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The 21st edition of the CGarchitect 3D Awards has concluded, broadcasting live from the second annual World Visualization Festival.

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WARSAW, POLAND – The 21st edition of the CGarchitect 3D Awards has concluded, broadcasting live from the second annual World Visualization Festival in Warsaw, Poland. The ceremony marked an exceptional year for the architectural visualization community, which showed its incredible passion with a record-breaking 25% increase in submissions. Over 1,100 entries were received from talented artists and studios across the globe. The awards, presented by Rick Eloy, celebrated the convergence of artistic vision and technical brilliance that defines the industry. This global gathering and celebration would not have been possible without the generous support of its sponsors: Rebusfarm, SiNi Software, OF3D Academy, iToo Software, Chaos, and the wonderful hosts at the World Visualization Festival. A special thanks was also extended to the esteemed jury, who meticulously reviewed the thousands of submissions. Viz Pro of the Year: Stefana Ristić Best Non-Commissioned Image: Mátyás Kovács Best Real-Time Experience: Kinerama and Bwow Studio And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The winners of the 21st CGarchitect 3D Awards are: Best Commissioned Image: RYTM STUDIO Best Non-Commissioned Image: Mátyás Kovács Best Commissioned Film: Arqui9 Best Non-Commissioned Film: Kunkun Visual Best Real-Time Experience: Kinerama and Bwow Studio Studio of the Year: Saltvision Viz Pro of the Year: Stefana Ristić The Viz Pro of the Year award held a special significance, as the winner was chosen directly by the community through an online vote. Thousands participated to celebrate the individual they believe has made the most significant impact on the industry this year. Shin-Kokura Bridge / Kokura Bridge (Sagamihara City) Best Commissioned Image: RYTM STUDIO Best Non-Commissioned Film: Kunkun Visual For the second year in a row, CGarchitect’s 3D Awards has partnered with the 2025 World Visualization Festival. The Awards’ gala was part of the annual WVF event, held October 2-4 in Warsaw, Poland. For the first time, the festival was also made available online. Tailored for professionals working in visualization and CGI, recordings from three live-streamed panel discussions, and the 3D Awards gala, are available online by registering. The World Visualization Festival is an expanded global gathering of 3D visualization, CGI, and digital storytelling experts. It brings together professionals from fields as diverse as architectural visualization, automotive design, advertising, marketing, product design, and AI. Its purpose is to spread knowledge, foster a global community of creators and enable networking and collaboration. Speakers’ list include bold minds from: FUTHARK STUDIOS, diorama.eu, OMEGARENDER, Marygold Studio, ZOA Studio, Kilograph and many, many more. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for their inspiring work and dedication. The work showcased this year is a testament to the extraordinary and bright future of architectural visualization. To see the full gallery of winning and nominated work, please visit the official CGarchitect 3D Awards website. Top image: Best Commissioned Film_Arqui9 The post The 21st CGarchitect 3D Awards Celebrate a Record-Breaking Year in Warsaw appeared first on Journal.

With many new studios on the rise, an impressive cohort of Chilean architects is taking center stage in the international design community.

The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Chile appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on October 10, 2025. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking. A vast yet narrow topography and a booming design community, Chile continues to gain recognition for its architectural achievements and innovative experimentations of space. Nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the varying landscape — deserts, coastlines and mountainscapes – has led to interesting design variations and organizations. On the other hand, as a nation prone to seismic activity, Chile has experienced its fair share of natural disasters, leading to significant advances in earthquake-resistant structures. Historically, a country’s notable moment was the end of the Pinochet regime, which led to a boom in architecture schools and a broader curriculum. From Pritzker Prize-winning Alejandro Aravena to Cecilia Puga, an impressive cohort of Chilean architects has taken center stage in the international design community, and many new studios are on the rise, setting the bar high for continual national architectural feats. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Chile based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge. How are these architecture firms ranked? The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority: The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025) The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025) Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Chile architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Chile: 30. ECGP © ECGP An architectural firm located in the city of Concepcion, Chile, whose work is focusing mainly on commercial design. Some of ECGP’s most prominent projects include: S SHELTER, Recinto, Chile Griso Cafe, Concepción, Chile MIO.DS Restaurant, Concepción, Chile MIO.DS, Concepción, Chile The following statistics helped ECGP achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 4 29. CRISTIAN BERRIOS ARCHITECTS © CRISTIAN BERRIOS ARCHITECTS Architectural firm located in the city of Concepcion, Chile. The projects focus mainly on residential architecture. Some of CRISTIAN BERRIOS ARCHITECTS’s most prominent projects include: APS BUILDING, Chillán, Chile STV BUILDING, Concepcion, Chile ERZ HOUSE , Futrono, Chile MARIO TORAL MUSEUM CBR HOUSE, Concepción, Chile The following statistics helped CRISTIAN BERRIOS ARCHITECTS achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 28. PLAN Arquitectos © PLAN Arquitectos Plan Arquitectos is an architectural office, created in 1998 in Santiago de Chile. In its 21 years of professional practice, it has more than 600,000 m² built, both in public and private projects. Plan arquitectos has stood out for being an office that in its work philosophy, is continuously investigating new concepts in architecture and applying new technologies to the discipline, adjusting to the needs of users and today’s society. In addition, it has a team of professionals dedicated to all the needs that arise in the development of the project, both in architecture and specialties. Some of PLAN Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: Constitución Town Hall Building, Constitución, Chile PWCC Spa & Fitness Center, 1901, Las Arañas, Santiago, Chile Club Deportivo Universidad de Chile Boulevard Ñuñoa Square, Santiago, Chile San Ignacio de Empedrado High School, Empedrado, Chile The following statistics helped PLAN Arquitectos achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 7 27. Amunategui AIA Basualdo Arquitectos Asociados © Amunategui AIA Basualdo Arquitectos Asociados At Amunátegui AIA Basualdo Arquitectos Asociados we specialize in cross-cultural architectural services, including architecture, planning, interior design and real estate development. We have designed, detailed and developed well over 6 million square feet over the past fourteen years of practice in Chile and Argentina, in a broad spectrum of building types. Recent projects include subterranean subway stations, the new domestic passenger terminal for Santiago’s International Airport, the passenger terminals for the 1998 addition to Santiago International Airport (Government-issued schematic design), as well as its complimentary regional counterpart, embassies, large mixed use developments such as World Trade Center Santiago and Santiago Marriott, high-end single family residences, Casinos, institutional and/or corporate office complexes, interior design, master planning and more. Some of Amunategui AIA Basualdo Arquitectos Asociados’s most prominent projects include: NCSO Office Building, Vitacura, Chile Arturo Merino Benitez Santiago Airport, Santiago, Chile Courtyard By Marriott Santiago Hotel, Las Condes, Chile Plaza Central AMB, Santiago, Chile Origami Offlice Building, Las Condes, Chile The following statistics helped Amunategui AIA Basualdo Arquitectos Asociados achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 8 26. Duque Motta & AA © FG+SG | Fotografia de Arquitectura We are an architectural practice based in Santiago de Chile, founded in 2004 by Rodrigo Duque Motta, first as RDM architecture. Our work seeks to build value based on a methodology focused on customer needs and collaborative work; intensively using design as a tool for improvement that multiplies the possibilities; with sensitivity and respect for the physical, cultural and environmental context; and a focus on the definition of identity and construction of human experience. Some of Duque Motta & AA’s most prominent projects include: Economics and Business Faculty, Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Duque Motta & AA achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 25. Cristián Axl Valdés © Leo Basoalto mutarestudio | Cristin Axl Valds is an architecture office located in the Central Valley of Chile. Our work covers the fields of architecture, urban design and landscape. Our work has been widely published in the media in France, Argentina, Germany, Croatia, Romania, the Netherlands, and others; and has been exhibited in various places, such as the XVIII Biennial of Architecture and Territory of Chile, the XXI Pan American Architecture Biennial of Quito, Ecuador, the XIII Architecture Biennial of Bolivia, where we obtain the prize for best international work, and Madrid, Spain. We were selected among the fourteen emerging Latin American offices to be part of the 2019 Latin American Architecture Biennial to be held in Spain. Some of Cristián Axl Valdés’s most prominent projects include: House on the Top, Curanipe, Chile The following statistics helped Cristián Axl Valdés achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 24. Estudio Base Arquitectos © Estudio Base Arquitectos Our work is based on adding value to architecture, through a methodology based on the client’s needs and collaborative work. Design as the main tool to solve problems; Considering that conditions change constantly and the use of technology is increasing, our office has developed a way of working that allows us to carry out projects from idea to execution in a comprehensive manner; with sensitivity and respect for the geographical, cultural and environmental context. This is what we are passionate about and motivates us day by day in each project. Some of Estudio Base Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: House in Puertecillo , Camino a puertecillo, Cardenal Caro, O’Higgins, Chile Patagonia Complex, Patagonia The following statistics helped Estudio Base Arquitectos achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 23. Pablo Larroulet | LARROU_Arq © Pablo Larroulet | LARROU_Arq Chilean architect graduated in 2010 from the Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile with studies in Polytechnic of Milan, Italy and Master of Architecture, Design and Innovation at MArch, Valencia. From 2015 to 2019 he worked in Sydney at Villa + Villa Architects. In 2020, he moved to Valencia, Spain, were he worked at Fran Silvestre Arquitectos where he specialized in the development of residential, hospitality and interior design projects. He is currently living in Chile, where he is developing projects in different parts of the country, mainly in the Magallanes Region, collaborating with various architectural and construction offices. Some of Pablo Larroulet | LARROU_Arq’s most prominent projects include: AKA Patagonia, Puerto Natales, Chile Wind House, Pichilemu, Chile The following statistics helped Pablo Larroulet | LARROU_Arq achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 22. Tidy Architects © Tidy Architects Albert Tidy Architects is an architecture office based in Santiago, Chile. We define our work as an exploration of architecture and design as plastic phenomenoma. Our search centers in the reduction of perceptible constructive complexities, to try to shorten the distance between the original idea and the complete building. This process is taken through a wide spectrum of scales, from object design, furniture design and architecture in a variety of scales. Some of Tidy Architects’s most prominent projects include: Martínez House, Maipo, Región Metropolitana, Chile Chovar House, Las Condes, Chile The following statistics helped Tidy Architects achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 21. Felipe Assadi + Francisca Pulido Arquitectos © Fernando Alda Felipe Assadi is an architect from the Finis Terrae University and a master in Architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. In 1999 he received the Youth Promotion Award from the College of Architects of Chile, awarded to the best architect in the country under 35 years of age. He has been a professor at several Chilean and other foreign universities, in Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Colombia and the United States. Since 2011, he has served as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the Finis Terrae University. He has been invited to give lectures in Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Argentina, the United States, Italy and Spain. His work has been published in several countries, in magazines such as Wallpaper and Architectural Review, in London; Arquitectura Viva and AV Monografías, in Madrid; Architectural Record, in New York; GA, in Tokyo; Domus and Casabella, in Italy, among others; as well as in specialized books around the world. He has participated in exhibitions in Chicago, Barcelona, Pamplona, London, Quito, Tokyo, Venice and Santiago. His work has been developed in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the United States, and Ecuador. Some of Felipe Assadi + Francisca Pulido Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: Awasi Patagonia Hotel, Torres del Paine, Chile Pabellón de Cuatro Usos, Los Vilos, Chile The following statistics helped Felipe Assadi + Francisca Pulido Arquitectos achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 20. Cazu Zegers Arquitectura photo: Isabel Fernandez - © Cazu Zegers Arquitectura We are a multidisciplinary and diverse creative ecosystem, made up of architects and leading professionals in their areas. Our purpose as a team is to articulate spaces, communities, projects and infrastructure that can accommodate being, in order to create responses to the problems that today’s living brings. Cazú Zegers has a different angle of approach towards architecture, in an expressive search, closely related to Latin America, its territory, landscape and traditions. From here arises a work “in progress” that involves a poetic reflection on the way we inhabit the territory. The thesis that inspires her work is to build in a “light and. precarious way”, referring to a lo-tek architecture but with a high experiential impact; understanding that the greatest value of Chile and Latin America is in its territory: “The territory is to America what monuments are to Europe,” says Cazú. Some of Cazu Zegers Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include: Casa Do, Canela, Chile Hotel of the Wind / Tierra Patagonia Hotel, Última Esperanza, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile Casa Soplo, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Cazu Zegers Arquitectura achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 19. COMUNarquitectos © COMUNarquitectos COMUNarquitectos is a firm created in 2010 in Tokyo, Japan with the idea of make architecture mainly for the community. We, its founders think that architecture is a social-design issue and our goal is designing for and by people without neglecting art. Now we are in our mother land, Chile sharing all that we learned. Some of COMUNarquitectos’s most prominent projects include: Municipal Sports Pavilion, Calera de Tango, Chile MJ House, Melipilla, Chile LONQUÉN SCHOOL GIMNASIUM, Calera de Tango, Chile The following statistics helped COMUNarquitectos achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 18. DX Arquitectos © DX Arquitectos We are a professional support that promotes individual and collective ventures for the development of a conscious and consistent architecture. We work in a network, with passion and commitment, generating proposals that fully resolve the uniqueness of each project. Some of DX Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: Rabanua House , Santiago, Chile AYC, Santiago, Chile Acrobatic Arts Center, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped DX Arquitectos achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 17. Masfernandez Arquitectos © Nico Saieh Our office seeks to develop projects that are inserted into its environment, adding real value to their owners and users, with a contemporary architectural language. Since we left 26 years ago, we have combined the traditional work of the architecture firm, the use of new technologies and constructive innovations to design memorable buildings and houses. Our team mixes multiple talents who work together with our clients in achieving strategic and creative designs that put people at the center and improve their environments. Some of Masfernandez Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: Tunquen House, Algarrobo, Chile Maitencillo House, Puchuncaví, Chile “Los Bosques” House, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Masfernandez Arquitectos achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 16. Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos © Pablo Casals Aguirre The project exercise of the office is based on establishing a broad and reflective view around the multiple variables that each assignment presents. Under this perspective, each project is proposed as a particular formal and spatial investigation, on the program, the place, the material and the requirements of the client. Solving in this exercise, a project that seeks to respond to the imperative needs of the assignment, but advancing in the project practice of the office. Some of Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: PROINGAS, Santiago, Chile REFUGE FOR A MOUNTAINEER, San Esteban, Chile CASA ARCA, La Reina, Chile EL MONTAÑES, Chile The following statistics helped Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 15. URQ.Arquitectura © URQ.Arquitectura Architecture Studio located in Chilean Patagonia. The firm’s projects are mostly centered around residential architecture. Some of URQ.Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include: Casa Sotavento del Río Simpson, Coyhaique, Chile Casa Prisma, Coyhaique, Chile Vértigo Refugio, Coyhaique, Chile Micro Boulevard Patio Condell, Coyhaique, Chile The following statistics helped URQ.Arquitectura achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 14. REPUBLICA PORTATIL © REPUBLICA PORTATIL Activism, art and architecture. República Portátil (Portable Republic, in English) is a creative company formed by architects and designers along with the cinematographic production agency Terkofilms. Some of REPUBLICA PORTATIL’s most prominent projects include: Diffuse Pavilion, Concepción, Chile FAV – ART FESTIVAL OF VALPARAÍSO, Valparaiso, Chile Uninhabited Pavilion , Concepción, Chile VSR – Vertical Students Residences FUNDAMENTAL ROOM, Concepcion, Chile The following statistics helped REPUBLICA PORTATIL achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 13. 2DM © 2DM 2DM is an architecture firm based in Chile. Their work revolves around residential architecture. Some of 2DM’s most prominent projects include: 2 houses in Puertecillo, Chile, Navidad, Chile Casa Rapel, VI Región, Chile The following statistics helped 2DM achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 12. Alvano y Riquelme Architects © Alvano y Riquelme Architects Alvano y Riquelme Architects is an architecture firm based in Chile. Their work revolves around residential and hospitality architecture. Some of Alvano y Riquelme Architects’s most prominent projects include: Casa 14, Casablanca, Chile Aulario UDP., Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Alvano y Riquelme Architects achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 11. Jorge Figueroa + Asociados © Jorge Figueroa + Asociados The office of architects Jorge Figueroa + Asociados has been characterized by carrying out a large number of works and projects especially housing, in addition to commercial and offices, in which assertiveness, empathy, rigor, creativity and functionality have predominated as key elements, added to a unique teamwork born from the sum of the great talents that make it up. Some of Jorge Figueroa + Asociados’s most prominent projects include: Fray León , Santiago, Chile Noi Hotel, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Jorge Figueroa + Asociados achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 10. CONOR © CONOR CONOR is an architecture and construction firm operating from the driest place on Earth. Desert is brutal build strong . Some of CONOR’s most prominent projects include: Micro Oasis Tambo Pintados, Chile Hero Store, Iquique, Chile Complejo Noctiluca, Iquique, Chile The following statistics helped CONOR achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 9. L A N D © L A N D We are architects, landscape architects, environmental and urban planners, artist, and motivators committed to innovation in the design of projects that enhance the relationship between the built and natural environments. We integrate environmental and social initiatives in the design process, in projects that promote and empower local values for the long term. We work on projects from a city-wide scale to the individual, accounting for ecological, social, real estate, regulatory and economic variables that result in informed designs able to adapt over time. Our commitment is to collaborate with the people, communities, companies, governments and teams that believe in change and innovation through environmental design. Some of L A N D’s most prominent projects include: Rambla House, Chile PLINT HOUSE, Pichilemu, Chile CATCH THE LIGHT CLASSROONS The following statistics helped L A N D achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 8. ValdesHagemann Architects photo: Roland Halbe - © ValdesHagemann Architects ValdesHagemann is a Chilean practice, launched at 2009 by architects Nicolás Valdés and Constanza Hagemann. ValdesHagemann, as the word explains, aims to research every possible aspect of an assignment. We emphasize the idea that every client is different, every site is unique and the formal outcome must be true to all those parameters. Some of ValdesHagemann Architects’s most prominent projects include: D House, Matanzas Sauna in the Woods, Lago Ranco, Chile R House, Cachagua, Zapallar, Chile Water Bottling Plant, Coihaique, Chile The following statistics helped ValdesHagemann Architects achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 7. Alejandro Soffia © Alejandro Soffia Alejandro Soffia Arquitecto is an architect based in Santiago, Chile. He focuses on material optimization and prefabrication, as a way to improve buildings impact on the environment, and give access to good design, to a wider range of population. Projects have been done in different scales and destinations, but they have been focused on materials, techniques and details. Some of Alejandro Soffia’s most prominent projects include: SIP Panel House, Santo Domingo, Chile SAWHORSE HOUSE, Santiago, Chile Casa da Musica, La Florida, Chile HOSTAL RITOQUE, Quintero, Chile Sawhorse House, La Reina, Chile The following statistics helped Alejandro Soffia achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 5 6. Azócar Catrón © Azócar Catrón AZÓCAR CATRÓN is an architecture and urbanism office established in Concepción, Chile in 2016 by Ricardo Azócar and Carolina Catrón. Some of Azócar Catrón’s most prominent projects include: Infinity Bench, Concepción, Chile Two Towers and a Trail , Coronel, Chile Confluencia Viewpoint, Confluencia, Chile The following statistics helped Azócar Catrón achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 3 5. Pezo von Ellrichshausen © Pezo von Ellrichshausen Pezo von Ellrichshausen architects was established in Concepcion (Chile) in 2001 by Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen. With a cross production between art and architecture, the studio has built a series of singular houses, art pavilions and residential buildings. The office has been awarded at the V Iberoamerican Biennial, at the XV Chilean Architecture Biennial and at the AR Awards for emerging architecture and has been nominated for the Swiss Architectural Award (endrisio, 2010). The studio has been selected for the official exhibition at the 12h international architecture exhibition of La bBennale di Venezia. Some of Pezo von Ellrichshausen’s most prominent projects include: Solo House, Cretas, Spain Casa Cien, Concepcion, Chile Bell pavilion, Vitry-sur-Seine, France Blue Pavilion, London, United Kingdom VARA PAVILION XV VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE 2016, Riva dei Sette Martiri, Venezia, Italy The following statistics helped Pezo von Ellrichshausen achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 5 4. Grupo Arquitectos © Grupo Arquitectos Architecture and interior design firm based in Chile and the United States. Grupo Arquitectos focuses on designing the future for the human experience and its well-being in inhabited space. Founded in 2002 by Architects Jorge Hasbún N. and Catalina Valdés Tocornal Grupo Arquitectos develops innovative design for the Airport Industry, Real Estate development, Retail, F&B, Corporate, Fuel and Housing Desing. Some of Grupo Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include: One Tree Book Store, Santiago, Chile O´Higgins Soccer Club Training Center, Rancagua, Chile Grupo Arquitectos Studio, Santiago, Chile Mujeres Empresarias Headquarters Offices, Santiago, Chile Book Cellar, Santiago, Chile The following statistics helped Grupo Arquitectos achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 50 3. 57STUDIO © Caco Oportot 57STUDIO is an architecture office founded in 2002. Its two partners are Maurizio Angelini and Benjamín Oportot, both architects from the University of Chile. Their work has been published, exhibited and awarded around the world. In 2004, they won the XIV Chilean Architecture Biennale and were selected in the Chilean sample to exhibit at the IX Venice Biennale. In 2016 they win the First Prize of Casa FOA Chile and are awarded at the X BIAU Ibero-American Architecture Biennial. And in 2018 they won the Best Object Design Award from ED Magazine. His work seeks to maximize the relationship between the building and its context. Some of 57STUDIO’s most prominent projects include: Chaguales House, Los Vilos, Chile Fray Leon House, Las Condes, Chile Kübler House, Colina, Chile Sasso House, Santiago, Chile Holanda Townhouses, Providencia, Chile The following statistics helped 57STUDIO achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 9 2. GUBBINS POLIDURA ARQUITECTOS © GUBBINS POLIDURA ARQUITECTOS GUBBINS ARQUITECTOS is an architecture and urbanism studio, it was founded in 1996 by Victor Gubbins and Pedro Gubbins. In 2017, Antonio Polidura joined as a partner with Gubbins Arquitectos and created the GUBBINS POLIDURA ARQUITECTOS studio. In 2015, Pedro Gubbins was recognized as a MEMBER OF HONOR AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS AIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, F.AIA). His work has been developed in different areas of architecture, such as urban planning, urbanism, small and large-scale architectural design, in addition to interior architecture. His work consists of public and private buildings, developing projects in different cities in Chile, from Arica to Puerto Montt. A great diversity of architectural projects have materialized; interventions on heritage architecture, single-family homes, housing complexes, office buildings, universities, schools, soccer stadiums, sports and cultural centers, shopping Centers and retail. They have participated in countless architecture competitions, obtaining first places in more than 21 projects. The multiplicity and programmatic variety of the projects developed, allows a look and a versatile development, with a broad look at the development of architecture, its cultural, geographical, social environments and the alternatives for its materialization according to its budgets. Some of GUBBINS POLIDURA ARQUITECTOS’s most prominent projects include: Escuela Manuel Anabalón Saez, Panguipulli, Chile Omnibus House, Zapallar, Chile Centro de Atención al Vecino, Peñalolén, Chile CASA S, Zapallar, Chile Casa mirador tunquen, Tunquen, Chile Featured image: TVN – Televisión Nacional de Chile, Providencia, Chile The following statistics helped GUBBINS POLIDURA ARQUITECTOS achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 35 1. Marsino Arquitectura © Marsino Arquitectura Marsino is a practice of architects, designers, engineers and consultants based in Santiago and office in Lima. We work together with customers and users to create special places where people want to live, work, learn and be. Some of Marsino Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include: AVA 159 Building, Lima, Peru Physics Department Building, University of Tarapacá, Arica, Chile Aularios Campus Juan Gomez Millas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile FAE Building / Faculty of Administration and Economy of University of Santiago of Chile, Santiago, Chile Multipurpose Hall, Chuquicamata, Chile The following statistics helped Marsino Arquitectura achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Chile: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 17 Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking? With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year. Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York. An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted A Guide to Project Awards The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award. The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status: Project completed within the last 3 years A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value High quality, in focus photographs At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings Inclusion of construction photographs There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers. We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com. The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Chile appeared first on Journal.

