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From the 1950s, Beirut and Lebanon have been a veritable laboratory of architectural modernity in the Middle East, calling on the greatest national and international architects. Institutions and large Lebanese companies have turned to concrete and so-called brutalist forms, participating fully to the renewal of world architecture.
If Lebanon gave birth to a flowering of exemplary buildings of this period, this work is an invitation to discover more than thirty, often unknown and admirably captured by the gaze by Matthieu Salvaing.
By their selection, the authors invite the reader to follow in their footsteps at the heart of the various modernist experiences who crossed Lebanon as so many testimonies of an international and generous vision.
Public commissions, such as the emblematic Tripoli International Fair built by Oscar Niemeyer or the Ministry of Defense of André Wogenscky, with private villas such as those created by Henri Edde, passing by the Interdesign building of Khalil Khoury, this work is the celebration of a history happy with Lebanon, rooted in modernity and open to the world.

Text in English and French.

Often overlooked in Chinese poetic history are a number of accomplished late-Song poets, among the most important of whom were four men from Wenzhou known as the “Four Lings” because, apparently by common consent, they all had noms-de-plume containing the character ling, meaning “numinous” or “magical.” The four were: Weng Juan (d. after 1214), Xu Zhao (d. 1211), Xu Ji (1162–1214), and Zhao Shixiu (1170–1219). As other late-Song poets, they leaned toward understated, straightforward diction that incurred the enmity of those who preferred the more flowery, allusive style of the high Tang.
As they navigated the uncertain career paths of would-be minor officials, the Four Lings wrote movingly about their joys and disappointments, the hardships of poverty and old age, and the solace to be found in nature and friendship. Seeming to share a single poetic sensibility, they wrote in a naturalistic and accessible style that won widespread admiration; it is fitting that they now be presented together, as friends and fellow poets of consequence.

The complex oeuvre of the American artist Cy Twombly (1928-2011) comprises a time period of around six decades, during which it never lost any of its expressive power. Twombly was one of the most productive artists in the history of more recent art. Acclaimed as one of the most important painters of the second half of the 20th century, he fused the legacy of American Abstract Expressionism with European and Mediterranean culture. The book focuses to a degree never before seen on his major cycles: Nine Discourses on Commodus (1963), Fifty Days at Iliam (1978), and Coronation of Sesostris (2000). The artist’s development as a whole is traced based on nearly 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. This thus provides unique insights into the overall intellectual and sensual richness of the oeuvre. From his early works at the beginning of the 1950s, which are characterized by the use of text, to his compositions of the 1960s, his reaction to the minimal art and conceptual art of the 1970s to his final paintings, the overview of the oeuvre underscores the significance of the series and cycles in which Cy Twombly invented history painting anew. With its polyphonic conception, the monograph offers numerous approaches with essays that shed light on the various aspects and phases of Twombly’s path as an artist. It comprises et al. the reflections and personal impressions of other artists as well as the memories of his assistant Nicola Del Roscio. These diverse testimonies make it possible to discover Cy Twombly not only as an artist, but also as an individual.

Devoted to building sites, JA110 explores both the location and process by which architectural ideas assume physical forms. The issue examines the progression of trial and error, investigation, and decision making within on-site development. Although the inner workings of a building disappear once it is completed, images during construction can reveal the thought process of the architects. This issue includes site photos and comments from 17 recent buildings as well as projects completed during the post war building boom between 1950 and 1980. Classic structures such as the Yoyogi National Gymnasium by Kenzo Tange are featured alongside new works such as the Collection Pinault Paris by Tadao Ando. Each project is depicted in an incomplete state and illustrates how architects respond to the construction process. Text in English and Japanese.

