The 1970s was a time when “architectural theory” was widely discussed and published. Leading historian of architectural theory, Professor Harry F. Mallgrave, writes an essay on the discourses that were particularly important and the architecture connected to them, while also taking into account aspects of the cultural and social background of that era. This entire issue is made up of relevant works of architecture and discourses laid out with reference to the three topics that Professor Mallgrave outlines in his essay – The Presumed Crisis of Meaning, The Real Crisis of Urban Theory, and The First Stirrings of the Ecology Movement, Both Natural and Human. Finally, the editorial team added examples related to the topic of The Vernacular and the Language of Modernism. The result is a cross-section of the 1970s: an era that was neither the “best” nor the “worst” of times.
Text in English and Japanese.
Since 1961, when Archigram emerged as a visionary force, Peter Cook’s drawings have projected radical possibilities for architecture; and through drawing he has pursued a fascination with what he calls ‘the puzzlement of the strange thing’ to create compelling forms. Peter Cook Drawings presents some 200 of his colored and line drawings, ranging from student projects at the Architectural Association, through the speculations of the Archigram years, to dazzling new work completed shortly before going to press. With an introduction by Andrew Holmes, commentaries by Peter Cook himself, and a timeline of all the built and drawn work, the book charts the course of a seven-decades long adventure in architecture.
Founder of Superstudio and initiator of the so-called ‘Radical Architecture’ movement (one of the most important avant-garde movements of the sixties and seventies), Adolfo Natalini describes years of designed and constructed architectural projects through his preferred media: drawings and sketches shown in his Black notebooks (Quaderni Neri). This book contains many of his numerous designs and constructed projects, witness to almost fifty years of his career, collected in four new Notebooks.
The first section describes the experiences shaping Natalini’s education, including his studies and work at Superstudio and the ‘Pistioia school’. The other chapters present his designs and completed projects, divided by geographic area and then in chronological order. The Italian, German and Dutch sketchbooks show the work he considers the best representations of his career, told through images, technical drawings and original sketches from his famed sketchbooks.
Many excerpts from interviews with the Natalini are interspersed throughout, complementing and tying everything together. This significant book helps us understand a key player in Italian architecture, his career, how his ideas evolved, and how he sees and understands his work and designs.
This issue features the architecture in Taiwan, an island state in East Asia largely covered with rugged mountain ranges throughout its length, whilst densely populated along the perimeter.
Over the past 25 years, architecture in Taiwan has transited from a field exclusive to professionals, to one that is relatable and enjoyed by the masses. Even amidst volatile political and challenging economical situations, the administering of public works and commissioning of projects managed to maintain the country’s creativity and rationality. This is also where architects overseas found unprecedented design freedom, realizing one of their best works in the island.
The featured projects are borne out of their unique conditions, those that reflect the architects’ concerns with the environment, cultures and histories. Through them, we begin to understand and appreciate the island that was once named “IIha Formosa (beautiful island)”.
a+u’s March issue features the architecture, landscape, and cities of Colombia. A land of intoxicating natural beauty, Colombia has employed architecture as a key agent in rebuilding its cities and civil society as it recovers from decades of civil strife stemming from drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare. Photographic work by Camilo Echavarría illustrates how travels through the country cause one to feel a homogeneous, abstract passage of time. With no seasons, architecture is conditioned by various landscapes formed by the rich geographic diversity across regions. Medellín-based architect and guest editor Camilo Restrepo Ochoa takes us on a journey through his country, where architects create spaces as “types, elements, and instruments of architecture made to question limits, to build an inhabitable threshold that participates in the spatial experience of moving from outside to inside.” Works by 14 architectural practices across 3 generations are presented in this issue. Also featured is the city of Medellín’s remarkable achievement of reinvigorating its poorest neighborhoods through mobility and urban space.
Text in English and Japanese.
Following on from the success of An Opinionated Guide to East London, Hoxton Mini Press are developing a series of ‘opinionated guides’ to aspects of London, each offering concise, highly-curated, insider selections alongside stunning, original photography. Two expert writers, Sujata Burman and Rosa Bertoli of Wallpaper Magazine, have joined forces with architectural photographer Taran Wilkhu to create an unashamedly confident guide to the must-see buildings in London, spanning all the architectural styles: from Art Deco to postmodern, brutalist to futuristic. Over 50 buildings are included alongside four maps with guided city walks. Why buy a guidebook when all information is online? Because people want opinion to cut through the clutter. Contents: Foreword; Introduction; Maps / Walks; Features.