Forget Mad Max dustscapes. Post-apocalyptic design aesthetics reveal unexpected ways to align architecture with ecological resilience.

The post The Last of Us: What Can Architects Learn From the End of the World? appeared first on Journal.

The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. In the grand scheme of post-apocalyptic narrative vehicles, one has towered above the rest since it first presented the beauty of dystopia to audiences in 2013. Or, more accurately, gamers. If you’re unfamiliar with the cultural juggernaut that is The Last of Us, then we implore you to explore every inch of its universe. But tread carefully — the scene is set in a world ravaged by a pandemic, with 60% of the human population devastated, the infected running wild and the only hope of saving our kind hiding at the bottom of a landmark plot twist-cum-ethical dilemma. The first game regularly ranks as one of the greatest playable titles of all time, while the sequel picked up over 320 Game of the Year Awards when it landed in June 2020. The second installment’s timing could not have been more coincidentally perfect, given most of us were desperately looking for anything to do amid widespread international lockdowns, curfews, work-from-home orders and travel bans at the height of Covid-19. Art imitating life, albeit with some significant license applied. Nakaniwa by Daniel Joseph Chenin Ltd., Concept for Las Vegas, Nevada If video games aren’t your thing, then The Last of Us TV series might be a better place to begin. Legitimized in the eyes of skeptics thanks to HBO’s enviable reputation for drama, the plot takes its own specific twists and turns, but the scenario is the same. As are the aesthetics, which contrast the horrors of disease, death and destruction by presenting a world which is in the process of rebalancing in favor of nature. As one BBC Culture article suggested, the franchise belongs to an obvious set of media titles that imagine the end of our world as the rebirth of another that time almost forgotten. And, existential fear of contracting a deadly virus aside, the view is truly serene. But what if we don’t bother waiting around for the annihilation of our way of life and vast swathes of our brethren? Although still only a concept, Daniel Joseph Chenin’s Nakaniwa project can be read as architects embracing the idea of lush end times. Jury Winner at the 13th Architizer A+ Awards in the Unbuilt Residential category, this private house keeps a purposefully low profile to blend into rugged desert tundra. The concrete façade complements the dry greys of nearby rocks and ground underfoot, with minimal exterior details nodding to a protective bunker or bug-out getaway. Nakaniwa by Daniel Joseph Chenin Ltd., Concept for Las Vegas, Nevada More importantly, though, nature is invited into the blueprint itself. And in such a way that suggests reclamation rather than the hyper-controlled attitude built environment greening is often beholden to. One look at the inner garden and you could be forgiven for thinking the trailing foliage hanging from the first floor terrace has found its own way there, while two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows encasing the entrance give the illusion of trees bursting through the ground, finding their own way towards a light source, regardless of what this does to the structure that was there. This inversion of the usual “bring the outside in” trope is what makes Nakaniwa stand apart. The foliage appears to encroach, rather than be curated, its presence suggesting a balance between architectural intention and organic autonomy. It’s an idea that resonates in a world already grappling with climate change and biodiversity loss: a home that becomes not just a refuge for people, but also a framework through which the environment itself is given space to thrive. Nakaniwa by Daniel Joseph Chenin Ltd., Concept for Las Vegas, Nevada The design articulates this philosophy through its spatial and material strategies. Two non-parallel wings converge around the courtyard, which functions as both a circulation core and a passive cooling device. Overhangs provide solar shading, filtering light deep into interiors while reducing heat gain. The palette of concrete, metal and glass mirrors the tones of the surrounding rocks and sand, allowing the home to all but disappear into its environment. Inside, restraint gives way to richness. Bold colors, curated artworks and layered textures reflect the homeowner’s global travels, contrasting with the minimalist exterior to create a space that feels simultaneously intimate and worldly. Operable windows and skylights establish constant cross-ventilation, ensuring the desert’s shifting moods are felt rather than excluded. Nakaniwa by Daniel Joseph Chenin Ltd., Concept for Las Vegas, Nevada There’s something inherently compelling about apocalyptic visions in which nature has taken back what most of our species has gradually been stealing from her over the course of several centuries. Partly, this could be due to a subconscious sense that civilization is losing touch with the planet and we need contact with Mother Earth for mental health, physical vitality, and all-around well-being. It could also be due to Chernobyl: the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, an armageddon storyline in its own right, has shown what happens in just a few decades when humans leave well alone. Even with such high levels of residual radiation. The point being, we already know there’s a reasonable chance the real post-apocalyptic future will be greener than the likes of Mad Max have dared to dream. Nakaniwa by Daniel Joseph Chenin Ltd., Concept for Las Vegas, Nevada “Bringing the outside inside” is certainly nothing new, but it rarely looks so instinctive. So while we could harp on about the proposed climate-aligned credentials of Nakaniwa — carbon-reduced concrete, passive cooling systems, photovoltaic energy production, the absence of harmful volatile organic compounds — this may not be the real trophy piece of Chenin’s concept. Instead, given the environmental challenges we currently face, it might be most pertinent to focus on the way this idea recognizes a fundamental need to strike a balance between all end users of a development. And by that, we mean human, animal, and flora. Acknowledging this counts for more than making one-off stunners like Nakaniwa standout amongst the noise. If we follow this rule through all developments, it creates new expectations for what we want and demand from our buildings. And that starts at the design stage. Those responsible for proposing how new homes, offices, and public realms should look, feel and function have sleepwalked into a new responsibility. In the face of rapidly plummeting biodiversity and shrinking expanses of land which remain untouched by humanity, it’s time for architects to embrace their role as environmental stewards. The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. The post The Last of Us: What Can Architects Learn From the End of the World? appeared first on Journal.

Craig Dykers and Takeshi Tornier reveal how canted brick, expansive arches and new public spaces have transformed a historic concert hall.

The post Brick, Light and Lyricism: Snøhetta Reimagines St. Louis’s Powell Hall as a Civic Beacon appeared first on Journal.

A century after its debut as a vaudeville movie palace, St Louis’ iconic Powell Hall has re-entered public life with new purpose and new poise. Snøhetta’s ambitious expansion and renewal does not seek to overwrite the past — instead, the project amplifies what St. Louis already loved while opening the institution, spatially and symbolically, to new audiences of all demographics. From the outset, Snøhetta’s co-founder Craig Dykers framed the brief less as an act of preservation and more as an act of belonging. “One of the things that was intriguing wasn’t the fact that the building was old, but that it was loved. The people of St. Louis loved it,” Dykers explained. The task, then, was to honor that affection while giving shape to a vibrant future home for the orchestra within the city’s evolving Grand Center Arts District. “We wanted to create a sense that … this was a place for everyone to visit,” he added. This underlying ethos would shape everything about the project, from urban strategy to brick coursing. Opening a One-Sided Palace to the City Snøhetta‘s reimagined Powell Hall, St Louis; photo by Sam Fentress. The project was realized in collaboration with architect of record Christner Architects, theater planning consultants Schuler Shook, construction manager BSI Constructors and acoustic designers Kirkegaard. Powell Hall’s historical typology is familiar: a singular, highly ornamented front façade and three largely blank sides, designed by legendary theater architects Rapp & Rapp and completed in 1925. This configuration was designed to serve a ticketed, pass-through movie audience, not a contemporary arts public that lingers before and after the performance. With this in mind, Snøhetta’s decisive urban move was to convert this very one-sided building into an accessible and welcoming civic actor. As Takeshi Tornier, Project Director at Snohetta, put it, “We decided that we’re going to open up this building on all sides.” A new addition to the south introduces broad glazed arches that cut sight lines through the complex. Approach from Grand Boulevard and you can see all the way through, via a series of expansive glazed façades, to Delmar. Similarly, arrive from parking and service areas and you can see right into the enticing new entrance lobby. This visual connectivity is a distinguishing characteristic of the new addition, making wayfinding more intuitive and offering a palpable sense of permeability. Entrances, views and programmatic thresholds now cross-reference one another throughout. “We simplified all the circulation based on views, targets and simplicity,” Dykers said. In this way, the once-opaque perimeter becomes an instrument for orientation. Huge arched windows connect the public plaza outside with the entrance lobby inside; photo by Sam Fentress. The new plaza on Grand Boulevard is the project’s civic prelude. Snøhetta set their sweeping, sculptural extension back from the street, retaining views to Rapp & Rapp’s Greco-Roman front while making room for gathering. The principal window at the lobby operates as a public signal. “We made this giant window facing Grand and it’s like a lighthouse. It’s a beacon,” Dykers noted. Before performances, the plaza reads as an outdoor foyer. On non-performance days, it operates as a small, inviting urban square for locals living and working in the district. Canted Brick and Lyrical Arches The architecture of the new addition is intentionally distinct from the historic envelope of the original building, but the difference is complementary rather than combative. Inside and out, the visual language is inspired by operatic scores, defined by curves, inflections and varied, rhythmic openings. “We don’t use uniform arches. We use a kind of lyrical, bouncing arch that almost feels like a work of music,” Dykers explained, likening the forms to the movement of a conductor’s baton and the waist and F-holes of string instruments. Beyond the façade, these gestures also describe the sequences of interior balconies that let audiences “see and be seen” across a triple-height space. Snøhetta‘s extension is constructed from stepped brickwork; photo by Sam Fentress At the massing scale, the additions lean gently away from the site boundary, preserving key views down Grand Boulevard and striking a formal contrast to Powell Hall’s historic silhouette. The sloped exterior walls are composed of stepped surfaces made through canted brickwork that lends the building a tactile quality. “The walls are not actually slanted, they’re stepped … Each brick course is corbeled slightly further out than the one above it,” Dykers explained. This geometry forms a subtle yet striking exterior that will express different qualities depending on the season. In summer, the inclination improves solar access to spaces below while visually lightening the mass as it rises. In winter, those brick ‘micro-ledges’ will catch snow, drawing delicate horizontal lines across the façade. Section drawing through Powell Hall with Snøhetta’s new addition on the right; drawing courtesy of Snøhetta Complex curves can be onerous when it comes time to build, so the designers rationalized the form of the building envelope to help with constructability. “It’s almost like you’re taking a cylinder and you’re leaning it over,” Dykers said. “So wherever you cut it horizontally, the radius doesn’t change.” This logic allowed masons to build the façades using conventional techniques, despite the unusual geometry. “We told the mason where the center of each radius is and how it matches up for each course, and he could build it with traditional methods,” Tornier added. “It came out really nicely. I have great respect for the masons in St. Louis.” Fabrication as Performance If the exterior reads as a lyrical overture, the lobby’s grand stair is the solo. Rising within the triple-height entrance space, its upper parapet is constructed from a thick, formed steel ribbon. Dykers described it with characteristic awe: “The top … is solid steel that was bent and molded into this helical shape which is about as close to a Richard Serra sculpture as you’ll ever get.” The grand staircase spirals up the triple-height lobby space; photo by Sam Fentress Fabrication of this key architectural element unfolded like choreography. “The people would bring it to site, look at it, and then if something was off, they would mark it up, take it back to the shop, re-bend it,” Dykers recalled. “It was a piece of very iterative work.” Templates for the flared, non-repetitive treads towards the foot of the stair were crafted full-scale in plywood before being adjusted as needed on site. The resulting staircase is dramatic, joyful and profoundly tactile. The stair doubles as a physical and visual connector, a place to occupy during intermission and a sculptural register of movement that is visible to the public through the lobby’s sequence of grand arched windows. Refurbishment You Can Hear (and Feel) The front-of-house may be most photogenic, but the most consequential human upgrades arguably occur behind the scenes. A logical loop of circulation now threads dressing rooms, rehearsal suites, storage and stage doors, providing a simple, legible layout that maximizes comfort conditions for performers. “We give them daylight, access to fresh air and a nice place to lounge,” Dykers explained. The lounge, scaled for the reality of 90–100 people, incorporates as much seating as possible, right down to upholstered window sills. Small, empathetic details have been integrated to truly modernize the back-of-house space: “We made a small shelf that each musician can put their little coffee cup on,” said Dykers. Ground floor plan of Powell Hall with new lobby to the south and expanded back-of-house spaces shown to the east; drawing courtesy of Snøhetta Beyond the visible architecture, the team undertook an exacting refurbishment of the historic hall. Air supply and acoustic tuning were carefully recalibrated without disturbing the room’s character. Despite these updates relating to less tangible characteristics, the stakes were at their highest here: “If you mess up the acoustics, that’s it. There’s no purpose in doing the project,” Dykers admitted. The goal was to retain what musicians already considered special and refine it further for contemporary performances. Early rehearsals suggest success: “The music director said he feels he can reach out and grab the music,” Dykers noted. The original hall was also refurbished to improve ventilation and acoustics; photo by Sam Fentress The project also adds the Education and Learning Center, a 300-seat, wood-lined, multipurpose venue with a street-facing window. This multi-purpose space will host a diverse range of contemporary performing arts programs, as well as supporting both community partners and youth ensembles. This addition is further proof that Snøhetta’s project was not just about adding square footage: It was about providing more kinds of creative space for more kinds of people. Heritage, Context and a Broader Public Powell Hall sits at the confluence of complicated histories: a city shaped by rivers and industry, by cultural brilliance and economic contraction, by neighborhoods with unequal access to resources. The project recognizes this context without making it a slogan. By opening façades and entrances in every direction, the building now acknowledges the communities around it, including those who long felt unwelcome. Perhaps most importantly, the work reframes what a concert hall should be in 2025. The historic hall remains intact, but everything around it shifts toward public life. The spaces between ticketing and ovation — plaza, lobbies, lounges, classrooms — are now active civic zones. This is adaptive reuse as cultural urbanism, calibrated for the present and the future of St Louis. In Dykers’ words, the project was about “reusing as as much as possible and adding as little as necessary.” The goal was not to create a new architectural icon — it was to foster a new relationship with musicians, with neighbors and with the city itself. On this note, Snøhetta have struck a harmonious chord, providing a valuable case study for performing arts spaces in the years ahead. To explore more recent projects by Snøhetta, check out their growing firm profile here. The post Brick, Light and Lyricism: Snøhetta Reimagines St. Louis’s Powell Hall as a Civic Beacon appeared first on Journal.

From memorials to museums, these projects signal a turning point in cultural design philosophy, centering local context over spectacle.

The post The End of Spectacle? Cultural Buildings Beyond the Starchitect Era appeared first on Journal.

The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. Cultural buildings are more than physical structures; they are warehouses of stories, memories and traditions, shaping how societies remember and imagine themselves. As architect Frank Gehry once said, “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” This notion is particularly relevant to cultural buildings, which must respond to immediate social and environmental contexts while also aiming for lasting significance. Yet, this balance is not easily achieved. Too often, cultural projects fall into spectacle, prioritising form over meaning, or monumental statements over the communities they claim to serve. So, when treated as sculptural objects, they can inspire awe, with flowing lines and bold forms that evoke emotion, but they also risk becoming disconnected icons rather than lived spaces. Today’s cultural architecture serves within a complex landscape of urgent ecological concerns and shifting social dynamics. It is no longer enough for these buildings to simply sit lightly on the land or incorporate sustainable materials as a gesture. They must actively engage with nature and community, questioning traditional hierarchies of design and power. Rather than imposing themselves on their surroundings, they should foster dialogue, creating spaces where people and landscapes coexist in meaningful ways. The winning projects from the 13th A+Awards recall this tension between ambition and responsibility. They show how cultural architecture can move beyond aesthetics, offering spaces that confront memory, promote creativity, and bring communities together. West Conservatory at Longwood Gardens By WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Popular Choice Winner, Cultural & Expo Centers, 13th Architizer A+Awards Rising from Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley, the West Conservatory at Longwood Gardens reimagines the botanical experience. Designed by WEISS/MANFREDI, the 32,000-square-foot (2,970-square-meter) structure has a reflective pool, creating a mirrored silhouette that merges with its surroundings. The glass and steel design captures natural light, changing with the seasons and enhancing the gardens’ immersive qualities. Inside, a lush horticultural environment unfolds, blending architecture, landscape, and botany. Elevated and integrated into the terrain, the conservatory fosters exploration and connection, serving as both a cultural landmark and a tribute to the enduring beauty of Longwood Gardens’ historic landscape. ET-302 Memorial by Alebel Desta Consulting Architects and Engineers, Gimbichu, Ethiopia Popular Choice Winner, Religious Buildings & Memorials, 13th Architizer A+Awards The ET-302 Memorial in Gimbichu, Ethiopia, honors the 157 lives lost in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 tragedy. Designed as a memorial and park, it integrates pathways, gardens, and reflective spaces within the surrounding farmland. Visitors take on a narrative journey, beginning at the entrance and topping at the crash site and burial grounds. With areas dedicated to contemplation and healing, the design fosters dignity and remembrance. The Breeze Hall – Between the Sacred and the Mundane by SHISUO Design Office, Shanghai, China Jury Winner, Pavilions; Jury Winner, Architecture +Metal, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Breeze Hall in Shanghai revitalises a previously fenced-off patch of woodland, transforming it into a lively public gathering space. SHISUO Design Office preserved the site’s original trees and integrated them into a new landscape, fostering openness and connection. At the centre is a striking steel pavilion with wing-like beams, creating a 42-metre-long open area supported by delicate I-beams. Designed to host cultural events, exhibitions, and civic activities, the hall blurs the line between structure and landscape. By transforming neglected urban space, Breeze Hall becomes a community sanctuary, balancing spiritual reflection with everyday public engagement and cultural vibrancy. Sorol Art Museum By MeierPartners Architects, Gangneung-si, South Korea Popular Choice Winner, Museums, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Sorol Art Museum in Gangneung, South Korea, serves as a cultural landmark nestled within the scenic Gyo-Dong 7 Public Park. Designed by MeierPartners Architects, the museum sits atop a natural plateau, offering expansive views of the surrounding mountains and sea. Its ground floor opens directly to the park, merging indoor galleries with outdoor green space. With its minimalist architecture and sensitive site placement, the museum enhances the park’s role as a hub for creativity and community. It celebrates both art and landscape, providing residents and visitors with a meaningful space for cultural engagement and shared public experiences. KIDE Pavilion By Aalto University Wood Program, Kuhmo, Finland Popular Choice Winner, Pavilions, 13th Architizer A+Awards “Kide,” meaning “ice crystal” in Finnish, is a timber pavilion designed and built by Aalto University’s Wood Program in Kuhmo, Finland. Also, merging craftsmanship, cultural tradition, and contemporary design, which celebrates the program’s 30th anniversary, the pavilion reflects the town’s deep ties to its surrounding forests and rich timber heritage. Its design takes inspiration from the fractal geometry of snow crystals, resulting in intricate wooden forms that create a sheltered yet open space. Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center By MUDA-Architects, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, China Jury Winner, Cultural & Expo Centers, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center blends into its natural surroundings in Chengdu’s Wenjiang District. Inspired by the flowing patterns of the Jinma River, MUDA-Architects designed a structure defined by elegant curves and a floating white metal roof that appears to hover above the water. Its curved glass façade creates strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. Also, it serves as both a park hub and cultural destination, the center houses retail, offices, and gathering spaces. The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. The post The End of Spectacle? Cultural Buildings Beyond the Starchitect Era appeared first on Journal.