This book reveals the collection presented at Ajuda Royal Palace in Lisbon (Royal Treasure Museum), that has been recently renovated, and where is displayed this unique collection with particular significance for a country with a nine-century history. Over the time, from the 17th century until the 20th century, the Braganza Royal Family has collected precious jewels and works of art intensively, often through relations with other important European families, but also through royal gifts. Finally displayed in a monumental permanent exhibition, each object in this collection witnesses the history of a leading country, as well as the story of the people who have worn or conserved these highlights of decorative art.

The book begins by the North Sea. It is a late summer’s afternoon, and a bright sun has dispersed the greyness of the day. Two Englishmen are enjoying a swim off the Essex coast when all at once both have the feeling that they are back at the French seaside. They find themselves starting to tell each other of their youthful experiences of living in France. The adventures they narrate follow one after another like waves rolling onto the shore.

Clive, coming from London, had found himself spending a year deep in the French countryside within sight of the western Pyrenees; John, hailing from Devon, had ended up living for a while in the City of Light within sight of the Folies Bergère. Outsiders though they were, they momentarily became part of French society, their adventures fuelled by the culinary delights of their adopted land.

They tell their tales with humor and relish as they recall their initiation into the French way of life of decades ago – and how it shaped their own.

This book highlights and explores some of the world’s most extraordinary and luxurious spa destinations. It offers readers a curated list of 150 exceptional spas across various countries and regions, each renowned for its unique treatments, breathtaking locations, and exceptional wellness experiences. Includes detailed insights into each featured spa, its amenities, signature treatments, wellness philosophies, and the overall ambiance. Readers can expect to find a combination of destination spas, resort spas, urban retreats, and wellness centers that offer a diverse range of holistic therapies, relaxation techniques, and rejuvenating experiences. It could serve as both a practical travel guide for spa enthusiasts and a source of inspiration for those seeking ultimate relaxation and self-care experiences. A bucket-list reference for spa enthusiasts, travelers, and wellness seekers, providing a curated selection of some of the world’s most indulgent and transformative spa experiences.

David Adjaye’s second monograph with a+u displays the global expansion of his practice. a+u 18:02 features international projects such as the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art, Aishti Foundation, and Moscow School of Management. Adjaye’s influences range from contemporary art, music and science to African art forms and city life. His ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist s sensibility and vision. Following a competition in 2009, he was chosen to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In addition to these large scale works, private residences from around the world are also included in this issue. After teaching internationally and receiving numerous awards, Adjaye was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen for services to architecture, following the award of his OBE in 2007. Text in English and Japanese.

Located in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is a magical place, accessible only by ferry, private boat, or small plane. In 1887, Grand Hotel was built on the island to accommodate a new leisure class. Today, horse-drawn carriages (no motorized vehicles are allowed) still bring guests to the 660-foot-long porch to catch the breezes off the Great Lakes. When the Musser family – the owners of the hotel – brought in designer Carleton Varney, a 40-year relationship began, as did an ongoing mission to renovate, update, and create the guest rooms, public spaces, and outer buildings of Grand Hotel. That project continues today. (“The job of decorating is never done,” says the designer.) Varney has developed a vision that brings visitors back year after year to their choice of the 397 rooms – no two of which are alike. In Rooms to Remember, Varney – in his usual colourful and anecdote-filled style – walks the reader through over 200 lavish photographs of the 43 Named Rooms and Suites, providing decorating details, history, and insights. This book is the perfect visual guide for anyone ready to explore the beauty and history the hotel has to offer, and a takeaway memento for those who’ve visited this special place. Come along and join this glorious tour of an iconic American hotel! Contents: Foreword by Dan Musser lll, Introduction by Carleton Varney.

It is 1994, the year of the OJ Simpson saga, Tony Blair’s rise to the leadership of the Labour Party, and South Africa’s first fully multi-racial elections. Nola Marks is a London nightclub hostess with an art history degree and itchy feet. Suddenly her world changes. She begins a new career with a fledgling publishing company, meets Lucian Freud, and finds herself adopted as his latest muse. Over the course of the following seven months, her professional and emotional worlds are turned upside down, as external forces impact in unexpected ways. Set ten years on from Tableaux, the author’s debut novel, the narrative cuts between divergent national cultures and different social tribes. With photographs by Jamie Noise, Nightingales combines art and storytelling in a compelling hybrid form.