“The well-judged employment of classical detail in a new home has an additional significance that cannot be underestimated. It is an expression of an informed personal choice and an evocation of the delight in the human senses. This is true of all the houses featured in this book.” Jeremy Musson
“The architects and craftsmen that Phillip has featured in this wonderful book all have a love for classical detail. The art is alive and well, as can be attested to in these pages.” David Easton
In The Art of Classical Details, Phillip James Dodd takes a close-up look at some of the finest examples of contemporary classical architecture. The book consists of two chapters: The Essays and The Projects. Starting with a foreword by renowned decorator David Easton, The Essays are written by some of today’s most sought after architects, scholars and craftsmen. Accompanied by sumptuous full page photographs and renderings that illustrate a use of fine materials, intricate detailing, and superb artisanship, these insightful texts are essential reading for anyone with an interest in the theory, practice and craft of classical design. The Projects presents an illustrated look at 25 of today’s finest classically-designed homes. Employing the theories prescribed in the writings of the first chapter, this portfolio of contemporary buildings exhibits the work of some of the most recognizable and celebrated architects in Great Britain and the United States. The work featured in within this book demonstrates the timeless beauty of classicism, and delights in the role that superbly crafted details play in creating art.
London is a city of innovation. In its suburbs, green roofs grow on flats, homes are insulated with cork and light timber structures have been designed to be as beautiful as they are energy efficient; in the center, striking new offices are retro-fitted over preserved buildings, while communal hubs are creatively built from reclaimed materials. The original photographs and detailed design interrogations in this book look at the way the capital is responding to the ever-pressing need to build with the environment foremost in mind – talking to the London architects, designers and residents who are creating a city that lives, works, plays and produces sustainably.
Living Tradition: The Architecture and Urbanism of Hugh Petter celebrates the exceptional professional achievement of one of the world’s leading traditional architects. It showcases recent highlights from Hugh’s award-winning portfolio, including handsome new country houses; major alterations and refurbishment of historic buildings; a significant new building for Trinity College in Oxford; and commercial development at all scales with landed estates across the UK and beyond. His pioneering work as master-planner for the Duchy of Cornwall is regularly cited as an exemplar of a community that reflects local identity.
Written by Clive Aslet, with a foreword by The Former Prince of Wales, this book reveals how a series of iconic buildings came to be. Richly illustrated with newly commissioned photography by Dylan Thomas, one of Britain’s foremost photographers of architecture and interiors, this book reveals the working process of the architect.
Common to all the buildings in this book – whether a new or historic private house, a public building, or a masterwork of urban design – is a loving attention to detail and materials, and an architect who cares deeply for his craft.
Beginning with Habitat ’67, his seminal experimental housing project constructed for Montreal World’s Fair, Safdie has contributed meaningfully to the development of many building types – museums, libraries, performing arts centres, government facilities, airports and houses – and the realisation of entire cities. Volume Two of this new, two-volume monograph features an essay by Safdie presenting his current thoughts on the significant issues facing architecture today. Complementing it are texts by William Mitchell on the theme of a global practice responding to a wide range of varied local conditions, and by Thomas Fisher on Safdie’s books, which, like his buildings, continue to influence the international architecture community. Featured projects from around the world, include from the United States the Salt Lake City Main Public Library, the Peabody Essex Museum and the US Institute of Peace Headquarters; from Israel the Holocaust History Museum at Yad Vashem, the Yitzhak Rabin Center and the new city of Modi’in; from India, the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex; and from China, the Guangdong Science Center and the Guangzhou No. 2 Children’s Palace. Previously announced.
From Brooklyn brownstones to Bauhaus blocks, Art Deco icons to towering skyscrapers – New York’s ever-evolving skyline spans all architectural styles, tracing the history of this modern metropolis. From famous icons like the Flatiron Building to hidden architectural gems, the guide features more than 50 must-see buildings spanning all architectural styles. Whether you’re a seasoned New Yorker or a curious visitor, this is your boldly opinionated guide to the most arresting buildings in The Big Apple.