These German-made screens combine 150+ years of experience, factory-grade toughness and functional elegance.

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For more than 150 years, the Putsch® Group has pushed the boundaries of industrial design, consistently introducing innovations that leap from one industry into entirely new fields. Initially known for manufacturing sugar refinery equipment, the company steadily expanded into panel processing, bioenergy, glass manufacturing and filtration, demonstrating an insatiable drive to evolve. Today, Putsch® is bringing its expertise to a new frontier: architecture. This venture was born from a challenge in its own construction projects, sourcing high-performance screening materials that met both technical and budgetary demands. Instead of compromising, Putsch® turned inward, leveraging its legacy in filtration and precision manufacturing to develop tailored solutions for architectural applications. Using technology originally developed for high-end industrial separation systems, these architectural screens are unlike anything currently on the market. “Initially developed for demanding industrial environments, these screens are now tailored for architectural applications such as façades, parking structures, rainwater management, enclosures and sun shading systems,” explains Philippe Radinger, Sales Manager and fourth-generation member of the family-owned business. Highly customizable, the screens are designed to meet the specific requirements of each project. Their versatility makes them just as effective on a modern building façade as they are in functional roles like gutter protection. Here, the screens’ filtration heritage becomes a key advantage. As the company explains: “The precise perforation and open-area manufacturing used for industrial applications ensure excellent separation results, making Putsch screens ideal for leaf guards and other drainage systems.” It’s a benefit the company’s CEO personally experienced when using the screens to achieve a functional yet visually appealing upgrade to the leaf guards on his own residence. Beyond function, the design has been equally considered. The mesh is carefully calibrated to balance light, shade and airflow, providing protection and ventilation with virtually no upkeep. “Putsch screens are designed to accommodate a wide range of requirements,” says Henning Wedemeyer, Production Manager, “including sun control and glare reduction, ventilation for parking structures and industrial buildings, security and privacy solutions, enhanced façade aesthetics and interior visual applications.” Importantly, these screens are not purely utilitarian. While rooted in industrial performance, they also offer minimalist, contemporary aesthetics. Available in materials such as stainless steel, copper and brass, the panels bring a refined industrial elegance that works in both interior and exterior settings. Their subtle perforations add texture and rhythm to surfaces without overpowering the overall design, offering a striking contrast to typical cladding materials, which often appear bulky or heavy. In this way, Putsch screens become more than a construction solution; they’re an asset to an architect’s creative toolkit. Lightweight and highly adaptable, the screens integrate with ease into nearly any façade system, whether in new builds or retrofit projects. As with its precision components, Putsch® designed these screens with versatility in mind. The company notes: “Multiple mesh sizes, perforation options, panel shapes and mounting configurations are available for seamless integration.” But these screens aren’t just about aesthetics; they enhance building performance too. By reducing solar heat and glare while allowing natural light to pass, they function as passive sunshades that contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability. When it comes to protection from the elements — especially moisture — Putsch’s track record in industrial filtration speaks volumes. Earlier generations of these screens were engineered to endure harsh, high-demand factory conditions, environments far more punishing than most outdoor architectural applications. Often, the most innovative designs are deceptively simple. Think of the Eames chair or the iPhone — both objects that integrate function and beauty so seamlessly that their complexity feels invisible. Putsch’s architectural screens follow the same philosophy. They blend effortlessly into almost any project, delivering shade, ventilation, protection and visual interest with understated confidence. To learn more about how to harness Putsch® screens for your next project, visit their website. The post Industrial Tech, Minimalist Design: Meet The Next Generation of Architectural Screens appeared first on Journal.

Red never goes out of style. Whether accent or façade, crimson colors transform walls into landmarks and staircases into spectacles.

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Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. When it comes to red, one thing is certain: it has never been a shy color. Across cultures, it signals everything from luck and celebration to passion, danger and revolution. In China, it’s tied to prosperity; in India, to marriage and new beginnings; and in the West, it can mean love or danger. But whatever the context, this bold color never fails to take the spotlight. In architecture, the shade can flip a space from background to center stage, turning a stair, wall or façade into the main event. These eight projects show how red, whether as a bold accent or a full façade, can define the entire character of a building. Big Red Crayfish By Dayi Design, China Located along Nanjing’s Qinhuai River, this renovation adapts a historic site into a crayfish-themed dining and commercial destination. The project preserves the character of the old structures while introducing bold steel staircases that connect multiple floors. Finished in Chinese red, the staircases stand out against the muted tones of the surrounding architecture and tie directly to the theme of the “Big Red Crayfish.” Their flowing forms cut across the complex, linking once-isolated spaces and guiding visitors through the site. Beyond circulation, the staircases create new perspectives of the river and nearby temple, while their striking color has turned them into a popular landmark, helping to draw people in and support the site’s cultural and commercial renewal. Besa Museum By Oppenheim Architecture, Tirana, Albania Jury Winner, 13th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Cultural The Toptani Residence in Tirana has been restored and transformed into a museum dedicated to the Albanian principle of Besa, a code of honor rooted in promise and protection. Designed for both locals and visitors, the project preserves the historic fabric of the house while introducing a new underground extension. Four shafts of natural light cut through the courtyard, each representing the “Pillars of Besa”: Tradition, Protection, Hospitality, and Honor. Inside, interactive exhibits immerse visitors in these values, while the restored architecture highlights Albania’s cultural legacy. The use of strong red tones throughout the design underscores the gravity of Besa, reinforcing its role as both a national identity and a moral compass for future generations. Nozhan Residential Apartment By MAAN Architecture Office, Shiraz, Iran Set at the end of a narrow alley in Shiraz, the Nozhan Residential Apartment challenges the limitations of a back plot through bold material choices. The building’s façade is constructed from recycled stone offcuts, turning industrial waste into a defining architectural surface. Alongside this heavy material presence, strong red accents break up the mass, shifting parts of the structure toward abstraction. This dual strategy creates both weight and lightness, making the project stand apart from its surroundings. For residents, the design provides a sense of character and identity in a typically overlooked site, proving how color and material together can transform modest conditions into a distinctive urban landmark. Somesome Southeast Asian Restaurant By Beijing Jimei Survey and Design, Beijing, China This restaurant in Beijing is designed as a flowing interior landscape, shaped by movement, social interaction and the rhythms of dining. Using digital simulations of pedestrian traffic, the architects created a layout without rigid lines, where tables sit like islands within a continuous floor pattern. Across this setting, red defines the atmosphere. Applied in gradients that spread across walls and ceilings, the color suggests the motion of paint dissolving in water. It draws guests into a warm, immersive space that feels both energetic and intimate. By tying circulation, seating, and ambiance together, the red palette transforms the restaurant into an environment that amplifies both dining and gathering. Red Sol Resort By Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Dhërmi, Albania Set on the rocky slopes of the Albanian Riviera, Red Sol Resort organizes a steep, rugged site into a structured grid of villas. Each unit is arranged as a square, shifting in height to follow the terrain and open views of the sea. Private courtyards and rooftop pools give residents intimacy, while a network of stairs, bridges, and patios connects the villas into a shared community. Finished in striking red, the architecture recalls the Taller’s iconic La Muralla Roja and references the historic kasbahs of North Africa. The color anchors the complex in the landscape, giving the resort a strong identity while turning it into a landmark on the coastal horizon. Zuidplein Theater By Studio RAP, Rotterdam, Netherlands In Rotterdam, Studio RAP designed the striking interior of the Zuidplein Theater’s main hall. Commissioned by the City of Rotterdam under a strict budget and timeline, the project uses digital algorithms to generate a rippling surface of 6,000 unique aluminum-composite panels. The result is a fluid wall system that shapes the acoustics of the auditorium while surrounding audiences in a continuous wave-like form. Bright shades of red were chosen to heighten the drama of the space, making the hall both visually and acoustically unforgettable. The bold color reinforces the theater’s role as a place of performance, ensuring the audience’s experience is as powerful to the eye as it is to the ear. The Learning Center at Quest By KSM Architecture, Chennai, India Built for children in homeschooling and unschooling programs, the Learning Center at Quest is designed as a place for curiosity-led education. A tall atrium connects stacked classrooms, library spaces, and a rooftop cafeteria, with movement guided by a striking spiral stair that bursts from the façade in bright red. Inside, the same bold color reappears in staircases and doors, adding rhythm and energy to the raw concrete shell. The red accents stand out among other playful details, like colored window frames and murals, and help give the building its identity. In a setting shaped by air, light, and openness, these flashes of red reinforce the school’s focus on interaction, exploration, and joy in learning. Taller Estudio Daniela Riquelme By AMASA Estudio, Andrea López + Agustín Pereyra, Mexico City, Mexico In Coyoacán, the renovation of artist Daniela Riquelme’s home expands the upper floor into a light-filled studio and workshop. The transformation introduces custom carpentry, a sawtooth roof, and generous openings to support painting, jewelry-making, and exhibition. A preexisting spiral stair anchors the layout, with a skylight above that draws light deep into the house. Across the interior and exterior, garnet red ironwork frames doors, windows, and railings. The color provides a strong counterpoint to pale walls and wood, while reflecting the artist’s own palette. These accents give rhythm to the space, highlight moments of transition, and tie the studio’s identity directly to Riquelme’s creative practice. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. The post Red Alert: 8 Projects Where Crimson Commands Attention appeared first on Journal.

Set in a modernist landmark, Architizer honored bold design across the Americas and launched a season of architectural celebrations worldwide.

The post Craft and Community Take Center Stage at A+Awards New York Celebration appeared first on Journal.

For more than a decade, the Architizer A+Awards has served as the world’s largest platform for celebrating the built environment, spotlighting projects and practices that define the architectural discourse of our time. This year, for the very first time, the celebration itself has evolved to match the program’s global reach. In place of a global winners’ event, the 13th A+Awards season will be marked by three regional events across three continents — New York, Paris and Shenzhen — each honoring projects that exemplify the year’s theme: celebrating local innovation with global recognition. The season’s festivities began in New York City, where architects, designers and industry leaders gathered at the newly reimagined Lever Club, an intimate private lounge within SOM’s iconic Lever House on Park Avenue. Designed by Marmol Radziner with leatherwork by Bill Amberg Studio, lighting by TM Light and fixtures by Lucifer Lighting, the interiors of Lever Club recall the warmth of modernist domesticity, reinterpreted for contemporary gatherings. Wood-paneled walls, honed green stone, bespoke furnishings and expansive terraces overlooking Midtown provided a refined backdrop for a night of celebration, conversation and connection ahead of the launch of the 14th Architizer A+Awards season. As the crowd filtered in, glasses clinked and conversations mingled in the soft glow of the lounge. Guests admired the craftsmanship of the furnishings and peered out at the historic cityscape beyond the curtain walls, aware that they were standing within one of the most storied buildings in modern New York. Originally completed in 1952 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Lever House was hailed as a breakthrough in glass-and-steel construction, signaling a new era of corporate modernism. On October 3rd, it became the stage for another milestone: the first stop on a season-long celebration of architectural excellence. Setting the Scene at Lever Club Left: SOM’s iconic Lever House played host to the A+Awards’ NYC celebration; photo by Paul Keskeys. Right: Ron Radziner, CEO and Founder of Marmol Radziner, picked up a Project of the Year Award for the Lever Club; photo by Zack DeZon. The evening began with opening remarks from Ron Radziner, Co-Founder and Design Partner of Marmol Radziner. Standing at the heart of the space he helped create, Radziner spoke about the challenge and privilege of working within such a historic landmark: “We had the privilege of reimagining this space as a sympathetic insertion within Lever House, one of New York’s most iconic buildings. When the building was unveiled by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1952, it was hailed as ‘a vision of a new world.’ Its sleek, glass and steel modern form signaled the city’s shift away from a brick-and-stone skyline to modern skyscrapers … Tonight, as we celebrate design innovation with the Architizer A+Awards, it feels especially fitting to be gathered here, in a space dedicated to bringing people together.” Architizer’s Editor in Chief Paul Keskeys introduced this year’s Project of the Year Awards in New York City; Photo by Zack DeZon With the tone set, Architizer’s Editor-in-Chief, Paul Keskeys, welcomed the crowd and reflected on the evolution of the A+Awards. He emphasized how this new three-city format mirrors the program’s ethos: “to highlight the immense impact of good architecture, and to communicate the value of this vital profession to people around the world.” He also hinted at the future, noting that the Projects of the Year being honored tonight embody a pivotal transition: architecture’s renewed focus on craft, material intelligence and the art of detailing in an era defined by digital tools and global pressures. Illuminating Landscape Design The Field Operations team scooped a Project of the Year Award for Hudson River Park’s Gansevoort Peninsula; photo by Zack DeZon. The first Project of the Year was introduced by Gilbert Matthews, CEO and Founder of Lucifer Lighting, who praised the role of light in shaping both buildings and landscapes before presenting the award to Field Operations for Hudson River Park’s Gansevoort Peninsula. Accepting the award, Karen Tamir, Associate Partner at Field Operations, described the transformation of a once-inaccessible sanitation site into Manhattan’s first public beach and salt marsh: “This project has been a labor of love — transforming a once inaccessible, DSNY-controlled site on Manhattan’s west side into a vibrant, resilient, and ecologically diverse public park … The success of the park is rooted in collaboration — from the salt marshes to the expansive lawn, dog run, sports field, and sandy beach that invite people of all ages to come together.” Her words resonated in a city still grappling with the effects of climate change, underlining how thoughtful design can both restore ecological systems and create joyful public spaces. Finding Meaning in the Overlooked Left: Veinte Diezz Arquitectos received a Project of the Year Award for Vistalcielo; photo by Zack DeZon. Right: A+Awards trophy detail; photo by Paul Keskeys. The second award was presented by Alex Miller, Founding Partner of New York-based TM Light, who highlighted the role of lighting in crafting atmosphere and experience before handing the honor to Veinte Diezz Arquitectos for Vistalcielo. Accepting on behalf of the Mérida-based studio, Principal Architect José Irizzont spoke movingly about the project’s philosophy: “This project was born in Mérida, Yucatán, from a house that had been forgotten. We didn’t see it as a blank canvas, but as a place with stories to be respected and reimagined … Winning this award reminds us that thoughtful architecture — even on a small scale — can have real impact. You don’t need to go big to be meaningful.” The audience erupted in applause, struck by Irizzont’s reminder that craft and context can elevate even the most modest commissions into works of real cultural resonance. Collaboration is Key Principal and Director Matt Jackson and Interiors Director Ashley Nath accepted the final Project of the Year Award on behalf of Marmol Radziner; photo by Zack DeZon The final Project of the Year of the evening was fittingly dedicated to the venue itself: Lever Club by Marmol Radziner. The award was presented by Bill Amberg, Founder of Bill Amberg Studio, a world leader in bespoke leather products, who contributed to the interiors and spoke about the enduring relationship between architecture, furniture and craftsmanship. Accepting on behalf of Marmol Radziner were Matt Jackson, Principal and Director of the firm’s New York studio, and Ashley Nath, Interiors Director. Jackson reflected on the studio’s East Coast journey, recalling its humble beginnings in a small WeWork space and its growth into a thriving office. Nath elaborated on the design’s inspiration: “Lever Club is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple studios, including our own fabrication shop, in addition to many artisans who created special pieces … We are proud to have honored this modernist legacy through our design and are so humbled by this recognition.” Future Forecasts A+Awards winners and their guests intermingle on the terraces of SOM’s iconic Lever House; photo by Zack DeZon As the evening drew to a close, guests returned to the bar and terraces, lingering in conversation as the lights of Midtown shimmered outside the glass walls. Select guests then made their way to Hotel AKA NoMad, an elegant urban retreat designed by acclaimed architect Piero Lissoni in one of his first U.S. hotel projects. In this sophisticated and comfortable space, inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian influences, the conversation continued late into the night — a fitting close to an evening that celebrated not only architecture but the people who give it life. In his closing remarks, Paul Keskeys thanked the winners and underscored the significance of this year’s expanded format: “Together, these three gatherings mark a milestone in the history of the A+Awards: not a single night, but a whole season of celebrating outstanding architecture and the people that bring it to life.” The New York celebration was only the beginning: Later this fall, Paris will host the second regional event in tandem with Release [AEC], followed by a culminating gathering in Shenzhen, China, one of the world’s fastest-growing hubs of architectural experimentation. As the first stop in this global journey, the New York event embodied the very ethos of the A+Awards: local innovation, global recognition and a renewed commitment to craft — all of which will be encapsulated in the theme of the upcoming season, set to launch on October 13th. To be a part of it, make sure to pre-register your firm for the 14th A+Awards, and stay tuned for stories on more Winners’ Celebrations in the coming weeks! Pre-Register for the A+Awards The post Craft and Community Take Center Stage at A+Awards New York Celebration appeared first on Journal.

The City of Lights may be known for its uniform buildings and grand boulevards, but that may change thanks to Paris' best architecture firms.

The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Paris appeared first on Journal.

