Muzharul Islam (1923–2012) has left behind an outstanding architectural legacy in Bangladesh, with a significance reaching far beyond the temporal and geographical horizons of its creation. Yet until now, his work has remained relatively unknown despite its relevance and singularity. This monograph presents numerous photographs and reproductions of detailed original drawings to introduce a series of unique buildings to an international audience, highlighting the Bengali architect’s way of thinking and actions, as well as his engagement in cross-cultural dialogue.
Contributions by practising architects from different continents present multifaceted perspectives on Islam’s work, placing him within a historical context and global interconnections. Muzharul Islam’s pioneering and timeless works address burning issues that are currently shaping the global architectural debate: climate-sensitive and self-sufficient construction, social engagement and overcoming colonial mindsets are all fields that the architect pursued relentlessly since the beginning of his career in the 1950s.
A Sino-Chinese family find their destiny is inseparably entangled with that of the country they have adopted as a home. Not long before the Communist revolution, Tong, sent by his peasant-parents in impoverished rural China to work with a relative in Siam, has risen to become a rice-trading tycoon in Bangkok’s Chinatown, married a former palace cook and built a large family in the town of Pad Riew. Haunted by the dream of returning to his true home in China, Tong, along with his wife and their five children, are swept along by the torrents of history as World War II breakout and China turns red, while the military strongman in Thailand act out the interminable cycle of power struggle, rebellion and coup d’état.
Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat, the award-winning second novel by Veerapon Nitiprapha, is a generations-spanning family saga that explores the roots of the Chinese diaspora in Siam and how the tragedy of ruined love, maternal betrayal and futile ambition shape the lives of Tong’s clan members, each of them hounded by their own ghosts and burdened by their own sins. All of this is played out against the backdrop of Siam’s mid-century social and political history, the most chaotic period the formation of the nation.
The catalog brings all the paintings in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze together for the first time. It is a straightforward, convenient tool, aimed at all types of users, particularly suitable for educational use, for a first approach to the museum’s paintings or for quick searches by experts or those who would like to become one.
Arranging the paintings in alphabetical order by the names of the artists seemed to us to be the simplest and most natural criterion for anyone who was not already an expert. The catalog includes the various names of the painters, and a brief biography introduces each artist. This is followed by the entry or, if there is more than one, the entries on the works by this artist in the museum collections, in alphabetical order by title. Each work is reproduced with a recent photograph.
This volume constitutes an invaluable collection of data, essential for future studies and discussions regarding the paintings. The book is introduced by an exhaustive essay by Cecilie Hollberg, the Director of the Galleria.
Books of Hours were the bestsellers of the late Middle Ages. Books of Hours, Books of Hope provides unambiguous and accessible answers to the most intriguing questions about the use and significance of these devotional books: what were they about, who were the makers and readers, where did people learn to read, did they use reading glasses or lamps, what do the humorous figures in the margins symbolize, and why do Books of Hours feature so frequently in portraits by, for example, the Flemish Primitives?
From sumptuous masterpieces embellished with gold leaf to modest, well-thumbed copies dotted with candle-wax stains or personal notes – each one has a story to tell. Books of Hours were popular among all levels of society, from dukes and countesses to bricklayers and maids. Not only as showpieces, but above all as their owners’ faithful companions, cherished and used intensively.
Lavishly illustrated with masterpieces from the collections of the Bruges Public Library and Musea Brugge, this publication is a must-have for those who wish to immerse themselves in the fascinating book culture of the medieval era.
Publication accompanying the exhibition Pride and Solace: medieval Books of Hours and their readers at the Groeningemuseum in Bruges from 4 April until 7 October 2025.
“Seldom does a collection of art history essays leave readers yearning for a second volume…”—Barbara Wisch, Renaissance Quarterly
Roman church interiors throughout the Early Modern age were endowed with rich historical and visual significance. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in anticipation of and following the Council of Trent, and in response to the expansion of the Roman Curia, the chapel became a singular arena in which wealthy and powerful Roman families, as well as middle-class citizens, had the opportunity to demonstrate their status and role in Roman society. In most cases the chapels were conceived not as isolated spaces, but as part of a more complex system, which involved the nave and the other chapels within the church, in a dialogue among the arts and the patrons of those other spaces. This volume explores this historical and artistic phenomenon through a number of examples involving the patronage of prominent Roman families such as the Chigis, Spadas, Caetanis, Cybos and important artists and architects such as Federico Zuccari, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, Alessandro Algardi, Pietro da Cortona, Carlo Maratta.