This luxuriously presented monograph documents the life, work, architecture and design achievements, plus the art, jewelry and fashion collections of leading Australian cultural advocate Gene Sherman. Here she shares intimate accounts of her journey in her own words and is joined by many internationally renowned and influential art world commentators, curators, fashion designers, and educators who have contributed incisive essays — ich with personal anecdotes — on the impressive cultural trajectory of this world-renowned art advocate and academic, collector and philanthropist. Beautifully photographed throughout, The Spoken Object features many previously unseen pictures of Gene Sherman, along with photographs of her personal collections, iconic fashion items and jewelry, significant art and sculpture, designer furniture, significant architecture, including the beautifully designed interiors of the stunning home she lives in and shared with her late husband, Brian Sherman.
Cities today continue to evolve against manifold backgrounds, and the players active in urban development are becoming more diverse. Globalization has brought worldwide competition between cities, and the impact of IoT (Internet of Things) and other technologies is transforming the urban landscape in unprecedented ways since the industrial revolution. To comprehend future changes of next-generation cities, ‘Place’ and ‘Urbanism’ must be viewed not in isolation but rather, in terms of their complementary relationship. In today’s context, where both architecture and the city belong to an indivisible domain, we want to provide occasions for thinking about the city from the viewpoint of architecture, and architecture from the viewpoint of the city. JA 116, City: Ever Evolving introduces changes taking place against this multifarious background in 21 cities around the world.
With this issue, JA inaugurates a new series called ‘Place+Urbanism’ that will explore the changing face of the city, presenting a perspective that goes beyond individual projects.
Text in English and Japanese.
“More than just a biography, this book is a critical assessment of Aditya Prakash’s oeuvre as a designer, painter and philosopher” – Mark Jarzombek Professor of History, Theory and Criticism, MIT
“At once deeply moving and seriously informative, this book details a life in architecture in post-Independence India dedicated to social service, education, and environmental reform.” – Anthony Vilder, Professor of Architecture at The Cooper Union
“This book charts the intellectual odyssey of the pioneering artist, architect and urban planner, Aditya Prakash, a multi-talented renaissance man.” – Partha Mitter, writer & historian on art & culture
“An intimate, revelatory analysis of a life that exemplified the cosmopolitan modernism and national commitments of India’s founding, Nehruvian generation.” – Sunil Khilnani, Avantha Professor & Director, King’s India Institute, King’s College London
Vikramaditya Prakash (1924-2008) belonged to the first generation of Indian modernists that came into its own in the Nehruvian era. Built around a multi-disciplinary oeuvre that was unique amongst his peers, Prakash’s life was dedicated to finding the ‘one continuous line’ which linked art – as the search for the beautiful, architecture – as the enabler of life, and planning – as the ethic of protecting the interests of poor.
Interspersed with a series of visual essays, this book is conceived as an introduction to Prakash’s vast body of work. Besides practising architecture, he was an academic, a prolific painter, sculptor, furniture designer, stage set-designer, poet and public speaker. This volume documents Prakash’s education as an architect in Delhi and London, his early modernist works, his deep artistic impulses, his love of theatre, and his efforts to rally a culture of academic inquiry. The narrative describes his successes and failures, his arguments for and against modernism, postmodernism and globalization, and his passion for sustainable urbanism, the animal and the acoustic. The book concludes with an interpretive essay on Prakash’s life and legacy, along with lavish illustrations of a portfolio of select works.
Radiant City is a major monograph documenting a decade of figurative and geometric work by London-based British contemporary artist Lucy Williams (b. 1972, Oxford). Her mixed-media bas-relief collages depict modernist architecture and interiors, from tower blocks and municipal buildings to private residences in Palm Springs.
All made painstakingly by hand, this is a contemporary art practice that, with the precision of an architect or a draughts person, references craft traditions, using materials including paper, Plexiglas, wood veneer, fabric, piano wire, and thread. Space, form, pattern, design, and geometry meet with color and light to form mesmerizing, detailed scenes such as tiled swimming pools with mosaic walls, the imposing facades of Brutalist buildings, and domestic interiors containing bookcases replete with books, vases and ornaments.
In addition to figurative works, the publication also features the artist’s Threaded Collages, abstract geometric pieces inspired by Bauhaus tapestries, constructivism and traditional Welsh quilting. Williams creates repeated triangular and diamond forms, using colorful painted papers along with silk and cotton threads.
Featuring a variety of text contributions, this, Williams’s second trade monograph, has been designed by Kristin Metho, edited by Matt Price, and produced by Hurtwood. It is published by Hurtwood with generous support from Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco.