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice (France), the London headquarters of Google and JCDecaux (United Kingdom), the Ferrari Sporting Management Center (Formula 1) in Maranello (Italy), a Convention and Exhibition Center in São Paulo (Brazil), and an ecological park in Baku (Azerbaijan) for the 2015 European Games. In these projects, which are both innovative and sustainable, the design always takes into account landscaping, lighting, materials, and finishes, while being respectful of the local and historic context of the site. This new title, as part of IMAGES’ renowned Leading Architects series, delves into the extraordinary work of this firm and the process of its innovative and creative team. Showcasing projects throughout the book with rich, full-colour images, detailed plans, and informative texts, this monograph is a must-have for any professional design collection.

Discover the esoteric insights and enchanting imagery of the Baroque emblem book, a long-lost cousin of the tarot.

The emblem book, which reached the peak of its popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries, presented mysterious allegorical images—rather like those we now find on tarot cards—alongside Latin mottoes. A learned text explained the connection between image and motto, and the lessons each emblem held for the reader’s life. Drawing on sources such as medieval bestiaries and Aesop’s fables, emblem books reflected an enchanted view of nature in which our human lives were intertwined with plants, animals, the moon and the stars. World-renowned natural perfumer Mandy Aftel first encountered emblem books in the course of her researches into antique botanical illustrations, and quickly became entranced. Here she presents 100 emblems from perhaps the finest emblem book, the Symbolorum et Emblematum of Camerarius, originally published in four parts between 1590 and 1604. Aftel has sensitively tinted in watercolour the bewitching circular engravings of the Symbolorum, in which giant hands reach from the sky; lions, bears, and unicorns gambol; and distant spires beckon. The mottoes and explanatory texts are given in translation from the original Latin, along with Aftel’s own commentary. An illustrated introduction illuminates the history and magic of emblem book.

Symbolorum will be a treasure for anyone who is drawn to uncover ancient wisdom and feel the breath of the universe.

Pure Luxury: World’s Best Houses is a celebration of residential living at its finest, and best. Satisfying our natural and abiding curiosity about how other people live, and our endless quest to add a special something to our own homes, this latest volume in IMAGES’ 100 Houses series showcases contemporary architectural trends. The beauty of residential architecture lies in its infinite scope for innovation and the comfort of it inhabitants, be they at rest, at play, or hosting guests. Among the awe-inspiring projects in this book are an opulent villa set in the Hollywood Hills with an infinity pool projecting over LA, an idyllic rural retreat set in luxurious valleys and stunning beach houses around the coast. The diversity of the locations extend from Mexico and Brazil to Thailand and Italy. Featured architects include: Damien Murtagh, Lockyer Architects, ISJ Architects, Saucier + Perrotte, SAOTA, Okada Architects, Original Vision, Koutsoftides Architects, Drozdov Partners and Carlos Bratke Architect.

Since the foundation of the Porsche design office 75 years ago, the archive has been part of the company and the Porsche brand. It is the company’s memory and database, filled with hundreds of thousands of exhibits. As a result, not every item on the inventory list can be shown to museum visitors. For the first time in their history, the Zuffenhausen-based company is presenting 100 extraordinary and often previously unseen exhibits from the depths of the company archive.

In close cooperation with experts and historians from the Porsche Corporate Archives, automotive journalist and Porsche expert Jan-Henrik Muche has compiled a selection of the most interesting archive documents and exhibits and tells their amazing stories. Specially taken photos are flanked by historical footage and never-before-seen photographs from the archive.

“As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby’s jewelry executives, David Bennett, and Daniela Mascetti.” — Kristen Shirley, Bloomberg

Understanding Jewellery is a comprehensive guide to 19th and 20th Century jewellery. From the methods used to identify and date pieces, to the factors that can affect their value, this volume contains an abundance of expertise relating to precious stones and metals. With almost 1000 magnificent colour illustrations accompanied by straightforward but thorough explanations, this publication offers a richer and more accessible reading experience than traditional text-dominated books.

Including introductions to precious and semi-precious stones, and details of the stylistic developments of jewellery over the last 200 years, this volume is a standard work of reference and aninvaluable tool for collectors and dealers alike.

“… a delightful and presentation worthy coffee table book, Understanding Jewellery also, in the truest sense, serves as an inviting educational tool with exhaustive encyclopedic explanations of jewelry starting in the late 18th century to the present.” – New York Journal of Books