Catalogue of the TECHNOSCAPE exhibition, which will be held at MAXXI in Autumn 2022, focusing on the relationship between artistic and scientific disciplines, nowadays closer than ever, and the consequent contacts between technique, creativity and social awareness.
Architecture, engineering and science have overlapped on numerous occasions during the 20th century. First in the heroic phase and then in the mature phase of the reinforced concrete, then with the affirmation of hi-tech construction methods in the 1970s and 1980s and finally with the eruption of digitally controlled technologies.
TECHNOSCAPE explores this alliance, responding to MAXXI’s mission to look towards the future of our planet and the disciplines that modify its spaces.
The volume follows the dual register of the exhibition, first dealing with how technology is making architecture, urban planning and other related disciplines more aware of their technical and scientific responsibility and capable of opening up new lines of research. The focus shifts then to structural engineering, comparing current masterpieces with previous historical modernist examples.
This book illustrates the extensive design and construction work in Milan over the past 20 years by the notable Milanese architectural firm ARAssociati. This award-winning firm has been involved in a wide range of projects, including new construction in the residential, hospitality, office and retail sectors, as well as work on prestigious historic buildings. Projects in the historical heart of the city are counterbalanced by those in the new areas of Milan, which is undergoing a transformation to a multicentric metropolis. The result is an expertize based on a deeply rooted knowledge of the city and its history, sensitive to the context and stratification over time, allowing the firm to retrace and map out the large-scale transformations that have changed and are still changing the face of Milan.
Text in English and Italian.
ABS Bouwteam is a high-end contractor of exclusive residential projects: villas, country houses and mansions in timeless and contemporary style. This first monograph highlights the most important projects by the company, with an overview of 30 years of exceptional architecture and interior design.
An architect and a critic discuss what unites them, common reasoning that gives rise to a dialogue that establishes a link between buildings, built or just thought of, and images taken from the artistic tradition, mainly Italian. The result is a presentation of Peluffo & Partners’ architecture seen through the spaces, bodies and figures drawn from suggestions from the world of art, ancient and contemporary, cinema and architecture itself.
The volume includes shots by Ernesta Caviola, who has consistently photographed the architecture of Peluffo & Partners and collaborated in the fine-tuning of the images.
To many, it was the utopian holiday homes that brought Chilean architecture into the international scene, such as those previously featured in a+u 06:07. However, following 2010, we began to see a different group of architects looking into less individualistic visions. Architects now engage with the public or take up non-profit projects focused on social and sustainable issues that had come to a halt during the time of oppression. In an introductory essay, Diego Grass, architect and tutor at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, shared his insights into Chilean architecture from the 1990s, describing how having gone through the years of persistent domestic unrest, the country seeks to forge a new cultural identity that would bring a divided Chile together. 18 projects are selected to broaden our perspectives towards architecture in Chile, and how Chilean architects respond to their landscape and urban territory contexts.
Text in English and Japanese.
This survey of contemporary winery architecture around the world profiles 30 wineries, and explores how the new generation of growers are incorporating a thoughtful approach to architectural design into their wider public-facing identity and mission. Following his earlier book, which explored winery architecture in Italy, the author has selected wineries in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania to illustrate how quality and sustainability have become priorities in the construction process. Responding to the increasing interest in traveling to see first-hand where wine is produced, he examines how wineries are creating well-designed and engaging spaces that are in tune with the surrounding landscape, highlighting the connection between the building, its surroundings, and the agricultural community.
In Pavilions for Giving, Dr Jin-Ho Park explores how the role of the modern architect continues to evolve and emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community. This book presents six meaningful projects that have been valuable to the community of each location and served a bigger purpose to society. The details of the creative and constructive processes highlight the hard work and coordination behind each pavilion, which are even more impressive given the positive contribution of each finished structure. The six pavilions have not only improved the everyday lives of people, including children and the older generation, but they have involved student architects who have gained valuable experience.
The Classicist is an annual journal dedicated to the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. Focused on New England, the Classicist No. 20 explores the region’s rich architectural history; contemporary examples of classical design through professional and student portfolios; and academic articles authored by leaders within the field. Contributors include Michael J. Lewis, Professor at Williams College and architecture critic for the Wall Street Journal; Kenneth Hafertepe, Professor at Baylor University; Aaron M. Helfand, Architect at Knight Architecture in New Haven; Sarah Allaback, author and architectural historian; Mark Alan Hewitt, architect, preservationist, and architectural historian; Keith N. Morgan, architectural historian and Professor Emeritus at Boston University; Kyle Dugdale, architect, historian, and Senior Critic at Yale University; and John Tittmann, founding partner at Albert Righter Tittman Architects, alongside submissions to the professional and academic portfolio.
Industrial archeologists study towns and landscapes created over the past several centuries that were planned to integrate home and work. This ground-breaking book features architectural case studies of company towns in 48 locations – workers’ villages, mill towns, mining towns, cité ouvrières, bruk städer, colonias industriales, villaggi operai – many of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Extensive illustrations and images document the ways in which architectural experiments responded to the entrepreneurial initiatives that were the basis of these communities. The authors, two esteemed professors whose work focuses on the conservation of industrial heritage, examine the role of architectural and urban culture in creating the identity of these unique towns, and the consequences of their abandonment.
“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.
Forty international projects in six categories present the most innovative and forward-looking solutions, whose contribution to building culture development is clearly evident. The focus is on all the relevant themes of transformation development: use of resources, circular processes, biodiversity etc. The editors take a comprehensive look at current developments in the building sector and inspire novelty. With InteriorPark, they have been driving sustainable developments in the building sector forwards since 2010.
Text in English and German.
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.
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.
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)”.
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.
Academics, designers and managers in the nonprofit sector, provide valuable information to students of historic preservation and landscape history, and to a more general public that, as editor Charles Birnbaum says, must be educated about the value of modern landscape design.
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.
The Classicist is an annual journal dedicated to the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. Focused on Northern California, the Classicist No. 21 explores the region’s rich architectural history; contemporary examples of classical design through professional and student portfolios; and academic articles authored by leaders within the field. Contributing authors include Daniel Gregory, architectural historian and editor; Laura Ackley, author of San Francisco’s Jewel City: The Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915; Lucia Howard, Partner at Ace Architects and Piraneseum; Therese Poletti, author of Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger and journalist at MarketWatch; and Andrew Shanken, Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tectonism is the most advanced and most sophisticated contemporary architectural style. There are, to date, only relatively a few fully satisfactory built examples, and most of them are still of a relatively modest scale. It is the thesis of this book that tectonism, as defined and illustrated here, represents the future of 21st century architecture. This thesis is optimistic with respect to the long-term rationality of the discipline of architecture, i.e. with respect to its capacity to discern and ascertain, via its internal discourse, the superiority of tectonism, and to spread its influence and impact as global best practice accordingly. This optimism also extends to the rationality of the wider society, as represented through private clients, public clients, and through end-user acceptance, to be susceptible to the guidance it will receive from its architectural expert discourse. This optimism is based on a critical analysis and appraisal of architectural history. The avant-garde intuitions of the early modernists in the 1920s, backed up by sound theoretical arguments, did win over the discipline in the 1930s and 1940s, and spread its real impact on the global built environment throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The current avant-garde intuitions within the movement of tectonism, although very different from modernism, are equally well thought through as the arguments in this book will attempt to demonstrate. — From the Introduction, by Patrik Schumacher
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.