Paris is arguably one of the most romanticized cities in Europe and potentially the world. Its architectural history is rich, influenced by an array of architectural styles — from being the birthplace of Gothic structures to the renowned Belle Époque and the Art Deco movement. During the 19th century, one of the biggest urban planning programs was initiated by Napoleon III and directed by architect Georges-Eugène Haussmann: the city’s medieval neighborhoods were demolished, creating wider boulevards, new infrastructural systems as well as uniform façades aimed at dealing with Paris’s overcrowding, diseases and criminality rates. In the 1980s, the “grands travaux” concept reimagined the city once more by introducing contemporary landmarks that have “moved” Paris to the next millennium, turning it into a hub of architectural innovation. Today, by blending historic preservation with contemporary design, famous architects like Frank Gehry and Herzog & de Meuron have added new, modern landmarks, including the futuristic Fondation Louis Vuitton and the strikingly modern Tour Triangle, that respond to the current architectural, social and environmental setting. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Paris based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge. How are these architecture firms ranked? The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority: The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025) The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025) Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Paris architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Paris: 30. Mikou Design Studio © Mikou Design Studio Mikou Design Studio is a place of creation and experimentation in architecture and its inter-disciplinary cross-fertilization. We work in a continuous workshop spirit with a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, graphic artists, scenographers and town planners from very different cultural backgrounds. Every project is an excuse for re-questioning and redefining the meaning of a brief, a function, and an urban, social and human context, in order to invent new ways of living, places for sharing and gathering that are more sensitive and more sensual, and which stimulate feelings. Our aim is to get away from preconceptions of form and function in order to transmit more and better. Some of Mikou Design Studio’s most prominent projects include: Balsanéo Aquatics Centre, Châteauroux, France Swimming Pool Feng Shui , Issy-les-Moulineaux, France Olympic Swimming Pool Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France House of Art and Culture, Beirut, Lebanon High School Jean Lurçat, Saint-Denis, France The following statistics helped Mikou Design Studio achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 14 29. GRAAL ARCHITECTURE © GRAAL ARCHITECTURE Graal is an architecture and urban strategies agency founded by Carlo Grispello and Nadine Lebeau in 2011. Graal considers architecture to be a catalyst for the interaction between public space and the built environment and favours the exploration of an architecture that is constantly attentive to the emergence of new functions in their precise context. Guided by a spirit of creative pragmatism, the agency uses negotiation as an architectural and urban design tool in order to optimize constructive exchange throughout each stage of the project. In pursuit of this quest, Graal dissects problematics encountered on site by interrogating program and revealing intrinsic potentialities in order to offer each project an approach that privileges the logic of a particular urban context rather than seeking to follow a rigid design process. Some of GRAAL ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include: NURSERY SCHOOL EXTENSION, Mantes-la-Ville, France Leisur activity center, Athis-Mons, France Community Center in Orly , Orly, France University Refectory in Cergy-Pontoise, IDF, France PEDAGOGIC FARM, Janville-sur-Juine, France The following statistics helped GRAAL ARCHITECTURE achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 28. SCHEMAA © David Foessel Diagram: traced showing the essential elements of a concept. Main lines & main points to understand a work. This term embodies a starting point but also a guideline to follow. More than a name, it reflects the way we conceive architecture. A free and frank architecture, making the understanding of an idea obvious, immediate. Our projects tend towards this search for radicality. Sculpted by their environment and specific needs, they highlight strong and assumed ideas, for the benefit of functionality and sensitive experiences. This conceptual approach, combined with a fine work of details, materials and atmospheres, reflects the rigor and architectural requirement of schémaa. Our role must be foreruning and creative and beyond the needs expressed. Beyond any prejudice, propose, imagine, develop always renewed solutions. Our always optimistic and responsible approach aims to seek the right balance between the rational and the sensitive, the insertion and creation with the ambition, the improvement of the built environment. Some of SCHEMAA’s most prominent projects include: Nathalie Mauclair Gymnasium , Champagné, France Appartement C – Avenue de Clichy, Paris, France Recreation Center for Elementary School, France Sport Equipment & Tribune – Robert Gazzi Stadium, Bondy, France 4 Nurseries, Sartrouville, France The following statistics helped SCHEMAA achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 27. Wilmotte & Associés SAS © Wilmotte & Associés SAS Wilmotte & Associes SAS, the architectural practice founded by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, currently employs 270 staff of 25 different nationalities and operates in 28 countries. Work is carried out in five key areas — architecture, museum design, interior design, urban planning and industrial and object design — with an attention to detail facilitating interventions from the smallest to the largest of scale. Whether for a villa or a high-rise building, a shop or company headquarters, an art gallery or a tramway, a museum or a new town, every project incorporates the highest of standards with the greatest respect for integration into context and for the environment. Some of Wilmotte & Associés SAS’ most prominent projects include: Station F, Paris, France The New Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Metz Congress Robert Schuman, Metz, France Allianz Riviera Stadium, Nice, France EFB – The Lawyer School, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France The following statistics helped Wilmotte & Associés SAS achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 9 26. Chatillon Architectes © Cyrille Weiner Chatillon Architectes was founded by François Chatillon in 1986. Today, it is composed of a multi-disciplinary team of 45 associates spread across two offices: one in Ferney-Voltaire near Geneva, the other in Paris. Our experience, skills, and means enable us to design and carry out projects of all kinds in France and abroad, in the field of new constructions, renovation, restoration, as well as interior design. The quality of our completed projects has been recognised through national and international prizes, including that of the Geste d’Or for the redevelopment of Le Corbusier’s Cité de Refuge in Paris, and the Europa Nostra prize. Some of Chatillon Architectes’ most prominent projects include: GRAND PALAIS, Paris, France STRASBOURG MUNICIPAL BATHS, Strasbourg, France VERDUN BATTLEFIELD, Douaumont-Vaux, France CARNAVALET MUSEUM, Paris, France CAFETERIA OF THE “MAISON DE LA RADIO ET DE LA MUSIQUE”, Paris, France The following statistics helped Chatillon Architectes achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 10 25. Ameller Dubois & Associés © Frédéric Allinne Without falling into a specialization that might narrow architecture down to a routine, our firm developed over time its expertise in six broad areas. Offices and business premises have been our primary activity, with the development of Eurotunnel headquarters in Paris, and the design of Motorcycle Center in Trappes. Then, in 1990, Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois – guests and winners of their first common public competition (a kindergarten) – initiated more than two decades of designing educational buildings, from early childhood to university. Chosen by the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris for the restructuring of the geriatric hospital René-Muret, the firm addressed the health sector, which is now an important skill of its architects. Some of Ameller Dubois & Associés’ most prominent projects include: Housing and medical care in Paris, Paris, France Market Hall in Marly-le-Roi , Marly-le-Roi, France Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), Compiègne, France Les Mureaux police station, Les Mureaux, France Piere-Perret schools, Serris, France The following statistics helped Ameller Dubois & Associés achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 6 24. Architecturestudio © Architecturestudio Architecturestudio is an international architecture, urban planning and interior design practice founded in 1973, with offices in Paris, Shanghai and Zug. It brings together, around 13 partners, a multidisciplinary team of 150 people of 25 different nationalities. Its commitment to promoting architecture is reflected in a collective work that has won numerous distinctions. Architecturestudio is founded on shared knowledge and dialogue to increase the creative potential of a collective design. This approach promotes a plural understanding of the world, which achievements for more than forty years on 5 continents allow it to respond to the major challenges of the 21st century. Architecturestudio relies on a wide expertise of projects carried out to develop its conceptual approach, responding to specific challenges for each case study. Some of Architecturestudio’s most prominent projects include: Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens, Greece Extension of exhibition hall, Villepinte, France City of Science and Techniques, Chongqing, China Summers office building, Buenos Aires, Argentina University Hospital Center in Tangier, Tangier, Morocco The following statistics helped Architecturestudio achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 15 23. Antonini Darmon Architects © Antonini Darmon Architects We founded the agency Antonini Darmon Architects in Paris in 2006. Our creative system was born from the partnership of two complementary yet different personalities. We aim to propose an original architectural interpretation, where each project follows a path having its own identity and dynamics. Our architecture is contextual: functionality, rigor and sobriety are combined in order to transform the project into an object of beauty. We are more especially dedicated to the new architectural and urban stakes involved with sustainable development. Some of Antonini Darmon Architects’ most prominent projects include: Ile de Nantes – Oiseau des Iles, Nantes, France Voltaire Building Centre Technique du Livre de l’Enseignement Supérieur, Bussy-Saint-Georges, France Researchers residence & 33 housing, Paris, France 12 Housings, Houilles, France The following statistics helped Antonini Darmon Architects achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 10 22. Avenier Cornejo Architectes © Avenier Cornejo Architectes Miguel Cornejo was born in Santiago, Chile and studied architecture in France (Paris Malaquais). He worked for Mathias Klotz (Santiago, Chile), Francois Roche (R & Sie (n)) and with other agencies such as XTU Paris, Jacques Ferrier and Galiano and Simon. Christelle Avenier, graduated from the School of Architecture Malaquais Paris and subsequently worked in various agencies including Deremer Architect Douglas (San Francisco, USA) and Mathias Klotz (Santiago, Chile). After graduating with honors, they were short listed for the Robert Auzelle prize «Lumières de la Ville» and won funding from Electra (EDF) in 2000 for a project in Valparaiso, Chile. Christelle Avenier and Miguel Cornejo founded an architecture agency (SARL) together in 2008. Their approach is inventive, without preconceptions or prejudices. Some of Avenier Cornejo Architectes’ most prominent projects include: Day Care Orteaux, Paris, France 113 RUE LEGENDRE, Paris, France Day-Care and Young Workers Hostel, Paris, France MAISON 2G, Orsay, France 38 Housing units, Clichy, France The following statistics helped Avenier Cornejo Architectes achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 8 21. Chartier Dalix © Sergio Grazia Since its creation in 2008 by Frédéric Chartier and Pascale Dalix, ChartierDalix has delivered around thirty buildings. All these projects have been compiled in a two-volume monograph entitled ChartierDalix. Built Work, Archives 2008-2022, published by Park Books in 2023. A dozen projects are currently under construction, and the office has recently delivered: a logistics centre support of urban agriculture, with a green belt in Vitry-sur-Seine (94); a residential and commercial project in the Olympic Village in L’Ile-Saint-Denis (93); a timber-framed building for the Grenoble Ecole de Management in Pantin (93); the AP-HP headquarters in Paris (12th); two residential complexes in Paris (18th) and Bussy-Saint-Georges (77); a school complex in Lille (59); a tertiary campus in Saint Ouen (93); the metamorphosis of the Lourcine barracks in Paris (13th) into the University of Law Paris I. Some of Chartier Dalix’s most prominent projects include: University of Law-Paris I, Modernisation of the Lourcine Barracks, Paris, France Day-Care and Young Workers Hostel, Paris, France School and student housing, Ivry-sur-Seine, France Secondary school, sport hall and cultural center, Lille, France Les Simonettes | A New Public Realm, Champigny-sur-Marne, France The following statistics helped Chartier Dalix achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 10 20. CoBe Architecture & Paysage © CoBe Architecture & Paysage CoBe combines architecture, urban planning, landscaping, construction management and design, integrates in the creations, draws the ability to correct ruptures, to create new links, to look to the future through its cross skills with benevolence and confidence. Created in 2002 by Alexandre Jonvel, Raphael Denis and Martin Lemerre, CoBe has expanded with a landscape partner, Luc Moneger in 2011, and a construction managing partner, Fabrice Taillandier in 2017. In 2021 CoBe is expanding its field of action even further by celebrating the opening of its design division. CoBe creates links: designing the city is about freeing up space, optimizing its use, recycling and reusing. Some of CoBe Architecture & Paysage’s most prominent projects include: Host Differently, Social Residence, Paris, France Laherrère Center, Pau, France Athletes Village Lot E2B, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France Empalot district – lot MG3, Toulouse, France Tri Postal Bordeaux 77 housing units, Bordeaux, France The following statistics helped CoBe Architecture & Paysage achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 19. BFV ARCHITECTES © Sergio Grazia BFV Architectes is an architecture studio funded by Jean Bocabeille, Olivier Fassio and Jean-Brice Viaud. This acronym stands for more than 20 years of experience. It embodies both a historical continuity and a strong desire to grow together and broaden the scope of action. The idea of creating a new practice was obvious to the three men, as much as their will to keep building a consistent, efficient and meaningful kind of architecture. Bocabeille, Fassio and Viaud’s projects have been carried out either as collective journeys ([BP] Architectures, Plan01 or Fassio-Viaud Architectes) or individual adventures (Jean Bocabeille Architecte). Some of BFV ARCHITECTES’ most prominent projects include: PULSE, Saint-Denis, France A MIXED USE PROGRAM: 132 housing units + 1 religious center + 2 retail businesses, Paris, France NURSERY SCHOOL, Épinay-sous-Sénart, France HOUSING PROJECT (& Rooftop), Pontoise, France MORE WITH LESS, Paris, France The following statistics helped BFV ARCHITECTES achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 13 18. Architecture Patrick Mauger © D. Boy de la Tour The agency contributes to the transformation of the city, designing buildings that enrich life by multiplying their possible uses. The fields of activity are highly varied, ranging from urban spaces with studies to modify the reception areas in the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie and the northern Vilette esplanade (definition study) to interior architecture and design for the new layouts of the Louvre museum restaurants and delivery of the first “monolith”, inspired by an lfood on the terraces of the Richelieu wing. Through their uses, contexts and budgets, the projects reveal a strong personality and are characterized by the emphasis on materials, such as marble powder on a honeycomb structure and Corian for the Louvre, or The Arte Povera treated wood for the CROUS centre in Mabillon. Some of Architecture Patrick Mauger’s most prominent projects include: Cultural Center, Auneau, France Nièvre’s Departmental Archives, Nevers, France IGN and Météo France Geosciences centre – Saint-Mandé, Saint-Mandé, France Secrétan covered market, Paris, France Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, Paris, France The following statistics helped Architecture Patrick Mauger achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 20 17. PCA-STREAM © PCA-STREAM The PCA-STREAM agency brings together 90 architects, urban planners, designers, and engineers, capable of responding to the complex challenges of the contemporary world. PCA is the architecture and urban planning agency, STREAM, a unique transdisciplinary research program to which more than 150 researchers from around the world contribute, and whose work is widely disseminated and applied in PCA’s large-scale projects. Some of PCA-STREAM’s most prominent projects include: LABORDE, Paris, France 175HAUSSMANN, Paris, France PCA-STREAM’s CLUSTER, Paris, France TALLEYRAND, Paris, France #CLOUD.PARIS, Paris, France The following statistics helped PCA-STREAM achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 19 16. Dubuisson © Dubuisson Dubuisson is an architecture agency, based in Paris, Nice and Nantes. With an international and multidisciplinary team, it has around fifty employees: architects, interior des igners and engineers.The complementarity and transversality of its skills guarantee a project of high architectural quality, integrated and sustainable. Dubuisson designs and supports projects in all environments — tertiary, housing, retail, facilities — and in all dimensions of architecture: from town planning to furniture. Some of Dubuisson’s most prominent projects include: Community Swimming Pool, Châteaulin, Châteaulin, France “New”, Asnières, Asnières-sur-Seine, France Deloitte University EMEA, Bailly-Romainvilliers, France Campus, Rocquencourt, Rocquencourt, France Sports and Leisure Center, Val Thorens, Les Belleville, France The following statistics helped Dubuisson achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 19 15. NZI Architectes © NZI Architectes We founded the agency NZI ARCHITECTES in 2012. Our association is based on a project approach by creative, complementary and participatory experimentation. Fervent activists for environmental innovation, our work is based on the search for contextual urban insertions, paying constant attention to sustainable development. We are lucky to be able to work on atypical programs that vary from participatory housing to straw construction, but also from wood construction to office recycling into housing. This course, enriched by the diversity of solutions that we experiment on the programs, forces us to be combative to get out of pre established standards. Our work is oriented towards the exploration of other and innovative techniques. Some of NZI Architectes’ most prominent projects include: Transformation of an office building into a wood and straw 139 student rooms, Paris, France Shop to Loft Conversion, Paris, France Levallois Apartment, Levallois-Perret, France PARTICIPATORY HABITAT IN MONTREUIL, Montreuil, France Wood and Stone Early childhood home, Vauréal, France The following statistics helped NZI Architectes achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 6 14. GARDERA-D © GARDERA-D GARDERA-D is a pluridisciplinary architecture agency established in Paris and Biarritz, France. The agency explores a wide scope of investigation and responds to a varied demand for projects, ranging from architecture (housing, workplaces, teaching, equipment) to interior design and object design. Each project is approached and studied in a specific way, according to an approach based specifically on a particular attention to usages of buildings and the search for an optimum level in the relationship between architecture and location. Some of GARDERA-D’s most prominent projects include: ACBA, Agglomération Côte Basque Adour, Bayonne, France House R, Anglet, France 145 Student Housing, Bordeaux, France AZALA, 20, Avenue du Sabaou, Biarritz, France H+L House, Biarritz, France The following statistics helped GARDERA-D achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 8 13. LAN Architecture © Julien Lanoo LAN Architecture was founded by Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano in 2002. The agency’s name echoes the partners’ intentions directly. LAN is precisely the acronym of Local Architecture Network and it refers to the local design network applied and developed through specific field skills, experts and authors attending on the projects. The double nationality of LAN enables to bridge different European countries. In 2004 LAN architecture work was selected by the French Culture Minister for the “Nouveaux Albums des Jeunes Architectes” for its potential and talent. In six years time, the agency has earned a reputation and won competitions both in France and abroad. Some of LAN Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Hotel Residence in Atacama, Atacama Region, Chile Children’s Toy Library, Bonneuil-sur-Marne, France COMPANY HEADQUARTERS MARCHESINI FRANCE, Saint-Mesmes, France Sprengel Museum extension, Hanover, Germany 30 passive housing units, Paris, France The following statistics helped LAN Architecture achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 25 12. PETITDIDIERPRIOUX © PETITDIDIERPRIOUX Cédric Petitdidier and Vincent Prioux founded Petitdidierprioux Architectes in 2004. With more than forty staff and two offices in Paris and Lyon, PPX has completed more than forty projects, with just as many currently in development and in construction. Through its work, PPX has garnered expertise in residential housing, consistently striving for social mixing and ‘pleasurable density’ in an effort to reconcile individual and collective housing, including for high-rise buildings. Each project delivers thoughtful consideration of typological variations and the notion of comfort, through particular attention to context, orientation, materials and energy use. PPX makes understanding any new situation the starting point of its process, and approaches each project free of preconceptions, always with a fresh, yet seasoned perspective. Some of PETITDIDIERPRIOUX’s most prominent projects include: TALE OF TRANSFORMATION LA FANTAISIE HOTEL, Paris, France 152 HOUSING UNITS, Villeurbanne, France 71 HOUSING UNITS IN A SOCIAL RESIDENCE, Paris, France SOCIAL RESIDENCE, Bordeaux, France ATHLETES’ VILLAGE OLYMPIC GAMES 2024, L’Île-Saint-Denis, France The following statistics helped PETITDIDIERPRIOUX achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 13 11. Moussafir Architectes © Moussafir Architectes, Nicolas Hugoo Architecture Born on October 15, 1957 in Katanga (Ex-Belgian Congo) to an architect father. Family from Rhodes and Thessaloniki. First architectural memories in the family home in Elisabethville designed by Julian Elliott in 1957 and published in “New Architecture in Africa” by Udo Kultermann. Studies of architecture and then art history under the aegis of Roland Schweitzer, Yves Lion and Alain Pélissier at the School of Architecture of Paris-Tolbiac and Daniel Arasse at the University of Paris I Sorbonne. DPLG in 1993, founded the Moussafir Architectes agency the same year, after 10 years of training and practice in the agency with Christian Hauvette, Henri Gaudin, Dominique Perrault and Francis Soler. First interior design achievements (headquarters of the Apostrophe company and IGAS, administrative services of the Council of State), then participation in many culturally dominant competitions, alone or in association. Some of Moussafir Architectes’ most prominent projects include: 5 Vertbois, Paris, France 105 Social Dwellings + 18 SOHOs, Paris, France Maison Escalier La Luciole, Alençon, France PARIS 8 UNIVERSITY ARTS DEPARTMENT, Paris, France The following statistics helped Moussafir Architectes achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 10. Nomade Architectes © Nomade Architectes Raphaël Chivot, Matthieu Laviolle and Vincent Le Garrec — open-neck shirts and no Rolexes — are self-made men. An early schoolboy encounter was important; a sail together across the Atlantic, decisive. An agency was born first from camaraderie, then friendship: “Nomade… all clear on the horizon and open-mindedness at a maximum”, which means, no borders. Between Paris and Vannes (its two locations) the agency specializes in all projects. And it works everywhere. Nomade moves and grows. Ideas swarm in the inventive minds of some thirty faithful co-workers who have taken to organizing themselves around centers of interest, from design to the worksite via research, communication and even computer science. Some of Nomade Architectes’ most prominent projects include: Janine Jambu Gymnasium, Bagneux, France Valerie Nicolas Gymnasium, Cancale, France “Maison air et lumière” an Active House by Nomade, Verrières-le-Buisson, France Delegation of the vineyard, Clisson, France St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment, Saint-Brieuc, France The following statistics helped Nomade Architectes achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 15 9. Atelier Roberta © David Roux Roberta is a three-headed creature. Three paths, three skills, three landscape practices brought together in the same vision of the project. Roberta pays a very specific attention to sites and territories. She relies on her intuition and a great practice of the field to open project tracks to deepen. Every project is new. Roberta has no a priori, she hates recipes. She always asks the question of practice, the birth of a designed project and appropriation by users. She is also sensitive to new materials and technologies, to ongoing innovations on the other side of the borders. Some of Atelier Roberta’s most prominent projects include: Jean Louis Étienne school, Coupvray, France P+R park and ride, Vertou, France ESIEE-IT school of engineering and digital expertise’s, Pontoise, France Théâtre d’eau, Fumel, France BAT – 170 housing units and shops, Paris, France The following statistics helped Atelier Roberta achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 12 8. Franklin Azzi Architecture © Franklin Azzi Architecture Franklin Azzi and his practice, founded in 2006, develop a transversal approach stimulated by the intertwining of different views and disciplines. In constantly working on architecture, interior architecture, design and contemporary art, he develops a way of designing and building that is applicable to all scales and typologies of space. From urban micro-architecture such as embodied by the Eiffel Kiosque and its prefabricated structure, to towers in Dubai and Paris, via conversions of existing buildings such as the Alstom market buildings in Nantes, his interventions are based on a quest for sustainability to meet the needs of all users. Some of Franklin Azzi Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Sasaek – Horizons, Seoul, South Korea EP YAYING, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China TOKO, WEBHELP’S HEADQUARTERS, Paris, France Alstom Warehouses, Nantes Higher School of Fine Arts, Nantes, France EIFFEL KIOSK, Paris, France The following statistics helped Franklin Azzi Architecture achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 27 7. STUDIO RAZAVI + PARTNERS © STUDIO RAZAVI + PARTNERS Our work rests on a fundamental principal: the mediation between engineering and architectural culture. It is our belief that successful designs can only materialize by fully synthesizing building technology and architectural sensitivity. Our approach to space is hence determined by a rigorous understanding of existing relationships between technique and culture, free of stylistic limitations, open to context. Our designs cover a wide spectrum or architectural services from interiors to master planning services for clients in both the public and private sectors. Operating as one firm with two offices (Paris and New York) our portfolio of works spans from Europe to the Americas and includes residential, corporate, hospitality, civic, transportation and mixed-use projects. Some of STUDIO RAZAVI + PARTNERS’ most prominent projects include: August Debouzy, Paris, France Concrete Town House, New York City, New York Mountain House, Manigod, France Apartment XVII, Lyon, France Apartment XVI, Paris, France The following statistics helped STUDIO RAZAVI + PARTNERS achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 17 6. Hamonic+Masson & Associés © Hamonic+Masson & Associés Hamonic+Masson & Associés is Gaëlle Hamonic, Jean-Christophe Masson and, since 2014, Marie-Agnès de Bailliencourt, partner. The firm was founded in 1997, and was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe award in 2001 and awarded the Nouveaux Albums de la Jeune Architecture (Naja) in 2002. The agency came to the attention of the general public in 2003 with the design of the Maison Métal, exhibited in the Parc de la Villette. This event placed it at the confluence of art and architecture, a flexible space that allowed for some exciting adventures and inaugurated a series of exhibitions and scenographies: co-curator of the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2008 as part of the French Touch collective, Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, etc. Some of Hamonic+Masson & Associés’ most prominent projects include: HOME , Paris, France New’R, Nantes, France The Docks Dombasles: 25 apartments and offices, Le Havre, Le Havre, France Centre des Archives Contemporaines, Fontainebleau, France Urban Dock, Bordeaux, France The following statistics helped Hamonic+Masson & Associés achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 17 5. Atelier Zündel Cristea © Atelier Zündel Cristea Officially established in January of 2001, today AZC includes around thirty people organized into four areas: design, research, construction and administration of projects. Our teams are made up of young architects from all over the world, as the diversity of our own respective Swiss-American and Romanian origins has brought us to an understanding of the interest in crossing cultures and transgressing boundaries. Consequently, the efficiency and creativity of our firm are bolstered by a constant effort in observing what’s going on elsewhere, in striving to work outside our country, in taking an interest in differences. Each of our projects are embodied by a strategy of qualitatively occupying sites, without preconceptions regarding their geographic location, their programmatic requirements or their scale. Some of Atelier Zündel Cristea’s most prominent projects include: Bouncing Bridge Grenelle tower Office building in Vevey, Vevey, Switzerland Treasury office, Muntzenheim, France Medical care center Limay, Limay, France The following statistics helped Atelier Zündel Cristea achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 50 4. h2o architectes © h2o architectes h2o architectes is an office of creative architectural design also specializing in the restoration of ancient monuments. It is lead by three architects: Charlotte Hubert architect dipl. DPLG and historical preservation architect, Jean-Jacques Hubert architect dipl. DPLG founder of the office and Antoine Santiard architect dipl. EPFL who joined in 2008. Established as a firm in 2005, the leading architects have had multiple collaborations since 2000. They have executed projects and won international competitions both as independent architects as well as for other major architects (Bruno Decaris, Jakob+MacFarlane, Bernard Tschumi). h2o works on a wide scope of projects and scales including historical monuments and sites, urban planning, architecture and design. Some of h2o architectes’ most prominent projects include: Chatou, Chatou, France The Cabin French Alps, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France “Front and back” Apartment, Paris, France Eva’s Bed 20 social housing and 3 commercial spaces, Paris, France The following statistics helped h2o architectes achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 17 3. Ferrier Marchetti Studio © Ferrier Marchetti Studio Ferrier Marchetti Studio seeks to develop a sensitive, humanist approach to the city, combining sustainable development and new technologies in the quest for innovation and urban delight. The result is a preliminary analysis, procedure and stance which informs the architectural design process. We are innovative and idealistic in our approach to what architects can and should be capable of. Since 1993, we have believed that architecture should be a radical agent of change and reinvention. The studio has dedicated itself to the production of innovative projects and concepts with a commitment to sustainable development as a backdrop. There are philosophical roots to this approach. Some of Ferrier Marchetti Studio’s most prominent projects include: Aqualagon, Paris, France The French International School of Beijing, Beijing, China Headquarters of Métropole Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France Hachette Livre Headquarters, Vanves, France Bridge in Choisy-Le-Roi, Choisy-le-Roi, France The following statistics helped Ferrier Marchetti Studio achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 15 2. FREAKS freearchitects © FREAKS freearchitects freearchitects is a Paris-based architecture firm lead by three architects favoring prospection, research and experimentation through projects and building process practices from small scale art installations to large scale architecture competitions. Although nowadays their built projects are mostly located in France, FREAKS’s partners have lived and experienced a wide range of abroad working contexts such as San Francisco, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, Mumbai, Singapore, Istanbul and more. Some of FREAKS freearchitects’ most prominent projects include: SAMMODE research & development center, Lamotte-Beuvron, France Refurbishment of the historical Strasbourg zoo’s pedagogical farm and new visitor center, Strasbourg, France SUR MESURE, Paris, France Pavillion in a garden, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France Tribal Act Historical Tattoo and Piercing Parlor in Paris, Paris, France The following statistics helped FREAKS freearchitects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 19 1. Atelier du Pont © Frédéric Delangle Established in 1997, Atelier du Pont is an architecture and interior design firm of some 45 professionals from all walks of life who work alongside the studio’s founders, Anne-Cécile Comar and Philippe Croisier. The studio works on a wide variety of projects, from hotels to facilities, housing, offices, private residences, boutiques, and restaurants. Each one explores new ways of living, working and relaxing to create sites that are well-suited to their purpose, creative and inspiring, in France and abroad. It uses a comprehensive approach. Some of Atelier du Pont’s most prominent projects include: Holiday house with swimming pool, Le Cap Ferret, France Pavillon Jardins, Paris, France 25 rue Michel le Comte, Paris Le Marais, Paris, France Offices for the Community of Municipalities, Les Herbiers, France Woody – Office building, Saint-Maurice, France Top image: Bienvenüe – the new headquarters of RATP Habitat, Paris, France The following statistics helped Atelier du Pont achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Paris: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 28 Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking? With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year. Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York. An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted A Guide to Project Awards The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award. The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status: Project completed within the last 3 years A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value High quality, in focus photographs At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings Inclusion of construction photographs There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers. We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com. The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Paris appeared first on Journal.