This book, edited by the designer of Shanghai Astronomy Museum, Ennead Architects LLP, is an all-round record of the design and construction process of Shanghai Astronomy Museum, with a foreword written by Ye Shuhua—an astronomer and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a preface by Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The main part of the book unfolds from four perspectives: site, concept, realization, and engineering and construction, which describes the process of generating the core form of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, as well as the design ingenuity of the main functional areas inside. The book presents many beautiful images of the museum, and includes texts by the chief designer, Thomas J. Wong. The designers’ love for the universe and their great enthusiasm for the project contribute to the essence of this book.
Text in English and Chinese.
Klein Dytham architecture: to Tokyo and Beyond celebrates the Tokyo-based studio famous for its playful yet thoughtful approach to design. This vibrant, comprehensive monograph invites readers to explore 76 projects from KDa’s impressive body of award-winning, multidisciplinary work from around the world.
Blending humor, experimentation, and respect for tradition, these projects range from early works, such as Daikanyama T-SITE in Tokyo and Open House in Bangkok, to more recent works, including the Fender flagship store in Tokyo and a Japanese cypress façade for the Cartier boutique in Osaka. This insightful monograph also highlights the studio’s contributions to global cultural phenomena like PechaKucha Night, and how KDa’s innovative ideas intertwine with the cultural, social, and architectural fabric of Japan.
Thought-provoking narratives explore KDa’s creative process and philosophy, while stunning full-color photography captures the bold and vibrant aesthetics emblematic of KDa’s style. From camouflaging 40-story towers in an alpine resort to transforming a commercial building with intricate, openwork cladding, KDa’s designs have a sense of whimsy that brings joy and curiosity to architecture enthusiasts and observers alike.
Architectural exhibition is an important aspect in the study and transmission of architectural culture. The academic thoughts and design styles that influence the trends of global architecture are all established through one or a series of important architectural exhibitions. This book is produced based on the GSD (Harvard Graduate School of Design) autumn exhibition: ‘Towards a Critical Pragmatism: Contemporary Chinese Architecture’. It reveals a unique perspective of contemporary Chinese architecture by showcasing 60 works from 60 contemporary architects within five thematic categories: cultural, residential, regeneration, rural, and digital.
The selected architects attempt to maintain, from the earliest moments of the design process to its finished outcome, a certain level of critical thinking and quality. It is a record of the continuous evolution and growth of contemporary Chinese architecture and hopes to open up a new avenue from which to encourage further conversation regarding both the present and future state of China’s architecture culture.
Manuelle Gautrand Architecture is a Parisian-based architecture firm founded by Manuelle Gautrand in 1991, sited in the Bastille neighborhood of this exquisite European city. The firm’s key aim is to ‘re-enchant the city’ of Paris by evoking emotion, reinventing spaces, and garnering renewal and innovation – to be bold and definitive. At the core of Gautrand’s creativity lies the approach to each new project through the spirit of a blank canvas, with no à priori. Yet, each of the project that this firm produces expresses a specific relationship to the site: a desire to revive it and enchant; a deep commitment to working on programs entrusted to the firm; ensure efficiency, flexibility and surprise. Each project is a unique and symbolic encounter. Fuelled by shared ideas and prominent for its breadth of practice, this book documents the comprehensive collection of Manuelle Gautrand Architecture’s design solutions. It celebrates the intuitive and stunning designs, and the firm’s commitment to beauty, revival, boldness and precision.
This new monograph celebrates the creative accomplishments of one of the world’s most influential architects, Cesar Pelli. The book surveys this extraordinary body of work in terms of the AIA’s Gold Medalist’s design, architecture, and planning, tracing Pelli’s motivation as a leading designer and teacher, and the evolution of his work over the span of half a century. More than 50 projects from around the globe – museums, theaters, offices, laboratories, airports, cultural centers, civic works, master plans – are presented in rich full color with insights from Pelli that delve into the design and construction of these landmarks from a practice that has thrived for nearly 40 years.