Now more than ever, the kitchen continues to be the epicentre of the home. To serve its multiple purposes, the design must be functional, comfortable, and chic. Enter Kitchen Conversations: the friend you want in your corner. Whether you are working on a budget, sparing no expense, or trying to find a nice balance, this book will guide you to make crucial decisions on details large and small, and be your companion on the journey of imagining, planning, designing and then building the kitchen of your dreams. While feasting on full-color photography and real kitchen plans, you can also savor the input from kitchen designers and other industry professionals; personal stories of kitchen builds, remodels and cosmetic changes from many homeowners; useful checklists from homeowners and industry sources, and valuable tips for managing contractors throughout the entire process. There may be challenges along the way but being aware of what lies ahead will allow you to manage them well.

“The London Youth Portraits (ACC Art Books), a sumptuous collection of never-before-seen photographs of punks, skinheads, New Romantics, goths, ravers, and fetishists.” Huck Magazine

“A new edit of a beloved classic.”Marc Jacobs Instagram

“Across 176 pages, the oversized volume documents Ridgers’ vision of England’s seminal youth culture from the height of punk to the birth of acid house, each image a tribute to the trials and triumphs of youth.” — 10 Magazine

‘As time passes, this kind of observational photography attains a new importance’Sean O’Hagan, The Observer

‘Ridgers’ portraits of young boys and girls are weighted with a raw poetry and beauty’ Cory Reynolds, artbook.com

Between 1978 and 1987, renowned British photographer Derek Ridgers captured London youth culture in all its glory. With skinheads, punks and new romantics, in clubs and on the street, his images have come to define a seminal decade of British subculture.

Broadly based on the now out of print book 78/87 London Youth, this showcases a completely fresh selection of images from the depths of Ridgers’ exceptional archive – including many previously unseen – beautifully printed and bound in an oversized volume.

Each picture is a tribute to the trials and triumphs of youth, and a precious document of style and culture in 1980s England, from the height of punk to the birth of acid house. Several have been exhibited internationally in cities as far-ranging as Moscow, Adelaide and Beverly Hills, in the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Somerset House. Ridgers has also collaborated with a number of major fashion houses, including Saint Laurent and Gucci, and his images continue to inspire photographers, artists and fashion designers around the world.

The book begins by the North Sea. It is a late summer’s afternoon, and a bright sun has dispersed the greyness of the day. Two Englishmen are enjoying a swim off the Essex coast when all at once both have the feeling that they are back at the French seaside. They find themselves starting to tell each other of their youthful experiences of living in France. The adventures they narrate follow one after another like waves rolling onto the shore.

Clive, coming from London, had found himself spending a year deep in the French countryside within sight of the western Pyrenees; John, hailing from Devon, had ended up living for a while in the City of Light within sight of the Folies Bergère. Outsiders though they were, they momentarily became part of French society, their adventures fuelled by the culinary delights of their adopted land.

They tell their tales with humor and relish as they recall their initiation into the French way of life of decades ago – and how it shaped their own.

The Bayeux Tapestry is impressive in its initial richness and, almost a thousand years after it was made, miraculously preserved. Entirely needle-embroidered in colored woolen threads, it recounts the conquest of the Kingdom of England by Duke William of Normandy. The universal significance of this secular masterpiece from the eleventh century has earned it a place on UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register. This beautiful book unfolds the whole work with accompanying detailed commentaries. It provides an update on current research, bringing together two erudite points of view from both sides of the Channel.