When buildings talk, architecture becomes the brand itself — no signage required, just form, material and space doing the talking.

The post Beyond the Logo: 7 Projects Where Identity Speaks Through Design appeared first on Journal.

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. Brands usually express their identity through logos, typography or visual campaigns, but they show it most powerfully when they embed it in the design of the building that houses their operations. Architecture gives form to values and makes identity visible long before a sign comes into view. I notice this in everyday life. In Nigeria, HMedix stores show themselves with distinctive curtain walls and lighting, GTBank stands out with its bright orange cubes, and Chicken Republic announces itself with its unmistakable yellow and red palette. These buildings tell their brand without necessarily needing a sign. You know where you are just by the way the place looks and, in some cases, feels. This same idea plays out globally. Companies and institutions are finding ways to include their visual language in the design of their structures. Whether it’s the curve of a roof or the finish of a staircase, design choices can be as telling as a logo. When those choices carry the same clarity as a name or a color, a space begins to express the brand on its own. From a wine cellar in Spain to a glowing white shop in China, the following projects show how identity can live in form, material, and layout. They prove that the most powerful brands are the ones you recognize before a single word comes into view. White Is Good Shop in Weipo By designRESERVE, Weipo, China Jury Winner, Showrooms, 13th Architizer A+Awards White Is Good Shop makes its brand visible in the simplest way possible: through whiteness. designRESERVE designed the store as a glowing lantern with a pitched polycarbonate roof that shines day and night. Inside, every surface reinforces the brand identity with concrete floors, fabric walls and plexiglass shelving that all shift subtly between shades of white. A modular frame of aluminum and plexiglass holds the displays, keeping the structure clear and functional. Without a logo, visitors know they are in White Is Good. The architecture itself delivers the brand’s promise of clarity and simplicity. Overland Headquarters Showroom for the New Earthism Series By AD ARCHITECTURE, Foshan, China Jury Winner, Architecture +Branding, 13th Architizer A+Awards AD ARCHITECTURE staged the space like a runway, placing the company’s Earthism Series tiles at the center of attention as if they were fashion pieces. This way, the walls, floors, and ceilings become frames for the product, while mirrors and glowing partitions create a sense of drama. The earthy tones and natural light on the inside tie back to the philosophy of “Earthism,” presenting the tiles as both material and lifestyle. The experience created by the designers is one where architecture makes Overland’s identity visible. HumCustom Factory Exhibition Hall By OAOA Studio, Hangzhou, China Popular Choice Winner, Showrooms, 13th Architizer A+Awards HumCustom’s exhibition hall turns its brand philosophy into architecture. OAOA Studio imprinted the concrete façade with outlines of hats, mugs and tote bags, the blank products the company customizes. Visitors know what the brand does before they even step inside. The interior carries the same idea with raw steel frames, concrete benches, and sponge blocks that feel like base materials waiting to be transformed. The path through the building also tells a story. A narrow entry corridor leads into the main hall like a reveal from blank base to finished good. The structure shows its brand identity like a giant sample. It communicates the fact that HumCustom is defined by flexibility and customization. The Realm of Cognac – Hennessy Store By MO Studio, Ningbo, China Popular Choice Winner, Architecture +Branding, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Hennessy boutique in Ningbo feels like the inside of a glass of cognac. MO Studio used amber resin panels that glow like liquid fire to wrap the room in warmth. From outside, the three window bays frame the scene like three filled glasses and turn the façade into an abstract toast. Inside, they made a column at the centre of the space shaped like a grapevine, which flows down into twenty-four brass inlays on the floor arranged like the hands of a clock. This detail represents the time required for the drink itself to mature. Feeling the brand more than seeing it was MO Studio’s clear goal with this project. Apple The Exchange TRX By Foster + Partners, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Jury Winner, Retail, 13th Architizer A+Awards Foster + Partners designed Apple’s first store in Malaysia to read less like a shop and more like a physical extension of the brand’s design language. The domed roof brings the soft curvature of an iPhone to mind, while the use of stainless steel, stone and glass mimics the finish of its devices. Inside, light is filtered and controlled with the same meticulous care that goes into the design of an apple screen. Without a logo in sight, you would look at the building and think to yourself: “Yeah, this is definitely giving Apple.” Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore By X+LIVING, Tianjin, China Jury Winner, Commercial Interiors (<25,000 sq ft), 13th Architizer A+Awards This bookstore chain has turned architecture into its brand. Every one of Zhongshuge’s outlets is designed by X+LIVING, and together they form a recognizable identity built from arches and labyrinth-like layouts. If you step into any of their stores in Shanghai, Chengdu or Tianjin, you will know instantly where you are. This branch ties that brand language to its context. Set in Tianjin’s Italian-style district, it uses nearly 400,000 custom red bricks to form sweeping arches, spirals and shelves. Even before you see the name, the architecture makes it clear you have entered Zhongshuge. Legacy of Bodegas Faustino Winery By Foster + Partners, Rioja, Spain Popular Choice Winner, Bars and Wineries, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Legacy of Bodegas Faustino project made the brand’s identity visible through its architecture. Foster + Partners designed the winery with elements that have appeared in the family’s other projects, especially Campillo and Portia. They used barrel-esque arches that run through both the interior and exterior. Inside, the halls stretch with a senI was sse of procession, tall and dramatic like a cathedral for wine. The scale is commanding, designed to give visitors the feeling that they are stepping into a place of heritage and ritual. With this project, the winery uses architecture as a deliberate way to express its brand identity. The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. The post Beyond the Logo: 7 Projects Where Identity Speaks Through Design appeared first on Journal.

Dedicated to modern design

HW Studio design Casa Tao, a serene, Japanese-inspired home in Puerta Vallarta where privacy, shade, memory, and light shape daily life.

In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where the sun dictates the pace of daily life, shade is not just relief but necessity. Casa Tao, designed by HW Studio, embraces this condition as both practical response and a promise of calm. Rather than chasing views, the home turns inward, seeking a deeper conversation with memory, intimacy, and atmosphere. The project began not with architectural sketches, but with the life stories of its inhabitants. For Gustavo, the house is rooted in memories of his modest childhood home where resourcefulness mattered more than materials. Those early spaces left an lifelong lesson: shade could be more than shelter – it could embody a sense of calm and protection. Gustavo and his partner Cynthia brought this sensibility, along with their shared fascination with Japanese architecture, into the brief for Casa Tao. A family trip to Japan instilled in them an admiration for the way minimalism and stillness are orchestrated in built space. “We’d like to feel as if we were living inside a Japanese museum,” the owners shared. Their desire was not to reproduce that world literally, but to create a home that carried the same quiet discipline – an environment where daily life could feel more measured, contemplative, and open to subtle detail. HW Studio responded with a design that balances retreat and openness. The house is arranged around a nearby plaza shaded by mature trees. Instead of exposing itself directly to the intensity of the coastal sun, the building angles its relationship to the landscape, allowing breezes and filtered presence rather than full-on exposure. This diagonal approach frames life inside the house, as if the architecture itself were observing quietly, rather than demanding attention. The spatial layout separates functions across two floors. Bedrooms, service spaces, and the garage occupy the larger ground level with a sense of privacy. Above, a double-height volume containing the social areas seems to hover lightly within, surrounded by terraces that open toward treetops and the open sky. From these elevated platforms, the experience is designed for contemplation, with social life lifted away from the street, immersed instead in wind, floral scents, and filtered light. Intimate zones are arranged around a courtyard, where silence and air are given priority. A curved entry wall guides visitors gently inward, leading to a tree that greets them like a living sculpture. Additional trees are planted into the terraces, bringing a piece of nature to every vantage point. A modest swimming pool, situated between concrete walls, reflects the natural light and its surroundings. Materially, Casa Tao works with restraint. White surfaces catch the brilliance of the Pacific sun, while concrete softens its glare, holding light in a more subdued nature. The textures are tactile and meant to age gracefully over time. Inside, the same materials continue with concrete cladding most of the surfaces. Modern wood furnishings are paired with black details and scaled back, leaning into the Japanese aesthetic the homeowners requested. To learn more about Casa Tao and HW Studio, visit hw-studio.com. Photography by Hugo Tirso Domínguez, César Belio, and Gustavo Quiroz, courtesy of v2com. Video by Mavix and Hugo Tirso Domínguez.

STEALTH by Apollo Architects & Associates is a private Tokyo retreat featuring an infinity pool, car gallery, and light-filled living spaces.

Tokyo is a city where architecture often competes for space and visibility, yet the STEALTH residence, designed by Satoshi Kurosaki of APOLLO Architects & Associates, takes the opposite approach. Rather than standing out, this private residence prides itself on discretion. Its solid exterior conceals an expansive interior that unfolds like an oasis, offering its residents the serenity and privacy of a luxury resort while being firmly rooted in an urban neighborhood. From the street, the home appears to be a monolithic, box-like structure that cantilevers out over an all-black ground level, intentionally downplaying the entrance to the home and garage. STEALTH’s textured gray facade gives away little, intentionally shielding its interiors from prying eyes. The design prioritizes privacy, but not at the expense of light and openness. Instead, the architecture is carefully planned with interiors that open up, making the experience of moving through the home both surprising and rewarding. Behind the front door, instead of a conventional foyer, the first view is of the owner’s car collection, including eight prized vehicles displayed in a built-in garage. This unconventional introduction transforms a functional requirement into a gallery-like setting. Sunlight from a north-facing window illuminates the cars, giving the space the feel of a well-lit showroom. The double-height entrance next to the garage amplifies the drama, with a sculptural spiral staircase winding though all levels of the living spaces. Descending into the basement reveals another side of the house. Unlike many urban basements, this one avoids gloominess thanks to a sunken courtyard that delivers daylight into the gym. Adjacent rooms provide space for indoor golf practice and karaoke, emphasizing the residence’s resort-like feel with amenities. The subterranean level demonstrates how light, often scarce in Tokyo homes, can be harnessed in unconventional ways to create livable spaces. The top floor serves as the public part of the residence. Here, an L-shaped living room unfolds around a semi-open kitchen and dining area, encouraging family interaction. Expansive glass walls line both the north and south facades, drawing in natural light while louvers filter it into a soft glow. To the south, three floor-to-ceiling sliding panels transform the interior into an outdoor living space. Once open, the boundary between inside and out dissolves entirely, and the terrace becomes an extension of the home. A deep almost nine-foot overhang provides shade and weather protection, making the space usable throughout the seasons. From the terrace, the infinity swimming pool is integrated seamlessly into the architecture and surrounded by lush greenery. At almost nine-feet deep, the residents can swim high above the city and feel like they’re away at a spa resort, offering a rare luxury in central Tokyo. The rooftop hosts a final surprise: a dog run designed for the family’s pet, complete with panoramic city views! The second level shifts toward the sleeping quarters. Bedrooms and private spaces open onto a north-facing balcony. The primary suite features a walk-in closet and family bathroom, which includes a glass-enclosed bathtub overlooking the massive entrance hall. The children’s bedrooms are compact yet personalized with individual wardrobes. A study, which also overlooks the dramatic entrance hall through a glass partition, accenturates the home’s vertical interconnectedness, allowing even quiet spots to remain visually linked to the rest of the house. For more information on the STEALTH residence and APOLLO Architects & Associates, visit apollo-aa.jp. Photography by Masao Nishikawa.

CLB creates a multigenerational mountain retreat in Jackson, Wyoming, perched on a sloped lot with panoramic views of the Teton Range.

Perched on the crest of a butte in Jackson, Wyoming, the new Skyview residence by CLB feels less like a house and more like a bridge between earth and sky. Surrounded by the Teton Range to the north and Sheep Mountain to the east, the home seems to hover over the valley, an effect heightened by its careful placement on the steep, sloping terrain. The design draws on both tradition and modernity, weaving together natural materials, timeless craftsmanship, and sustainable systems to create a legacy home for a New York family seeking a retreat that could evolve across generations. The project was rooted in collaboration. “Our relationship with the homeowner is a huge part of this story,” says Eric Logan, Partner at CLB. “Because of the trust and rapport that we built over the years, we were able to challenge each other and ultimately arrive at a design we all feel proud of,” says Eric Logan, partner at CLB. The homeowner, an East Coast native with a fondness for her stately New York residence, wanted something different for the family’s western escape – something more tactile, warm, and reflective of the rugged landscape. CLB responded with a design that embraces contrasts: protection and openness, quiet retreat and sweeping drama. As Logan notes, “You get to occupy the space between contrasts and enjoy them both. The house sits between the quiet, contemplative courtyard, and expansive views to the valley below.” The 49-acre (20-hectare) property dictated a design that is as much about the land as the building itself. Local height restrictions meant the house had to step into the hillside, and this became a defining feature of the project. Arriving to the home begins with a sheltered courtyard carved into the slope before opening dramatically to the expansive views. Organized around a north-south axis, the home’s main level floats above the valley, with living, dining, and kitchen spaces extending outward to capture mountain panoramas, while the lower level nestles into the ground below with three bedroom suites, two bunkrooms, a lounge space, and a wine cellar. An additional guesthouse separate from the main structure houses bedrooms, living spaces, and wellness extras for visiting family. Stone sourced from Montana wraps the exterior and continues indoors, dissolving the boundary between interior and landscape. Warm cedar ceilings and walnut millwork add richness to the home, while blackened steel panels lend a refined edge to fireplaces and built-ins. These material choices echo the surrounding environment and reinforce the balance of tradition and modern detailing. “We combined natural materials like leather, wood, and stone with custom furniture that relates to details throughout the interior architecture,” says Sarah Kennedy, interior designer at CLB. “We incorporated rich cedar and walnut to connect with a traditional aesthetic, but played off these luxurious textures with more refined, modern details.” From the architectural elements to the smallest details, craftsmanship defines the project. A curving light sculpture illuminates the entry stairwell, a hand-crafted dining table anchors family gatherings, and custom rugs give nod to the topography of the Snake River Valley. Even lighting fixtures were designed to reference regional features such as rivers and lasso loops. Inside, the designers leaned into a cozy, inviting approach in lieu of the Scandinavian-inspired trends that have been prevalent in modern home design for years. The interior color palette embraces earthy tones, including sage greens, ochres, and burnt orange tones that evoke the shifting hues of the Wyoming landscape. This grounding palette ensures that the views remain the main focal point of the residence. A geothermal system, high-performance insulation, and a tightly sealed building envelope make it efficient in both summer and winter. CLB envisioned it as a “legacy home” – a place that could last for generations, minimizing environmental impact while maximizing livability. To learn more about the Skyview residence and CLB, visit clbarchitects.com. Photography by Matthew Millman.

Architect Aaron Leshtz, founder of AAHA Studio, shares some of his favorites, from artwork by Eric Nash to backpacks by Topo Designs.

After Los Angeles native Aaron Leshtz earned his degree in architecture from the University of Southern California, he accepted a position at Studio Sofield in New York City. It was more than a job, but a pivotal period that left a lasting impression. “Stylistically it was very different from what I had done before or even studied in school,” says Leshtz. “The work was varied, thoughtful, and always emphasized craft and materiality over anything else.” Under the mentorship of world-class designers who provided an array of professional experiences, Leshtz learned the importance of detail, and gained an invaluable understanding of the difference between style and quality. Aaron Leshtz of AAHA Studio \\\ Photo: Trina Severson In 2016, Leshtz and his wife Harper Halprin founded AAHA Studio, noted for a more personal, concierge-style approach. The duo wholeheartedly offers guidance and support during each phase of a project. Not only do they realize each unique vision, they treat clients like an extension of their own family. Always appreciative of woodwork, Leshtz savors the rare occasions he is able to create objects and furniture by hand. It’s not always easy with a packed schedule, filled with soccer practices to attend and dinners to prepare. The architect describes his four kids as built-in “off” switches who help him stay grounded. They remind him to switch gears and to disconnect from his ever-present devices, at least for a few hours a day. In his career, like life, Leshtz relies on collaboration to ensure the best possible outcome. “Architecture is not a solo endeavor,” he notes. “There are so many parties involved in getting even a simple home designed, engineered, constructed, and furnished. When you have a team in place that has a shared goal, and everyone is rowing in the same direction, it’s incredibly fulfilling.” Today, Aaron Leshtz joins us for Friday Five! Photo: Courtesy Eric Nash 1. Eric Nash’s Moon Series A few years ago, Harper and I were wandering a gallery in Palm Springs and came across this charcoal piece by Eric Nash. We were immediately struck by the size of the piece and the deep richness of the blacks. At first glance, it seems quite simple but the closer you get, the more detail emerges, and the hand of the artist becomes clear. I love the idea of marking a moment in time (each piece in the series is the view of the moon from a place and time) with something as omnipresent as the moon. It’s also remarkable to think about the diligence and patience pieces like this take to create. I’m still eagerly waiting for one of the Moon Series to become available… Photo: Aaron Leshtz 2. Cunningham Bird I’ve been a fan of Andrew Bird and his unique and truly delightful music since college. He’s a prolific collaborator and his most recent endeavor is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s a front-to-back cover of the out-of-print Buckingham Nicks album that pre-dated Fleetwood Mac. Trading vocals and guitars with the folk singer Madison Cunningham, they reinvent the album in a truly dramatic way that has been on heavy repeat in my house since it was released. Photo: Aaron Leshtz 3. Unimatic Watches I happen to run in a circle of watch nerds and came across Unimatic Watches through a friend. They are modern watchmakers out of Milan founded by two friends who studied design at the Politecnico (where we coincidentally took classes during our year abroad). Each timepiece has a beautiful simplicity to it without being bland or boring. They have a satisfying weight and heft to them that feels incredibly well crafted. Their classic collection is stellar and you can’t go wrong with the UC3 chronometer, but it’s their limited edition collaborations that they really have some fun with. Photo: Aaron Leshtz 4. Dodger Stadium Growing up in Los Angeles, Dodger games and visits to Dodger Stadium are a staple of childhood. Once you get over the traffic apocalypse that it takes to get there, you’re met with gorgeous views from all sides. At certain times of the evening, the sunsets over and through the accordion-style roof are just perfect. The building has undergone many renovations over the years, but the park still has maintained the slightly-googie, mid-century architecture. If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself there (rooting for the Dodgers of course), take a peek at some of the concrete columns for the beautifully hand-painted wayfinding signage denoting each seating section. Photo: Aaron Leshtz 5. Topo Designs I have a real weakness for a good bag. Topo Designs is a bag and apparel company out of Colorado that makes really well constructed backpacks, travel bags, and other outdoor accessories. I’ve used their backpacks as my daily carry for years and absolutely love them. There are lots of fun colorways and practical shapes. I’m always looking for an excuse to buy another one – but they hold up so well that you never need one. We also used one as our diaper bag when our kids were younger and my oldest daughter uses one for school now as well – We’re a fully indoctrinated Topo family. Works by Aaron Leshtz and AAHA Studio: Rendering: Courtesy of AAHA Studio Case Study 2.0 – The Courtyard House Born from the devastation of the Palisades fires, Case Study 2.0 reimagines post-disaster housing with purpose, resilience, and beauty. Inspired by the original Case Study program, this initiative blends fire-resistant design, sustainable practices, and efficient construction to help families rebuild faster and smarter. The Courtyard House challenges conventional lot layouts by introducing a flexible, C-shaped plan that orients all ground-floor rooms around a central outdoor space. This design not only enhances indoor-outdoor living – a hallmark of Southern California life – but also increases defensible space to mitigate fire risk. Prefabricated elements like CLT panels and open-web trusses further streamline construction, lowering costs and build time. Designed for evolving families and communities, the Courtyard House offers a modern, adaptable home rooted in resilience and connection. Photo: Amy Bartlam Therabody Reset, Manhattan Beach, CA The retail and waiting lounge for Therabody Reset. Custom millwork and retail displays line the glass façade giving the passing public a view of the product and service offerings. Photo: Liz Carababas Kansas Avenue Residence, Santa Monica, CA A ground-up residence for a family of five in Santa Monica. The façade is clad with thermally-modified ash with a charred finish. A 22’ La Cantina door pockets neatly away into the poured concrete pillar. Photo: Amy Bartlam Pickford Residence, Culver City, CA The contrast of materials at the entryway for the new, ground-up residence of a growing family. The Western Windows entry system abuts the corner of the guest room clad in Heartland split-face stone. An ipe-adorned reading nook hangs above. Photo: Amy Bartlam Lucia Residence, Redondo Beach, CA With sweeping views of the coast, the house is organized as an upside-down floor plan with the main living and gathering spaces on the third floor. As you enter, a full-height atrium dotted with sculptural Tom Dixon Melt sconces draws the gaze up, giving a hint at the voluminous spaces to come. In the evening, the illuminated fixtures are visible through the wood louvered façade, which creates further intrigue and interest from the street.