Focusing on the leading edge architectural designs with regional characteristics, Architecture China is a journal whose mission is to disseminate the creative works of contemporary Chinese architecture, and to deepen an appreciation of Chinese architectural traditions and trends. This inaugural issue, Building a Future Countryside, will serve as the official catalogue of the Pavilion of China at 16th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. Following the six episodes of the exhibition, the catalogue gives an in-depth presentation of exhibited installations and projects with texts, drawings, diagrams, and photos. In addition to that, essays by Li Xiangning, curator of the Pavilion of China, and Hans-Jürgen Commerell, director of Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin, are also featured in the catalogue.
From its foundation in 1948, the state of Israel has felt isolated and under threat from enemies. This collective siege mentality manifests itself with over 1 million public and private shelters. The Israelis have integrated these ‘Doomsday spaces’ into their everyday life and transformed them into spaces that look like normal dance studios, bars or temples. For many people in Israel who live with a personal history of exile and persecution, these shelters are the architecture of an existential threat both real and perceived. Adam Reynolds shot the images in this book over the course of three years, from 2013 to 2015. The photographs offer a broad cultural and geographical typology of the shelter spaces by documenting them on either side of the Green Line, throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories, in an effort to offer the broadest survey possible. They straddle the distinct worlds of fine art and reportage. “Working in a country like Israel, it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate art from social reality,” says Adam Reynolds.
In the 1930s Grigory Barkhin became particularly interested in theater architecture, and this culminated in the publication in 1947 of a two-volume work, Architecture of the Theatre. This was the most comprehensive and deeply researched study of theater architecture of the time. The first volume follows a historical timeline, from early classical theaters to some of Europe’s national treasures – La Scala, Opéra Garnier, Vienna State Opera – and the development of theater architecture in the Russian Empire. The second half of the book is devoted entirely to Soviet theater architecture of the pre-war period, in particular the five-star design of the Red Army theater in Moscow, and competition projects for theaters in Rostov-on-Don, Sverdlovsk and Minsk, which Barkhin himself designed with his son Mikhail. These projects can be seen as the cornerstone of the development of Soviet architecture of the time. In this remarkable book, published here in English for the first time, Barkhin sets out a blueprint for architecture that combines an understanding of the subject with a bold and uncompromising vision.
Architecture China is a journal focusing on the leading architectural design projects with regional characteristics in contemporary China. This 2018 Fall issue of Architecture China, focusing on how a new culture might be constructed through the action of building, showcases 15 newly-completed museums and galleries with certain characters from contemporary Chinese culture. The four essays by Li Xiangning, David Leatherbarrow, Sun Jiwei and Zhang Ziyue, and Jiang Jiawei respectively provide different viewpoints on the topic, and expose critical thinking on cultural events that relate to contemporary China. Also available: Architecture China: Building a Future Countryside ISBN 9781864708004
“Architecture is not preserved in a museum – it is the museum.” Architecture Can! is an intriguing journey through the works and projects of the groundbreaking architecture firm Hollwich Kushner, based in New York. Partners Matthias Hollwich and Marc Kushner design projects at every scale: intimate, awe-inspiring, and everything inbetween; from residences to universities, museums, and urban plans. As two founders of leading architecture social media network Architizer, Hollwich and Kushner frankly admit the power of social media in contemporary architecture practice. Images of new and advanced buildings and concepts travel the globe at high speed, influencing a new generation of projects before the previous generation has broken ground. To stand out, they believe, architecture must “empower people to engage with others, to produce memorable experiences, and to live with a sense of wonder”.
“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.