One sole truth about Edvard Munch’s art does not exist. The answers depend on the questions we pose. Twenty-two Munch experts have written 150 texts about well-known and lesser-known works from Munchmuseet’s collection. Through these multiple ways of seeing, Munch’s lifework emerges as infinite. And this book, as an exercise in the art of seeing. The book invites the reader to explore the world of Edvard Munch — his ideas, processes, and the profoundly human topics that occupied him and that still affect us today. Through a wide selection from the museum’s collection, you can experience the richness of Munch’s artistic career and his unrelenting drive to experiment and innovate.

Francisco de Goya and Edvard Munch revolutionized art through their groundbreaking pairing of raw realism and unique imaginative power. Exploring inner worlds and existential questions, they had a formative impact on art history and our understanding of our times.

The book is published in conjunction with the exhibition Goya and Munch: Modern Prophecies, the first comprehensive presentation of these two artists in tandem. It is lavishly illustrated with reproductions of all the exhibited works and features texts by Trine Otte Bak Nielsen, Manuela B. Mena Marqués, Janis Tomlinson, Ute Kuhlemann Falck and Ask Salomon Selnes.

Morten Andersen’s photo book follows the development of a collaborative project between Satyricon’s Sigurd Wongraven and MUNCH. The project explores the intersection between images and music, and so does the photo book. In Andersen’s characteristic visual language, the book documents the visuality of Wongraven’s work process as well as the musicality of Edvard Munch’s images.  The Norwegian band Satyricon was formed in 1991 and is today one of the world’s most famous black metal bands. They have produced work straddling many genres throughout their career and collaborated with well-known artists and ensembles such as Anja Garbarek, Trondheimsolistene, and The Norwegian National Opera Chorus. Now you can experience the band in relation to Norway’s most famous artist – Edvard Munch. The selected works of art draw on existential themes, but also rhythms and waves, which are features we recognize from the world of music. The intersection of Munch’s expressive motifs and Satyricon’s baseline-heavy music creates room for thought and reflection that goes beyond the realm of black metal alone. Just like Munch, Satyricon’s approach is open and inquisitive, constantly evolving.

Once Upon a Pillow features a stunning collection of pillows and accessories designed by Rebecca Vizard. Celebrated for her innovative use of rare antique textiles — from the embroidered metallic threads of ecclesiastical vestments to Venetian Fortuny draperies and Central Asian suzanis –her designs present a perfect balance of art and material culture. A favorite of designers and a discerning public, her pillows and accessories adorn some of America’s finest homes.

An early childhood fascination with textiles eventually led her to create pillows from her growing personal collection of rare textiles and, when Neiman Marcus placed its first order in 1999, B VIZ Design was officially launched. While her collecting forays frequently take her abroad, she returns to her Louisiana roots and its rich history and tradition of decorative arts for inspiration. In addition to Ms. Vizard’s home, rooms in a range of styles and periods by such topflight designers as Gerrie Bremermann, Barry Dixon, Suzanne Kasler and Matthew Patrick Smyth are included to illustrate embroidery, applique, tapestry, needlepoint, Fortuny, damask and brocade and suzani and ethnic pillows. A selection of accessories from lighting, gifts and dog wear of Fortuny fabric is also highlighted, and an annotated textile glossary is included.

The Flemish Primitive artist Hans Memling (c. 1435–1494), who played a crucial role in early Netherlandish painting, is inextricably associated with Bruges. Among his most impressive creations are the St John Altarpiece and the St Ursula Shrine, which he created for St John’s Hospital in the city. Seven more of this 15th-century master’s finest works can also be seen in Bruges, at what is now the St John’s Hospital Museum and at the Groeninge Museum.

This book describes Memling’s breathtaking paintings in close detail, while offering readers the opportunity to (re)discover his oeuvre as a whole.

Text in English and Dutch.