Nasayem house in Abu Dhabi by A Work of Substance blends desert winds, light, and heritage into a 19,400 sq ft sanctuary of sustainable design.

On Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the Nasayem house by A Work of Substance offers a modern sanctuary inspired by desert winds, light, and cultural heritage. Spanning nearly 19,400 square feet, this private residence is shaped not only by architectural vision but also by the desert’s gentle breezes – its very name, Nasayem, means “soft winds” in Arabic. Rather than shielding itself from the environment, the home embraces the natural forces of Saadiyat Island. Wind, light, and shadow are treated as design partners, weaving through the layers of the building to create a living, breathing structure. The result is a residence that feels at once secluded and open, intimate and expansive. Every detail reflects a deep connection to the cultural heritage of the region. Intricate Arabic patterns are etched into archways, windows, and screens, infusing the home with historical resonance. Hand-carved teak latticework, inspired by Bedouin geometric motifs, creates thresholds that filter sunlight, encourage airflow, and provide privacy without enclosure. Locally inspired materials such as palm leaf, mud brick, coral stone, and thatch further root the home in the desert’s timeless aesthetic. At its center, Nasayem features a double-height courtyard that reinterprets a cornerstone of Islamic architecture. A massive live tree rises from the courtyard’s center, its canopy growing toward the skylight above. At its base, a circular bench wraps around the planter, transforming the tree into a focal point for gathering. The courtyard also serves as a passive cooling system, harnessing airflow and natural light. Above, an expansive skylight filters sunlight, creating shifting patterns that move across walls and floors throughout the day. The home’s interior and exterior draw directly from the desert’s tones and textures. Walls and finishes are rendered in soft neutrals and sandy hues, while natural wood adds warmth and depth. The color palette is deliberately quiet and expressive. Handmade teak screens double as sculptural accents, regulating transparency and airflow while reinforcing the architectural cohesion throughout. Nasayem is not only a bold architectural statement but also a demonstration of how design can respond intelligently to the environment. By prioritizing passive cooling strategies, the house reduces reliance on mechanical air-conditioning, instead using airflow, shading, and the central courtyard to regulate temperature naturally. Handmade latticework screens filter harsh sunlight while maintaining ventilation, and the integration of local, materials minimizes environmental impact while celebrating regional traditions. Natural textures like palm leaf and coral stone are both durable and climate-sensitive, offering comfort within the demanding desert environment. From communal gathering areas to intimate escapes, Nasayem is carefully designed to balance connection and solitude. The combination of heritage-inspired details, desert-informed colors, and natural ventilation creates a residence that feels deeply rooted in its setting while attuned to modern life. For more information on Nasayem and A Work of Substance, visit aworkofsubstance.com. Photography by Natalee Cocks.

Casa Cruda by meii estudio transforms a 1960s Cartagena home into a modern residence, blending rawness with contemporary design.

In the Barrio de la Concepción neighborhood of Cartagena, Spain, architecture studio meii estudio has reimagined a modest 1960s residence into a minimalist example of contemporary design. Named Casa Cruda, the project embraces both preservation and renewal, resulting in a home that reflects the layered history of its neighborhood while offering a fresh, open way of living. Covering about 2,153 square feet, Casa Cruda resists the temptation of a complete overhaul. Instead, meii estudio opted for a restrained project scope, where subtle yet decisive plans play up the home’s qualities. The result is a residence where renovated floors and rendered surfaces meet the rawness of original brick walls and timber roof trusses. The design philosophy avoids erasure; every scar, texture, and construction trace becomes part of the home’s identity. By layering the new over the old, Casa Cruda achieves a balance between modernity and authenticity, inviting its occupants to inhabit and enjoy the best of both worlds. One of the project’s most dramatic decisions was stripping the home to its structural core. Partitions, false ceilings, and outdated finishes were removed, revealing a spacious volume filled with potential. The process unveiled the fired brick party wall and exposed wooden beams that now define the atmosphere of the main living area. Instead of hiding these original elements, the architects showcased them, allowing the materials to become a part of daily life. The stripped-back aesthetic is not just about minimalism, but the desire to expose the beauty of what was already there. Natural light plays a pivotal role in Casa Cruda. A large operable skylight was introduced into the tiled roof, creating sightlines to the sky above. The addition illuminates the house throughout the day, changing as the sun moves. Sunlight filters down through the open volume, revealing textures and connecting the interior with natural landscape outside. The skylight also provides access to a rooftop terrace, expanding the living experience beyond the enclosed shell of the house. At the core of Casa Cruda is a living room of nearly 300 cubic meters (10,600 cubic feet), conceived as a single flexible space that organizes daily activities. This double-layered area – with its original details above towards the ceiling, and the updated modern elements below – creates a dynamic juxtaposition between modern intervention and historical preservation. A continuous sage green resin floor grounds the interior, extending upward into a 7-inch-high ceramic baseboard. Above this point, a floating cladding integrates technical systems discreetly, maintaining clean lines and openness. The volume is rounded out with vegetation, curated lighting, local artworks, and carefully selected furniture, which personalize the expansive space without overwhelming it. For more information on Casa Cruda and meii estudio, visit meii.es. Photography by Hiperfocal.

In collaboration with SmithArc, Joshua Rice takes the lead on designing a sensual interior for a Texas home that calls back to Modernism.

Contemporary architecture often references ideals from modernism – canonical elements like clean lines, open plans, and material honesty – further tempered to suit current tastes and needs. This Highland Park residence, designed by SmithArc with interiors by Joshua Rice, belongs firmly in that lineage. While expressing its modernist DNA, the home reconsiders what it means to be a “machine for living,” with an emphasis on how color, material, and built-in conveniences will impact a growing family. Far from the white, minimal “modern box” stereotype, this house proves that the subtleties of tone and texture can enhance modernism to create something sensual and moody. The structure is set on the east side of Highland Park – one of Dallas’s most storied neighborhoods – positioning the location as a canvas for architectural experimentation. From early 20th-century Tudors and Mediterranean revivals to the later arrival of starkly contemporary projects, the neighborhood reflects a layered history of design. Building there is both a privilege and a challenge. But this new construction home, integrated into a difficult corner lot, respects the established visual narrative while offering something distinctly of its time. The architecture is anchored by gray limestone walls, a material chosen for both its durability and its sculptural quality. These walls flow between exterior and interior, creating a sense of continuity. Expanses of glass connect the family to the outdoors while raked wood panels and stucco soften the rigor of the stone. But the interiors are where the project most clearly establishes its voice. Rice builds on modernism’s lesser-known experiments with color by leveraging the hue derived from the very character of materials used. The interior palette ebbs and flows through 5,600 square feet with tones that are muted but never flat. Ceppo marble floors, fumed oak cabinetry, warm-gray laminates, and plaster matched to the architectural stone all bring depth and variation within a tightly edited spectrum. In the primary suite, natural white oak meets deep blue Japanese tile and Icelandic marble, combining warmth with shadow. Light oak wide-plank floors contrast with the darker elements, ensuring the atmosphere remains balanced. Programming is also central to the project’s success. From north to south, the home’s ground floor unfurls to reveal a wide range of spaces: a covered outdoor living area that spills into the kitchen and scullery; a partially sunken, open living and dining zone; and a well-dressed hallway leading to the primary suite, powder room, office, yoga studio, media room, mudroom, and laundry. The distinct, paneled-oak wall – designed in a racetrack shape – organizes the plan while discreetly enclosing private functions at the center of the home. Upstairs, a treetop family room anchors four children’s bedrooms, each an en suite, along with a second laundry to ease daily life. The arrangement reflects a contemporary sensibility: communal spaces flow into one another for family gatherings, while tucked-away rooms allow for quiet work, exercise, or retreat. The programming demonstrates that while the house pulls inspiration from modernism’s open plans or mid-century novelties, it adapts them to the complexities of raising a young family today. For Rice, the choice to embrace a darker, moodier palette was a deliberate challenge to prevailing expectations. In residential architecture, “modern” is often equated with bright, white, and minimal. Yet the designer understood that a palette grounded in shadow would create a calmer, more serene experience, given the abundant Texas daylight. The strategy was less about resisting the inundating rays and more about shaping them. Darker materials absorb and diffuse the sun, creating a sense of grounding that allows rooms to feel restful rather than overexposed. Rice does not treat color as an accent but as integral to architecture itself – something that emerges from the natural variations of stone, the smoked tones of oak, the mineral depth of tile. The palette is structural, not decorative. The furnishings further this dialogue between modernist lineage and contemporary sensibility. Instead of defaulting to the familiar icons of mid-century modern design, Rice curated a collection that blends rare vintage pieces with limited-edition works by contemporary designers. Sculptural lighting, carved wood chairs, and stone tables enrich the interiors with history and personality while remaining in harmony with the home’s muted chromatic atmosphere. Each piece contributes not only function but also a unique sense of self, reflecting the clients’ passion for the unexpected design. This house demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor modernism without mere imitation. It draws from the movement’s clarity of space and truth to materials, but modifies those ideas for the realities of 21st-century family life. Albeit restrained, it reclaims the role of color – too often forgotten in the retelling of modernism’s history – as central to architecture’s emotional impact. “The clients are big fans of modern design but wanted something more unique and unusual than the typical design classics,” Rice says. “Luckily, that is my passion.” Here, color is not bold or loud, but quiet, grounding, and enduring. It is embedded in the limestone walls that define the house, in the marble veining beneath one’s feet, in the shadows that move across oak grain. This contemporary sanctuary proves that color in current architecture is far more impactful than the clichés of white walls and glass boxes. And that by returning to those roots, designers can craft homes that are as timeless as they are deeply personal. To see this and other works by the architect and interior designer, visit smitharc.com and joshuaricedesign.com respectively. Photography by Robert Tsai.

Pura Vida is a modern floating home on Seattle's Portage Bay by Dyna Builders and Hoshide Wanzer Architects that blends sustainable design, warm interiors, and rooftop living.

Seattle’s Portage Bay has a new architectural landmark – a floating home designed by Hoshide Wanzer Architects, and built by Dyna Builders. Rooted in the Costa Rican concept of pura vida, the appropriately named Pura Vida Floating Home celebrates simplicity, balance, and a deep connection to nature while embracing the unique challenges of life on the water. Replacing a decades-old houseboat that once occupied the canal slip, the project began with a new reinforced concrete float – a foundation that provides long-term stability and modern utility access for plumbing and electrical systems. The home itself was built in Dyna’s Ballard shipyard and carefully towed into place, a reminder of the precision required for floating architecture in Seattle’s waterways. At 1,780 square feet of interior space with an additional 820-square-foot rooftop deck, the home prioritizes efficiency and adaptability. Its clean rectangular form makes the most of its footprint, while walls of glass on the main level dissolve the boundary between indoors and out on three sides of the residence. From sunrise over Lake Washington to boat traffic along Lake Union, every room is designed to engage with the ever-changing scenery of Portage Bay. Flexible shading systems, operable screens, and sliding glass doors allow the residents to shift between privacy and openness – whether enjoying family time indoors or welcoming the lively atmosphere of the waterfront. The interiors echo the maritime setting through teak cabinetry, white oak floors, and carefully crafted cabinetry that doubles as architectural transitions between spaces. The warm, natural finishes bring a sense of timelessness while reinforcing the home’s connection to the boating community. Upstairs, the primary suite is designed as a retreat reached via a double-height staircase lit from above with skylights. The upper level bedroom comes complete with a cozy window seat overlooking a green roof. A lower-level library provides another private space, enclosed when needed to create a private escape from the open living areas. The bedroom features a curated mix of woods, stones, glass, and resin to reflect the spectrum of nature seen from Pura Vida. The rooftop deck offers a second living space that blends outdoor comfort with subtle privacy. Movable furnishings, modular tables, and even a rolling fireplace provide flexible configurations for everything from a quiet evening to a social gathering. The integrated sedum roof not only softens the structure’s profile but also supports stormwater management – an eco-conscious nod to sustainable floating home design. For more information on the Pura Vida Floating Home by Dyna Builders and Hoshide Wanzer Architects, visit hw-architectus.com. Photography by Andrew Giammarco.

The Chapel in Bucharest by Vinklu is a glass-clad triangular structure that transforms a narrow urban plot into a tiny, charming coffee shop.

In the heart of Bucharest, where historic buildings stand shoulder-to-shoulder and every square foot of land is precious, a narrow plot on Bazilescu Street has been transformed into an unexpected jewel in the urban city. Known simply as The Chapel, this tiny coffee shop by Vinklu, led by architect Stefan Pavaluta, demonstrates how a challenging site can become an opportunity for innovation. The Chapel sits on a residual plot so slender that most would have dismissed it as unusable. Instead, Vinklu embraced the site’s limitations, turning them into defining features. Rising as a sharp triangular prism, the building maximizes its modest footprint while achieving an unexpectedly dramatic vertical presence. The lot’s extreme narrowness forced bold design moves, resulting in a structure that feels both daring and delicate. Nearly the entire facade is wrapped in high-performance, triple-glazed glass, allowing daylight to flood the space. By day, the building acts as a prism, refracting and reflecting its surroundings; by night, it glows like a lantern, becoming a luminous marker within the urban environment. The interplay of transparency and illumination makes The Chapel not only a space for contemplation but also a work of public art. Given the site’s tight constraints, much of the structure was fabricated off-site. This method minimized construction waste, reduced disruption to the neighborhood, and allowed the building to take shape quickly. The lightweight steel frame supports the glass walls, balancing strength with transparency. Rather than competing with the adjacent mature tree out front, the design incorporates it as a natural canopy, providing shade and grounding the project in its environment. The tree enhances The Chapel’s connection to nature, offering visitors an indoor/outdoor feel within the bustling city. Inside, light-toned wood softens the effect of the glass exterior, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. The height of the acute triangular roofline exaggerates the sense of scale, making the interior feel far larger than its footprint suggests. Despite measuring only 463 square feet, the space feels open and welcoming. The design fosters a sense of intimacy – ideal for tiny gatherings or a quiet cup of coffee alone. What sets The Chapel apart is its ability to do so much with so little. It proves that small-scale interventions can have a massive impact on how people experience the city. By transforming an overlooked urban lot into a destination, Vinklu has created a new narrative for how we can inhabit tight spaces. To learn more about The Chapel and Vinklu, visit vinklu.com. Photography by Vlad Patru.

Zalc Arquitetura transforms a São Paulo apartment with an industrial edge and a bold color palette – including cobalt blue accents – balanced by neutrals.

Zalc Arquitetura has reimagined a 1,076-square-foot apartment in Perdizes, São Paulo, Brazil, transforming it into a bold combination of industrial and modern. The FM Apartment reflects the creative lifestyle of its residents through vibrant colors, handcrafted details, and an open-concept layout that prioritizes connection and flexibility. One of the first priorities was to establish seamless circulation between the kitchen, terrace, and living room. To achieve this, the architects integrated the outdoor space with the main social areas, creating a larger and brighter living environment. In the private zone, the primary suite now features a fully connected bathroom, offering a hotel-like experience. Additional adjustments included resizing the guest bathroom to allow for a more spacious powder room and entry hall. Color plays a central role in defining the apartment’s character. The entryway and bathrooms showcase handmade hydraulic tiles in bold cobalt blue, a dramatic hue that commands attention and sets the tone for the rest of the interiors. In contrast, more subtle shades of blue soften the atmosphere in the kitchen – appearing on the cabinetry – and continue into the primary bedroom through carefully chosen details. Throughout the apartment, black surfaces – including millwork panels and tile – anchor the palette, bringing depth and industrial edge. The darker tones are balanced by lighter neutrals such as polished concrete floors, white ceilings, and warm wood elements, ensuring that the overall aesthetic feels bold yet livable. In the living room, the modular island sofa is custom designed to adapt to multiple configurations for social gatherings or everyday lounging. Greenery plays a subtle yet significant role, with tropical plants integrated into suspended shelving in the living room and extending into the bathroom. These green elements soften the industrial aesthetic, balancing concrete and metal with natural textures. The kitchen island also incorporates a dedicated space for the family’s pet, complete with filtered water access, seamlessly blending practicality with thoughtful design. Every corner of the apartment carries a unique identity. In the primary bathroom, an unconventional suspended urinal is mounted on a metal pillar. Green plants block those in the bedroom from seeing the urinal’s silhouette through the black-framed glass panels, keeping the open bathroom feeling sophisticated. The guest bedroom doubles as a flexible home office, where a more neutral palette creates a calm backdrop. Flanking walls of sage green cabinetry add a soothing, modern touch. One side conceals a murphy bed for visiting guests, while the opposite side integrates storage. A single wooden board extends across both walls, forming a continuous desk surface that makes the most of the room’s footprint. This multifunctional design emphasizes practicality without compromising aesthetics. Wrapped entirely in black tiles punctuated by varying sizes of white dots, the powder room takes on a bold, immersive quality, with the pattern continuing across the floor, walls, and ceiling. The result is both playful and dramatic, turning a compact room into an unforgettable design statement. To learn more about the FM Apartment and Zalc Arquitetura, visit zalc.arq.br. Photography by Guilherme Pucci.

BBGK Architekci's Sadowski House near Warsaw is a modern forest retreat with a tent-like roof, indoor pool, atrium garden, and interiors inspired by global travel.

On the wooded outskirts of Warsaw, Poland, a one-of-a-kind residence emerges from the trees – a modern home designed as a refuge and a tangible archive of the owners’ lifelong journeys. The Sadowski House, created by architects Wojciech Kotecki of BBGK Architekci and Katarzyna Mach, is more than a piece of contemporary Polish architecture; it is a deeply personal project shaped by travel, memory, and a desire to live close to nature. Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki The clients, a couple of seasoned travelers, envisioned a home that would not only serve as a place to live but also as a showroom for their experiences. Having explored deserts, polar regions, and remote landscapes across the globe, they wanted a house that could hold their memories and showcase their collection of artifacts gathered along the way. This wish guided the architects toward designing a residence that balances privacy with openness, reflecting both the couple’s adventurous spirit and their need for a peaceful retreat. Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki The design draws from traditional nomadic shelters such as tipis, yurts, and igloos – simple yet resilient structures where communal living thrives beneath a shared roof. The architects reinterpreted this concept into a modern form: a single-story house wrapped by an expansive tent-like roof, organizing all living areas at ground level. The result is a home where the inhabitants remain constantly connected, both to each other and to the surrounding forest. Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Set within a pine grove, the Sadowski House is designed to blur the line between indoors and outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a 72-foot-long sliding window, and strategically placed courtyards allow nature to flow into the interiors. At its heart lies a central atrium garden with a retractable glass roof, enabling residents to experience the changing seasons from inside their home. When opened, the roof and sliding walls allow natural ventilation, carrying in the sounds, scents, and breezes of the forest – a modern interpretation of how traditional shelters harnessed their environments. Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Working alongside interior architects Monika and Adam Bronikowski, of HOLA DESIGN, and landscape architect Marta Tomasiak, the homeowners played an active role in shaping every detail. Warm, natural materials like wood, stone, terracotta, and ceramics create a timeless atmosphere, while exotic plants within the atriums infuse a sense of tropical modernism. One feature is the use of Vals quartzite, a rare stone sourced from Switzerland, discovered by the owners on their travels. Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Inside, the home doubles as a gallery of personal stories. Artifacts, sculptures, and paintings collected during years of exploration are displayed throughout the interiors, each with memories to match. A grand piano anchors the living space, highlighting the importance of music and culture within the family’s daily life. Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki There’s even an indoor swimming pool that frames views of the inner atrium while offering glimpses of the forest through low-set windows embedded in a stone wall. Whether floating in the water or resting at the pool’s edge, the owners remain visually connected to both the garden at the home’s center and the woodland beyond. Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Yassen Hristov © Hola Design Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki Photo: Nate Cook © Wojciech Kotecki For more information on the Sadowski House and BBGK Architekci, visit bbgk.pl. Photography as noted.