The buildings erected in the Deccan region of India belonged to a number of pre-Mughal kingdoms that reigned in the Deccan from the middle of the 14th century onwards. The monuments testify to a culture where local and imported ideas, vernacular and pan-Islamic traditions fused and re-interpreted, to create a majestic architectural heritage with exceptional buildings on the edge of the Islamic world. Many are still standing – yet outside this region of peninsular India, they remain largely unknown. General publications on Indian Islamic architecture usually devote a single chapter to the Deccan. Even specialist monographs can only cover a portion of the region, due to the sheer number of sites. While it is impossible to encompass the full breadth of the subject in a single volume, this book aims to embrace the visual diversity of the Deccan without sacrificing the rigor of academic study. Structures of historical or architectural significance are placed in their context, as the authors discuss building typologies, civic facilities and ornamental techniques, from plaster and carved stone to glazed tiles and mural painting. A chapter is dedicated to each principal Deccan site, interweaving the rise and fall of these cities with a pictorial journey through their ruins, and each building is accompanied by an overhead plan view.
In a follow-up to Design for Kids (Images Publishing, 2007), in Architecture Is Fun Sharon Exley and Peter Exley demonstrate their ethos that architecture is one of the gateways to a more empathetic and equitable future. They believe making accessible places of learning, living, working, and playing are indispensable for human growth and development. This beautifully presented second monograph illustrates a nexus of architecture, education, community, and experience from the practice of Architecture Is Fun.
Media architecture has evolved from illuminating iconic building façades at night to characterizing all life in cities. This compendium draws on academic research and global studies to present an evolutionary account of concepts that have defined the field and inspired practice, alongside methods for bringing media architecture thinking into projects. Thirty media architecture installations that were nominated for the Media Architecture Awards in 2018 and 2020 illustrate the breadth and trends in the field, including a shift towards more-than-human futures. Through its three parts, capturing concepts, methods and practice, the compendium offers an accessible guide to media architecture for designers, architects, artists, scholars, educators and learners. Several of the authors are board members of the Media Architecture Institute, a non-profit organization with offices in Vienna, Sydney, Beijing and Toronto.
Architecture China is a journal focusing on the leading architectural design projects with regional characteristic in contemporary China. This 2023 Winter issue of Architecture China, focusing on how a new culture could be constructed through the action of building, showcases 12 newly completed museums or galleries, all of which express certain characters in contemporary Chinese culture. Four essays by Li Xiangning, Stanislaus Fung, Aric Chen, and Jiang Jiawei respectively provide different viewpoints on the topic, and expose critical thinking on cultural events that relate to contemporary China.
New frontiers for media architecture: This compendium explores how digital media is shaping cities today and in the years to come. It illustrates groundbreaking use of light and media in urban environments through 36 winning or shortlisted entries from the Media Architecture Biennale Awards in 2014 and 2016 in five categories: Animated architecture, Money architecture, Participatory architecture & urban interaction, Spatial media art, Future trends & prototypes.
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.
“The difference between inspirational stories to the ones lacking inspiration often depends on the order the storyteller chooses to place his creation. In this sense, not only does this book represent a series of architect Eli Armon’s architectural achievements, but also provides a statement on his work in retrospect by attempting a story narrative that looks at the tale of creation. Thus, a new creation is formed, designed by choosing the picture angle, by editing the order of the pictures, and by writing words that interlace into a melody of structure and creation. Armon’s lyrical and philosophical points of view add another dimension to his architectural works that have created a texture of inspiration spots and have already turned into Places throughout our country.” – Abridged text, from the Introduction.
This unique monograph delves into intriguing and beguiling architectural works by Eliezer Armon. Inspired by images from Israel and its landscape, worldwide cultures, and the martial arts, Armon’s multidisciplinary and unconventional professional approach to architecture sees in the architectural planning the materialization of views, existential concepts, circles of life and faith, as one united and multifaceted work. His work is that of a curious researcher. It sprouts from biblical sources, the Hebrew letters, Jewish tradition and Kabbalah.
List of projects: Holon Wolfson Railway Station, Tel Aviv; Lehavim-Rahat Railway Station; Beer-Sheva Central Railway Station; Department of Public Works, Beer-Sheva; Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development; Abraham’s Well Visitors’ Center, Beer-Sheva; Yad Sara, Beer-Sheva; Officers School Synagogue, Mitzpe Ramon; Yod Alef Community Center, Beer-Sheva; Ramot Sportive Community Center, Beer-Sheva; Kindergarten and Center for the Care of the Elderly, Meitar; El-Zahara School, Lod; Omer Comprehensive School; The Sports Hall, Omer; Culture Hall, Omer.