From illuminated manuscripts to two fried eggs and a kebab (and all the paintings in-between). What’s so great about Hogarth? Why should we care about an unmade bed? And who on earth is Banksy? Well, this book won’t answer all your questions, but it will tell you everything you need to know, and nothing that you don’t. Featuring 50 of the very best and most interesting British artworks from the dawn of history to the present day, alongside color reproductions and pithy explanations of key movements and terms, this guide tells the story of British art as you’ve never heard it before. The first book in a new series of Opinionated Guides on art movements, mediums and ideas which builds on the success of Hoxton Mini Press Opinionated Guides to London.

This fully revised third edition of Cognac: The Story of the World’s Greatest Brandy provides an authoritative account of how the much-loved spirit is produced and matured. Nicholas Faith was the world’s leading authority on Cognac. Here he explores the reasons for the spirit’s complex character, and reveals its fascinating history. Cognac is an extraordinary and unparalleled collection of insights into the world’s finest brandy. The first edition of this book, published in 1986, won the Veuve Clicquot award in the US and the Deinhard/Wine Magazine award in Britain. In 2005 the second edition was awarded the André Simon prize, Britain’s premier wines and spirits writing prize. The most recent edition includes a fully updated directory of the top producers and their brandies – including the author’s tasting notes – and two new sections on tasting and mixing: a selection of Cognac cocktails and how to make them, and revelations on the associations made between brandy and food. This completely updated edition of Nicholas Faith’s classic guide is a thorough and engaging resource – the essential companion for every Cognac enthusiast.

László Hudec (László Edvard Hudec, or Ladislaus Edward Hudec) can only be described as a legend. As one of the foreign architects who fled his native country of Austria-Hungary during troubled times, he ended up making his mark on more than 50 projects, including over 100 buildings during his 29-year (1918 to 1947) stay in a city far away from home.

Among them, 25 projects have been listed as Shanghai’s Most Historical Buildings. His signature work, the Park Hotel, is counted as national heritage. How did Hudec come to enjoy his legendary status in a foreign land, especially as he arrived with almost nothing in his pocket? Why does he continue to attract new followers even in the 21st century?

For the last 14 years, Dr. Hua Xiahong has devoted herself to the study of Hudec and his architecture. The Shanghai Hudec Architecture has shown the essence of Hudec’s projects, which is also one part of the essence of Shanghai’s architecture. To know Hudec, is to know the history of Shanghai and the city’s future.

Like an encyclopaedia of architecture, his style has gone through Neo-classicism, Expressionism, Art Deco and Modernism, which not only reflects European and American influences, but also the architect’s personal creativity. Hudec has left behind a lot of work that is remarkable in Shanghai’s architectural history.

Text in English and Chinese.

Palazzo Vecchio portrays the architecture of the historic Florentine palace immortalized by the internationally-renowned photographer Massimo Listri. The first complete and organic photographic documentation of the building, updated in the wake of recent restoration and re-functionalization, the sequence of images runs page after page through the exterior and the interior of the palace. The alternation of rooms, courtyards and museum spaces, enriched by countless pictorial and sculptural elements, gives life, in Listri’s view, to a faithfully objective overview of the building that, since the end of the 13th century, has been the heart of Florence’s civic and political life, still today a place for meetings, debate and dialogue. The volume, edited by Sergio Risaliti, offers brief essays by experts on the subject such as Serena Pini and Carlo Francini, with a contribution by Mayor Dario Nardella.

Text in Italian.

Palazzo Vecchio portrays the architecture of the historic Florentine palace immortalized by the internationally-renowned photographer Massimo Listri. The first complete and organic photographic documentation of the building, updated in the wake of recent restoration and re-functionalization, the sequence of images runs page after page through the exterior and the interior of the palace. The alternation of rooms, courtyards and museum spaces, enriched by countless pictorial and sculptural elements, gives life, in Listri’s view, to a faithfully objective overview of the building that, since the end of the 13th century, has been the heart of Florence’s civic and political life, still today a place for meetings, debate and dialogue. The volume, edited by Sergio Risaliti, offers brief essays by experts on the subject such as Serena Pini and Carlo Francini, with a contribution by Mayor Dario Nardella.