Hello Wood designs PEBL Grand, a futuristic geometric cabin that is just as much home in the forest as it is in a backyard or on top of a high-rise building.

A new architectural icon has landed in Brooklyn: the PEBL Grand, a futuristic modular cabin designed by Hungarian studio Hello Wood. Installed on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan, these sculptural pods represent the next chapter in small-scale sustainable architecture – blending modern design, cutting-edge technology, and five-star comfort. Hello Wood first made its name hosting creative architectural camps, where experimental ideas often turned into large-scale public installations. Over time, the studio evolved into a full-service design and build company, crafting unique cabins and glamping solutions that merge art and architecture. Their first major success came with the PEBL One, a compact workstation cabin. Building on that foundation, the PEBL Grand expands the concept with larger, more luxurious modules designed for both urban rooftops and natural settings. Unlike traditional cabins, the PEBL Grand looks more like a space capsule or naturally formed boulder, hence the name. Its low-poly, pebble-inspired geometry breaks away from box-like modular design, making it equally at home in a tree-packed forest or atop a high-rise building in the city. Hello Wood’s proprietary construction system, submitted for patent protection, relies on a CNC-manufactured CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) shell, layered with insulation and waterproofing, ensuring durability while reducing waste and assembly time. Exterior finishes – ranging from wood and stone to aluminum or mirrored panels – allow each cabin to blend into its environment or stand out as a design statement. One of the biggest advantages of the PEBL Grand lies in how quickly and sustainably it can be built. Each unit is fully prefabricated in Europe and shipped either turnkey-ready or flat-packed in standard sea containers, depending on the destination. Once delivered, the cabins can be installed in just a single day using a ground screw foundation system – eliminating the need for concrete and significantly reducing environmental impact. Site preparation often takes only a few hours, making the process fast, predictable, and ideal for projects where delays are costly. This efficiency not only speeds up delivery but also ensures that every cabin maintains Hello Wood’s signature level of craftsmanship. Despite its compact footprint, the PEBL Grand offers the comfort of a boutique hotel suite. Each unit can be fitted with a king-size bed, kitchenette, dining nook, bathroom, and even a panoramic sauna. Large glass openings frame sweeping views, while modular add-ons allow multiple PEBL cabins to be connected for expanded living space. Because the cabins can be flat-packed into shipping containers and installed in a single day with minimal site prep, they are ideal for glamping resorts, creative studios, exclusive event spaces, or private retreats. In May, five PEBL Grand units were installed on the rooftop of a Brooklyn entertainment venue, giving performers a stylish backstage escape while offering one-of-a-kind views of the Manhattan skyline. The project demonstrates how mobile, sustainable, and design-forward micro-architecture can adapt to dense urban environments without heavy construction or disruption. “The PEBL Grand is the result of years of dedicated development, which has taken Hello Wood all the way from Budapest to New York,” says Tamás Fülöp, one of the lead architects of the PEBL Grand. To learn more about the PEBL Grand by Hello Wood, visit hellowood.eu. Photography by György Palkó.

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designboom magazine | your first source for architecture, design & art news

the structure by oslotre is composed entirely of mass timber, with glulam columns and beams.

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Oslotre builds Six-Story Timber Office Building in Kristiansand Lumber 4 by Oslotre studio is a commercial and office building in Kristiansand, Norway, spanning six floors. A recessed ground floor constitutes the commercial level, with the five floors above dedicated to office spaces. The structure is composed of a mass timber construction with columns and beams made of glued laminated timber. The floors are constructed using a composite structure of CLT and concrete, creating a slim and efficient floor system that spans long distances while also addressing fire and acoustic requirements. Diagonals on the ground floor facilitate better vehicular access around the building. The existing communication core from adjacent building phases contributes to lateral stability and access to the office floors. Between the third and fourth floors, an atrium with an internal staircase made of masstimber has been introduced. Wood elements are prominently displayed in the interior, providing warmth in winter and cooling in summer. all images by Kyrre Sundal Green Curved Pine Facade Defines Lumber 4 Office Building The facade is composed of prefabricated curved wooden elements in pine, treated with green paint. The eaves above the curved elements are straight, creating a curved shadow on the panel. Over time, the paint under the shadow will weather, leading to a changing facade with lighter and darker curved sections. For the insulation, Oslotre’s design team uses wood fiber throughout. The cladding consists of fire-treated pine. All load-bearing structures are exposed, and exterior walls are clad with white-pigmented spruce panels. Wood wool acoustic panels are used in concealed service areas and meeting rooms. Visible conduits are painted in a light beige color. The large floor-to-ceiling windows open up to the view and provide ample natural light. The construction of the building was completed in record time, with detailed planning and construction taking only 12 months. Lumber 4 demonstrates that it’s possible to construct competitive timber buildings when compared to the same technical standard concrete and steel structures. The building was 90% leased upon completion. Oslotre served as the architect, interior architect, and timber structural engineer for the project. Lumber 4 by Oslotre Studio is a six-storey commercial and office building in Kristiansand, Norway the facade features prefabricated curved pine elements treated with green paint straight eaves cast curved shadows that will gradually weather, creating a dynamic surface the structure is composed entirely of mass timber, with glulam columns and beams diagonal supports at ground level improve vehicular access around the site exposed timber slats painted in light beige integrate into the material palette floors combine cross-laminated timber and concrete for strength, fire safety, and acoustic performance exposed timber interiors provide thermal comfort, cooling in summer and warmth in winter large floor-to-ceiling windows provide generous daylight and outward views between the third and fourth floors, an atrium introduces natural light and vertical connection project info: name: Lumber 4 architects: Oslotre | @oslotre lead designers: Jørgen Tycho, Christoffer Imislund client: Skeie Eiendom area: 3890 sqm location: Kristiansand, Norway materials: CLT and Glulam construction photographer: Kyrre Sundal | @kyrresu designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post green timber curves sculpt rhythmic facade for office building in norway appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

campus architects uses subtraction as a design tool, exposing material honesty and spatial clarity.

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CAMPUS designs CHIMI’s new Stockholm flagship CAMPUS completes CHIMI’s new Stockholm flagship eyewear store with an approach grounded in reduction, clarity, and sustainable practice. The design process began by removing accumulated additions to uncover the site’s original architecture, allowing the new interventions to emerge through precision and restraint. The architects treat the act of reduction as a design tool rather than an aesthetic gesture. By peeling away non-essential layers, they reveal the inherent character of the space, balancing material honesty with environmental responsibility. Subsequent additions are deliberate and minimal, each serving to enhance circulation, function, and brand identity. A central parabolic counter defines the spatial organization, while a preserved staircase, refined with burgundy stucco side walls, acts as both structural and visual anchor. Together, these elements illustrate the project’s guiding principle: to achieve expression through measured subtraction rather than addition. store facade | all images by Mikael Olsson CAMPUS utilizes subtraction as a design principle The parabolic curve, first introduced in CHIMI’s New York flagship, reappears here as a key spatial motif. In Stockholm, this geometry is developed through the sweeping central counter, which unifies display and customer interaction within a single form. The staircase, with its warm, mineral finish, complements this curve to create a visual dialogue between the existing and the new. Lighting plays an equally structural role in the design. A four-meter-wide circular luminaire and five-meter ribbon-like ceiling lights define the ceiling plane, offering both illumination and acoustic softness. Their presence forms a counterpoint to the tactile, mineral palette below, reinforcing the spatial hierarchy without dominating it. The CHIMI Stockholm flagship demonstrates how a process of careful subtraction and targeted refinement can produce a space of clarity and coherence. Through this balance of material reduction and formal precision, CAMPUS architectural studio redefines retail architecture as an exercise in restraint and environmental consideration. the parabolic cashier’s desk and the staircase a staircase leads up to the mezzanine store overview a 50 sqm mezzanine overlooks the main retail floor staircase leading to the optometrist’s examination room project info: name: CHIMI’s new Stockholm flagship architect: CAMPUS | @campus_architects client: CHIMI | @chimi location: Stockholm, Sweden photographer: Mikael Olsson | @mikaelolsson_ designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post parabolic structures painted in burgundy stucco outline stockholm flagship for chimi eyewear appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

by reducing manual and repetitive work, AI could help architects reclaim time for reflection and creativity, reinforcing design as an intellectual and cultural act.

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Architecture at a Turning Point, working smarter with ai While a book or piece of music can be easily set aside if it doesn’t capture our interest, architecture is different. A building endures for decades, and it shapes the landscape and influences the lives of its occupants for years to come. This permanence brings with it a unique set of challenges: architects must design spaces that impact collective life, often under tight deadlines, limited budgets, and significant pressure. In addition to navigating complex regulations and coordinating construction, architects face the misconception that design is simple, or that anyone could do it. The constant balancing act between quality, cost, and speed often leads to sacrifices — whether in time, health, or the integrity of the project itself. This cycle not only wears down the profession but diminishes society’s understanding of the true value of design. The well-known “good, fast, and cheap” triangle is rarely resolved without the architect sacrificing their own time, health, or even the quality of the project. Repeated for decades, this equation fuels a cycle of wear that not only undermines the profession but also depreciates the value of design in society, even diminishing the role of such a beautiful and important discipline. Courtesy of Snaptrude And if the cultural and economic context already exerts pressure, the technology available has offered little relief. The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector still relies on fragmented software and workflows, many conceived in another era, demanding exhaustive attention at every stage of the process. Although these tools have been used to build some of the most advanced structures in the world, they have not kept pace with the growing complexity of projects or the urgency of contemporary deadlines. The result is all too familiar: long working hours, overburdened teams, and little room for creative reflection. Artificial intelligence emerges in this scenario not as a threat of replacement, but as a strategic collaborator. Its impact is particularly evident in the early stages, when architects spend valuable time on repetitive tasks or data gathering. Generating a layout from program requirements, cross-checking codes in real time, running early energy simulations, or producing reference images in seconds reduces friction and creates room for more critical design decisions. Instead of reinforcing the logic of “working more hours to compensate,” AI points toward a shift: working more intelligently and strategically, focusing on what truly matters. Courtesy of Snaptrude The Case of Snaptrude Among the emerging platforms, Snaptrude has stood out for integrating AI directly into the early phases of design. Unlike software that requires the manual construction of masses or layouts, the tool allows a project to begin from textual descriptions, simply indicate building type, site, and program, and the system generates an initial spatial proposal. From there, the model remains fully editable and can be refined by the architect at any time, ensuring creative control without wasting hours on repetitive tasks. In addition, Snaptrude incorporates AI-assisted research, integrating building codes, accessibility standards, and cost benchmarks directly into the design environment; real-time analysis, which automatically cross-checks information such as program areas, flows, and spatial proportions to reduce errors; and instant rendering and visualization, eliminating the need to export models to other software and enabling rapid testing of materials, openings, or urban contexts without breaking the creative flow. Courtesy of Snaptrude Courtesy of Snaptrude Courtesy of Snaptrude Instead of spending days structuring a preliminary study, teams can arrive at a solid concept in just hours, validated by data and ready to be refined alongside clients and other stakeholders. These functions have a direct impact on productivity by easing the burden of repetitive work, and AI can give architects back something fundamental, that is time to think, to investigate materials, refine solutions, and defend the value of their ideas. More than a promise of productivity, artificial intelligence can help revalue the intellectual work of architecture, which has always gone beyond the mere delivery of technical documents. Artificial intelligence does not eliminate the complexity of architecture, nor does it guarantee shorter workdays. But it opens the possibility of reorganizing daily practice, reducing mechanical tasks and freeing energy for what truly demands critical and creative attention. The issue is not producing more in less time, but working more strategically, no longer absorbing alone the costs of an imbalanced system. Perhaps therein lies the opportunity to redefine, more fairly, the impossible equation of the profession. Courtesy of Snaptrude Courtesy of Snaptrude Guest Feature by Eduardo Souza / ArchDaily The post snaptrude uses AI to generate editable 3D architectural models from simple text descriptions appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the biennial prize, hosted by wienerberger yet independently judged, spans five categories, including small house projects and commercial buildings.

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BRICK AWARD 26 showcases bold visions in brick The international shortlist for BRICK AWARD 26 has been announced, showcasing 50 of the world’s most inspiring brick buildings from 21 countries across the globe. Selected from 849 submissions, the projects represent originality and excellence in contemporary brick architecture. The biennial prize, hosted by wienerberger yet independently judged, spans five categories, including small house projects and commercial buildings, highlighting the versatility of brick as a timeless material. The awards ceremony is taking place in Vienna on 11 June 2026, announcing the winners selected by an international jury of renowned architects and designers including Gabriela Carrillo, Christine Conix, Jens Linnet, Traudy Pelzel and Eduardo Mediero. From Kengo Kuma and Associates’ sculptural UCCA Clay Museum in Yixing, China to the glass-brick Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Australia by KTA, Brazil’s Bloco Arquitetos’ White Bricks House, and the expressive Shafagh Tomb in Iran by 35-51 Architecture Office, the 2026 shortlist celebrates how brick continues to bridge culture, craft and contemporary design. UCCA Clay Museum in Yixing, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates | all images courtesy of wienerberger from brazil to china, the prize celebrates the potential of brick Launched in 2004, the BRICK AWARD has grown into a leading international prize that celebrates architectural innovation and the creative potential of brick. Presented every two years, it highlights projects that combine craftsmanship, sustainability and design excellence. Organized by wienerberger yet judged independently, the award ensures recognition is given purely on merit, with winning and shortlisted works published in the official BRICK book and honoured at a ceremony in Vienna. Behind the initiative is wienerberger, a leading international provider of innovative ecological solutions for the entire building envelope, in the fields of new build and renovation, as well as infrastructure in water and energy management. With more than 20,000 employees worldwide and over 200 production sites, the company is the world’s largest producer of bricks and market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe. Through the BRICK AWARD, wienerberger underlines its commitment to supporting architecture that is both forward-looking and firmly rooted in material tradition. White Brick House by Bloco Arquitetos | image © Joana Franca brick award 26 spans five categories in five continents The shortlist is divided into five categories: Feeling at home for residential houses, Living together for urban housing, Working together for commercial and industrial projects, Sharing public spaces for civic and cultural architecture, and Building outside the box for experimental and innovative works. Together, these categories form a panorama of architectural approaches, from intimate dwellings to monumental public landmarks.The selection spans five continents, from a white brick house in Brazil built using artisanal methods to a sculptural tomb in Iran with inscriptions flowing across its surface. In Asia, highlights include the Aga Khan Academy in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, that comprises a series of four-storey brick-clad buildings that nestle within a highly developed urban site bordered by a large motorway. Arranged around green outdoor spaces, the project offers relief from these built-up surroundings, creating external areas for both play and education. Aga Khan Academy by Shatotto and FCB in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka | image © Asid Salman Still in Asia, highlights from China include the UCCA Clay Museum in Yixing, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates, whose distinctive roof is defined by a series of peaks that reference the nearby Shushan mountain. Described by the studio as “an inverted shell structure carved by virtual spheres”, the framework has been cloaked with 3,600 handmade ceramic tiles glazed in dark and light brown tones, evoking the colour changes that occur in pottery as it is fired. Further north towards Bejing, the shortlisted Tianjin Zhongshuge bookstore is a three-storey building featuring a design with ‘waves’ of custom-designed bricks and ironwork, creating a unique, immersive space for visitors. Tianjin Zhongshuge by X+ Living Architecture | image ©SFAP Additionally, in Chennai, India, the Metallic Bellows factory office by KSM Architecture, is a single-storey brick structure inspired by local brick kilns and clay-rich soil, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions by minimising concrete use. The design features a traditional jack arch system, with downstand and peripheral beams, giving the locally sourced brickwork a light, floating appearance and an artisanal character. Shortlisted entries from the Middle East include the Shafagh Tomb in the small city of Ardakan, in central Iran, which features an inverted dome and inscriptions flowing freely across its surface, transforming the architecture into a canvas that celebrates freedom of expression. Acting as a gateway to the cemetery, the Shafaq Tomb redefines a traditionally private space as a monument for all – a place where the sacred meets the everyday. Shafagh Tomb by 35-51 Architecture Office | image © 35-51 Architecture Office Moving to Europe, Dutch architecture practice Studio RAP has designed a ‘wave-like’ facade completely clad with 3D-printed ceramic tiles fronting onto Amsterdam’s historic Hooftstraat shopping street. While in Germany, working on a much larger canvas, fired clay, in the form of glazed panels with a fine, irregular vertical structure, was used for the facade of the plant buildings at Leipzig Cogeneration Plant. And in Slovenia, the transformation of a former industrial hall in Ljubljana into a temporary theatre focused on recycled and reusable materials, with the visible clay blocks painted silver. Reuse by Michail Riches Architects was also a theme at Park Hill in Sheffield in the United Kingdom, where a Brutalist housing estate featured board-marked concrete infilled with fine-grain domestic brickwork. The reinvigorated bricks denote each ‘street in the sky’ and the colours of the balconies were chosen to complement the tones of the brickwork. Ceramic House by Studio RAP | image ©Riccardo De Vecchi All the way to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Australia, an estimated 25,000 bricks were reportedly incorporated into the facade, comprising a combination of clay bricks in Ceniza and Poesia glass bricks. Arranged in a refined ‘hit and miss’ pattern, the design carefully balances transparency and security, serving as a powerful expression of remembrance and resilience and establishing visual and physical connections to activities, daylight and the community. Right across, through the Pacific Ocean, Aatequila facility provided a notable entry from Mexico, where warehousing and offices for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco used local ceramics and stone from the site excavation to anchor the buildings in their volcanic topography. Meanwhile, in Brazil, the White Bricks House was built using artisanal techniques and exposed solid bricks painted white. Varying brick spacing creates different levels of openness and privacy for each room. Careful study of the brickwork produced unique patterns and finishes, giving the project a timeless, handcrafted character. Claze Azul warehouse & office by Atelier ARS | image © Cesar Bejar Among other entries from the USA, 64 University Place by Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects is an 11-storey residential building in Greenwich Village, New York, distinguished by its hand-laid brick masonry facade, arched windows and a grid of pilasters. The design blends historic references from the surrounding neighbourhood with contemporary details. The brick facade showcases skilled craftsmanship, relying both on expert bricklayers and thoughtful detailing. Crossing continents, Set on a 4,000m² site on the slopes of Steenberg Ridge in Cape Town, South Africa, Mountain House by Chis van Niekerk sits lightly within its semi-rural landscape. The design uses a restrained palette of materials that express the earth’s colours and textures, allowing the building to age gracefully. Rooted in a primordial sense of shelter, it embraces simple, unadorned materials to create a timeless sense of enclosure. Slovenian National Theatre by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti | image © Maxime Delvaux Melbourne Holocaust Museum (MHM) by KTA | image © L Showell project info: name: BRICK AWARD | @brickaward organizer: wienerberger | @wienerberger.de award ceremony: June 11, 2026 location: Marx Halle, Vienna The post BRICK AWARD 26 reveals 50 architectural works redefining the use of brick appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the 11,500-square-meter complex introduces a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river.

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big’s Winning Design Brings Flowing Timber Landmark to france Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is selected to design Rouen’s new congress center, nicknamed The Sail, a landmark project that is set to rise along the banks of the Seine in northern France. The 11,500-square-meter complex introduces a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river. The building is designed to serve as a civic gathering point and an international events venue and seeks to reconnect the city to its waterfront. Commissioned by Métropole Rouen Normandie, the project includes two auditoriums, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and support spaces. Designed in collaboration with BLP & associés, The Sail aims to achieve Passivhaus certification, setting a new benchmark for energy-efficient public architecture in France. The timber structure and facades of the building reinterpret Rouen’s vernacular of half-timbered houses. all images by Atchain & BIG rainwater collecting roof tops ‘the sail’ From the river, The Sail appears as a light, horizontal volume rising gently above the landscape, while from the city, its photovoltaic roof hovers over a new public forecourt that extends the urban fabric to the water’s edge. In this area, the international architecture firm combines open stone-paved plazas with clusters of trees and planting, forming shaded gathering areas and green buffers around the site. Rainwater collected from the roof irrigates these planted zones, and a network of pedestrian paths connects the center seamlessly to its surroundings. ‘Rising along the Seine, The Sail introduces a new silhouette to Rouen with its sweeping roofline paying tribute to the city’s naval heritage and historic skyline of spires,’ says Jakob Sand, partner at BIG. ‘The building greets visitors from the highway with a vertical facade, while on the city side, the roof creates sheltered canopies extending the foyer into a human-scaled public landscape. Built with mass timber construction, daylight-optimized interiors and an energy-producing roof, it is both a low-impact infrastructure and a cultural hub — offering an inclusive space for Rouen and its visitors.’ Inside, a spacious, light-filled foyer functions as the central social space, linking all program areas. A grand staircase leads to the main auditorium, and the overlapping levels connect the public and professional zones inside The Sail. a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is selected to design Rouen’s new congress center open stone-paved plazas with clusters of trees and planting form shaded gathering areas the timber structure and facades of the building reinterpret Rouen’s vernacular of half-timbered houses a spacious, light-filled foyer functions as the central social space a grand staircase leads to the main auditorium the building is designed to serve as a civic gathering point and an international events venue rainwater collected from the roof irrigates the planted zones project info: name: The Sail architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds location: Rouen, France area: 11,500 square meters client: Métropole Rouen Normandie collaborators: BLP & associés | @blpassocies, Egis, Ducks Scéno | @ducks_sceno, Elioth | @elioth.byegis, Bloom Landscape | @bloomholding, Marshall Day Acoustics, 8’18 lumière | @818lumiere, BMF, Nicolas The post BIG wins congress center competition in france with roofline echoing waves of the seine appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

designed by farshid moussavi, the ismaili centre in houston, texas reinterprets islamic geometries with luminous screens.

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A new cultural center for Houston Set to open in November 2025, the new Ismaili Centre in Houston, Texas introduces an architectural presence of quiet strength and civic openness. Designed by London-based studio Farshid Moussavi Architecture, the 150,000-square-foot complex will be the first Ismaili Centre in the United States and the seventh in a global network of architecturally significant institutions located in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, Vancouver, and Toronto. The center is located near Houston’s Museum District and engages with its surroundings through a measured composition of stone, perforated metal, and glass. The design reflects the Ismaili community’s long tradition of building spaces that embody pluralism, learning, and cultural exchange. the Ismaili Centre will be a new civic landmark for Houston, Texas | visualizations courtesy the Ismaili Centre Farshid Moussavi’s luminous structure The architecture of Farshid Moussavi’s Ismaili Centre is defined by its balance of openness and enclosure. At its center is a five-story atrium, framed by stepped staircases in textured stone and wrapped in geometric perforations that diffuse daylight across interior surfaces. The upper volumes are clad in delicately patterned metal screens, creating a soft interplay between solid and void that shifts with the sun’s movement. From the exterior, the design team sculpts a composition which reads as a series of interlocking planes — horizontal eivans extending outward to form shaded terraces and verandas, a recurring motif in Persian and Islamic architecture. These transitional spaces, lined with slender columns, temper the Houston sun while framing long views across the nine-acre landscape designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz. Farshid Moussavi designs the first Ismaili Centre in the United States light geometries of perforated screens Farshid Moussavi curates a material palette to emphasize tactile precision throughout its Ismaili Centre. Pale limestone masonry grounds the building, its rhythm broken by areas of subtle relief. The upper screens introduce a lighter register which evoke the fine geometric order characteristic of Islamic architectural ornament. Inside, the surfaces shift between smooth stone, finely grained wood, and perforated metal panels, establishing a continuity between the sacred and the civic spaces within. Light enters through clerestory openings and skylights, filtering downward through layered planes. This controlled luminosity animates the central atrium — a generous, processional space that serves as both circulation and gathering zone, where shifting daylight brings the geometry to life. slender columns line shaded verandas that extend the building into the surrounding gardens Beyond its architectural qualities, the Ismaili Centre Houston is conceived as a public institution. The program includes an exhibition gallery, black box theatre, educational rooms, café, banquet halls, and a prayer hall. These spaces will host cultural, intellectual, and community-oriented events, and will expand the center’s role beyond worship to include gathering and shared learning. Farshid Moussavi describes the project as embodying ‘His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange.’ The design’s openness, both physical and social, encapsulates that intention, and uses architecture as a medium for connection rather than separation. geometric perforations and patterned metal screens define the building’s luminous surfaces Set within nine acres of gardens, the complex is framed by carefully choreographed plantings that reinterpret Islamic garden traditions through a Texan lens. Nelson Byrd Woltz’s landscape integrates native species and water features to create a calm, restorative environment. Reflecting pools extend from the main facade, reinforcing symmetry and emphasizing the building’s quiet monumentality. The Center’s proximity to Houston’s cultural institutions — the Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, Asia Society Texas, and the Museum of Fine Arts — places it within a broader dialogue of civic architecture. Its measured form, rooted in Islamic geometry yet contemporary in execution, offers a new architectural landmark for the city — one that speaks through proportion, craft, and light. the five-story atrium forms the heart of the center with daylight filtering from above stone and metal surfaces balance weight and delicacy across the center’s interlocking forms project info: name: Ismaili Centre architect: Farshid Moussavi Architecture | @farshidmoussavi location: Houston, Texas landscape: Nelson Byrd Woltz | @nelsonbyrdwoltz visualizations: courtesy the Ismaili Centre The post farshid moussavi shapes houston’s upcoming ismaili centre with perforated screens appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

foguel studio transforms traditional ice cream motifs into architectural form.

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Foguel Studio turns ice cream shop into sculptural setting In Tandil, Argentina, Foguel Studio transforms an ice cream shop into a temple of fantasy, where marble turns to cream, cones to columns, and childhood wonder becomes architecture. For the Figlio ice cream shop, Foguel Studio conceives a space that ventures far from traditional architecture. The project unfolds as an artistic statement, one that drifts among drama, romanticism, irreverence, exaggeration, and irony. While architectural in function, the project’s spirit is sculptural. Foguel, an industrial designer and artist trained in scenography and costume design, brings a theatrical sensibility to the space, where materials and symbols play equally important roles. The interior combines marble ‘cream’ moldings and capitals, solid-wood ‘cone’ tables, resin ‘cocoa flowers,’ and cement ‘bonbons,’ along with vases showcasing 3D printed reliefs that reinterpret each ice cream flavor. all images by Dagurke unless stated otherwise Figlio ice cream shop’s interiors resemble sweet treats At the heart of the space, a seven-meter hybrid effigy revisits Greco-Roman masterpieces through a contemporary, ironic lens. This ornamental excess, rich in intertextuality, evokes references to Michelangelo, the Colossus of Rhodes, and Sorrentino’s ‘The Great Beauty,’ all while dialoguing with postmodernism and its unapologetic motto: ‘Less is boring.’ The result is both commercial and monumental, a dreamlike temple where state-of-the-art screens, raw stone claddings, marble sculptures, and even tiramisu textures coexist. Foguel, founder of the Buenos Aires-based studio, has recently received awards for her ephemeral works in ice. With Figlio, she turns into stone what usually melts away. The project ultimately celebrates architecture as fiction, a playful, instinctive, and intellectual operation that transforms fantasy into form. Foguel Studio transforms an ice cream shop into a temple of fantasy in Tandil the project’s spirit is sculptural, drawing from theater scenography solid-wood tables take the shape of ice cream cones at the center stands a seven-meter hybrid effigy that anchors the entire space the sculpture revisits Greco-Roman masterpieces through a contemporary, humorous lens the space blurs boundaries between art, architecture, and set design the interior combines marble ‘cream’ moldings and cement ‘bonbons’ the composition turns decoration into narrative vases showcase 3D printed reliefs that reinterpret each ice cream flavor the vases stand on stone-textured wall recessions ornamental excess becomes a deliberate design language Foguel transforms traditional ice cream motifs into architectural form commercial interior and monumental sculptures meet in one environment the project uses architecture as a medium of fiction and play | image by Felix Niikado project info: name: Figlio By Foguel designer: Foguel Studio | @foguelfoguel location: Tandil, Argentina photographers: Dagurke | @dagurke, Felix Niikado designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post dessert-shaped sculptures in marble and wood ornament ice cream shop in argentina appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

grafton architects brings mass-timber design to the university of arkansas' growing art and design district.

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Anthony Timberlands Center opens at university of arkansas The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation opens at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, marking Grafton Architects’ first completed project in the United States. Designed in collaboration with local firm Modus Studio, the 42,000-square-foot mass-timber building stands as a new precedent for environmentally-responsive campus architecture informed by material research and regional identity. The center is both an academic facility and a working laboratory dedicated to timber design, sustainable forestry, and digital fabrication. With classrooms, studios, galleries, and a double-height fabrication hall, the building is a core component of the university’s growing Art and Design District. Dean Peter MacKeith describes the center as ‘a living curriculum’ which allows students to engage with the full lifecycle of architecture, from material sourcing to assembly. At the same time, the project supports faculty research into affordable housing, forestry, and emerging timber technologies. images © Tim Hursley grafton architects’ ‘story book of timber’ True to Grafton Architects’ material-driven approach, the building is conceived as a ‘Story Book of Timber.’ Its structure reveals layers of Southern Yellow Pine, white oak, red cedar, and other native species sourced from Arkansas forests. The Pritzker Prize-winning architects top the structure with a cascading roof system of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels supported by monumental glue-laminated beams that function as rainwater gutters. This roof performs as both infrastructure and climate mediator — shading interiors from the southern sun, directing runoff to a bioswale, and defining the center’s architectural character. Circulation routes thread between the fabrication hall and teaching spaces, opening framed views toward the courtyard and surrounding campus. Passive strategies, such as calibrated glazing and natural ventilation, reduce dependency on active systems like air conditioning. the Anthony Timberlands Center opens as Grafton Architects’ first project in the US international design informed by local expertise The partnership between Grafton Architects and Modus Studio brought together international design experience and regional construction expertise. While Grafton shaped the conceptual framework, the team at Modus translated it into local material systems and fabrication methods, and ensured that Arkansas’s forests and industries were integral to the process. Thus, the building merges global architectural discourse with regional culture. Chris Baribeau of Modus Studio emphasized the ambition to ‘bridge international design with regional application,’ a balance evident in the project’s technical sophistication and material authenticity. Located within the University of Arkansas’ growing Art and Design District, the Anthony Timberlands Center adds to a larger campus district that includes the Windgate Studio and Design Center and the forthcoming Windgate Gallery and Foundations Building. A shaded pedestrian courtyard planted with loblolly pines connects the structures, and serves as a landscaped outdoor classroom. the building joins the University of Arkansas’ growing Art and Design District its mass-timber structure uses locally-sourced lumber a cascading CLT roof shades interiors and channels rainwater into a bioswale Grafton Architects is supported by regional expertise from Modus Studio passive environmental strategies demonstrate climate-responsive timber architecture classrooms surround an 11,000 square-foot fabrication hall dedicated to hands-on learning project info: name: Anthony Timberlands Center design architect: Grafton Architects | @graftonarchitects local architect: Modus Studio | @modusstudio location: Arkansas, USA client: University of Arkansas | @uarkansas completion: 2025 photography: © Tim Hursley | @timhursley The post grafton architects arrives at university of arkansas with passive, mass-timber building appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

'tom kundig: complete houses' presents 462 homes spanning four decades for a comprehensive look at the architect’s evolving oeuvre.

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explore four decades of work by olson kundig co-founder Seattle-based architect Tom Kundig has long approached the house as a field for experimentation — a typology that allows for direct engagement with materials and with the landscape. His forthcoming book, Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, published by Monacelli, consolidates this lifelong investigation into a single, definitive volume. Documenting 462 projects across nearly forty years, the 600-page publication captures the evolution of Kundig’s oeuvre through an extensive visual and textual record. While the book spans an international range of sites — from the forested archipelagos of the Pacific Northwest to arid deserts in Mexico and volcanic terrain in Hawaii — it is tied together by the architect’s consistent exploration of the essential elements of design: space, light, material, and view. Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, book cover | image courtesy Monacelli A Comprehensive Record of Domestic Architecture Among the architect‘s total body of work, Tom Kundig: Complete Houses highlights a selection of thirty-eight residences for more in-depth analysis. Twelve of these are newly completed and published here for the first time. Each is accompanied by photography, hand-drawn sketches, and interviews between Kundig and editor Dung Ngo that trace his influences, from his Swiss heritage to his architectural training at the University of Washington. The conversations reveal a practice characterized by curiosity and risk-taking, — qualities that have defined his career at Olson Kundig. Kundig’s residential work is marked by a fascination with movement and adaptability. Many of his projects incorporate mechanical systems — large pivoting windows, sliding walls, and operable facades — that merge the boundary between enclosure and environment. Moreover, the book points to the architect’s sensitivity to craft and the tactile presence of structure. Delta Shelter, Mazama, Washington, 2005 | image © Tim Bies / Olson Kundig ‘tom kundig: complete houses,’ the most comprehensive yet This Complete Houses publication marks Tom Kundig’s fifth monograph and stands as the most comprehensive to date. It offers a chronological overview of his residential practice — past, present, and future — and reveals the threads that connect decades of work. Each project, no matter how remote or refined, reflects a consistent inquiry into how architecture mediates between people and place. Bound in vibrant cloth with an embossed sketch on the cover and encased in a slipcase featuring project photography, the monograph mirrors the material integrity of Kundig’s built work. The volume’s design makes reading a tactile experience. For Kundig, the house is a laboratory as well as a refuge. It is a place where his design ideas are tested and refined before being translated into larger civic and cultural projects. ‘Each home is a chance to test an idea, refine a detail, or take a risk,’ he reflects. ‘This book is a moment of reflection in my practice, an attempt to capture something that is always in motion.’ Maxon House and Studio, Carnation, Washington, 2023 | image © Aaron Leitz Outpost, Bellevue, Idaho, 2008 | image © Tim Bies The Pierre, San Juan Islands, Washington, 2010 | image © Dwight Eschliman Chicken Point Cabin, Northern Idaho, 2002 | image © Benjamin Benschneider Costa Rica Treehouse, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, 2017 | image © Nic Lehoux Rio House, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2018 | image © Maíra Acayaba Dragonfly House, Whitefish, Montana, 2016 | image © Nic Lehoux project info: name: Tom Kundig: Complete Houses architect: Tom Kundig | @olsonkundig publisher: Monacelli | @monacellipress The post complete houses: new monograph gathers a lifetime of experimental homes by tom kundig appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

bamboosaurus combines bamboo, steel, and glass to ensure strength and transparency for the ice cream shop's design.

The post bamboo-clad ice cream shop tucks within coconut grove in thailand appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Ice Cream Shop’s Bamboo columns reinterpret the coconut grove Bamboosaurus Studio designs Satimi.sook, an ice cream shop located on Thailand’s Koh Phangan, to reinterpret the site’s former coconut grove through architecture that integrates with its natural and cultural context. The project emphasizes continuity between built form and landscape, using local references to shape both structure and atmosphere. The design concept originates from the geometry and rhythm of the coconut palms that once occupied the site. Structural columns are placed in alignment with the original tree positions, maintaining a spatial rhythm that connects the new structure to its ecological history. A low-gable roof, derived from local vernacular architecture, responds to the tropical climate by reducing wind pressure during monsoon seasons while reinforcing the building’s contextual identity. Bamboo defines the project’s architectural character, appearing in columns, partial walls, and roof detailing. The material’s tactile quality and local availability establish a visual and material link to the island’s environment. To ensure long-term durability in a tropical setting, bamboo is paired with steel framing, cement board, insulated metal sheets, and glass blocks. This combination allows for efficient construction and improved resistance to humidity and weather exposure. Satimi.sook ice cream shop is located on Thailand’s Koh Phangan | all images by Sarawin Kawin Bamboosaurus blends timber, bamboo, and steel for the design Inside, the structural system merges a steel framework with timber framing and overlapping wood cladding to create a warm, cohesive environment. The street-facing facade, composed of timber, bamboo grids, and glass blocks, reflects the vertical rhythm of nearby trees and introduces filtered natural light into the interior. To reduce environmental disruption, the design team at Bamboosaurus Studio employs galvanized helical piles instead of traditional concrete foundations. This lightweight system is well-suited to the island’s sandy soil, allowing for quick installation without vibration or heavy excavation, thereby preserving nearby tree roots. The foundation system can also be dismantled and reused, minimizing construction waste and extending the building’s sustainability lifecycle. Through its structural rhythm, material composition, and adaptive foundation, Satimi.sook demonstrates how small-scale commercial architecture can engage with landscape and tradition. The project translates the character of Koh Phangan’s coconut groves into a built environment that prioritizes ecological sensitivity, structural clarity, and local identity. the low-gabled roof mitigates monsoon winds while reinforcing a sense of place the design draws inspiration from the rhythm and geometry of coconut palms the site is a former coconut grove, interspersed with various native trees structural columns align with the original tree positions on the site bamboo defines the project’s structural and visual character the combination of bamboo, steel, and glass ensures strength and transparency bamboo appears in columns, walls, and roof detailing timber framing and wood cladding create a cohesive interior atmosphere bamboo connects the architecture to local craftsmanship and landscape the design maintains spatial continuity with the grove’s natural rhythm project info: name: Satimi.sook Ice Cream Shop architect: Bamboosaurus | @bamboosaurus.studio lead architect: Jirapong Thongseeon location: Koh Phangan, Surat Thani, Thailand area: 96 sqm photographer: Sarawin Kawin designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post bamboo-clad ice cream shop tucks within coconut grove in thailand appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A community for students, professionals, and lovers of architecture.

Welcome to the What Style Is This? / What Is This Thing ? megathread, an opportunity to ask about the history and design of individual buildings and their elements, including details and materials. Top-level posts to this thread should include at least one image and the following information if known: name of designer(s), date(s) of construction, building location, and building function (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, religious). In this thread, less is NOT more. Providing the requested information will give you a better chance of receiving a complete and accurate response. Further discussion of architectural styles is permitted as a response to top-level posts. submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]

Please use this stickied megathread to post all your questions related to computer hardware and software. This includes asking about products and system requirements (e.g., what laptop should I buy for architecture school?) as well as issues related to drafting, modeling, and rendering software (e.g., how do I do this in Revit?) submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]

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Got this with a few other things, problem is I can’t seem to find this 1251 model anywhere. Any guides or even an evaluation of the cost, I like the set but not sure what or how to use it to the fullest extent. submitted by /u/WideAd2738 [link] [comments]

This year we renovated the light-flooded Café Tiergarten in Berlin’s Hansaviertel, in a building known as the Schwedenhaus — originally part of the 1957 Interbau, designed by the Swedish architects Fritz Jaenecke and Sten Samuelson. To honor the architects of the surrounding buildings, we furnished the café with pieces that relate to their work — like tables by Alvar Aalto, chairs by Egon Eiermann, and a Le Corbusier LC6 table in the back. The floor is made of kautschuk rubber (Nora brand)—a material often used in mid-century public architecture. The lighting fixtures are kinda special: if you can guess the designer, I’ll be impressed. What do you think, did we do the historic context of the Interbau justice? Full disclosure: This is the café we run. If you’re ever in Berlin and interested in architecture, feel welcome to drop by. submitted by /u/kuuunst [link] [comments]

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1, 2, 3- Gouna Festival Plaza by Studio Seilern Architects - El Gouna 4, 5, 6- Grand Egyptian Museum by Heneghan Peng Architects - Giza 7, 8- ESCĀ CUEVA Restaurant by Badie Architects 9- Ain Shams University Campus Main Theater by El-Maghraby Design House + Prof. Dr. Gamal El-Kholy 10, 11- Lucida Restaurant and Bar by Shahira Fahmy Architects submitted by /u/Comfortable_Sweet667 [link] [comments]

I’ve always wanted to get into architecture as it’s been a long term passion of mine, and now I’m in sixth form I’ve been starting to look at it more seriously. I know that you don’t have to be AMAZING at art to do it at uni but I want to apply with a good portfolio so could I please have tips on how to innprove?? I’ve taken many hiatus’ with drawing so I’m not too confident in my skill or eyes ,but I tried… I’ll put the reference photo if that helps :)) submitted by /u/khhhhhhhhhez [link] [comments]

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M not rly great at drawing details, however as u can see, this picture of this monument is full of them. I wanna know how can i draw it enough to get the picture on paper but without getting in all of those mosaic shapes and patterns. submitted by /u/Serious_Standard_965 [link] [comments]

How much should I be charging for renders if this quality. For context. I am a 25 year old student in university studying architectural design. I worked for a Construction and remodeling company where I was in charge of providing renders, 2D floor plans, and elevations. I did various projects from small bathroom/kitchen remodels to larger projects such as roof changes, expanding the home, room additions, etc. It was my first job in the field so i lowballed myself at 20$ an hour but i decided to ask for a raise since I felt that my quality spoke for itself. I was denied the raise due to us coming up on the slow construction season and instead offered a job to become an assistant/receptionist and do my current job as a secondary thing. I declined and asked to become a Independent contractor and be paid per job (this would help me balance my school and work better by providing a flexible schedule. I drafted up a Service sheet where I put down 3 bundles. A - 2D drawings B- 2D drawings and 3D drawings and C- Just 3D renders. I priced myself at $0.60 per sq ft and 75 per rendering. My question is, how much should i charge be charging for my services. submitted by /u/Only-Ad2204 [link] [comments]

Sorry if not allowed. But I just want to say, my firm, and the few other decent firms in my city are literally ALWAYS posting about needing architects and technologists. I get that the prairies in Canada might be a hard sell for some people. But it’s a good job, a nice place to live and we actually want you!! Just throwing this out there to anyone feeling like the job market where they live isn’t great, or if you want a change, or want to slow down a bit while still being busy enough to pay the bills. Please consider it! submitted by /u/_biggerthanthesound_ [link] [comments]

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I have always loved architecture--I have been drawing plans on grid paper since I was about 10. As an adult I designed and built my own house. However I don't have a lot of money or ability to move to a specific school. So what are some careers that I could do on a low level basis that might even be part time or contract based? Id love to do something with permaculture (integrating the building into the landscape) or natural building. Is that crazy? Or is it just about networking and finding someone to take me in and do private word of mouth projects? Or do I need to wait til Im 45 and have built a bunch of personal projects? submitted by /u/Prestigious-Fig-1642 [link] [comments]

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Does anyone have any advice for drawing better curves and getting precise angles? Ty in advance. submitted by /u/4ndrxmeda [link] [comments]

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Have this design class and i'm a bit lost our prof is no help at all, they keep emphasizing "find a concept, a strong one really get creative" then checks our works but they never really have any groundbreaking criticism nor do they further elaborate on the "strong concept" thing they keep waffling on about. They're more of a "oh you could play around with this more" or "oh yeah, good concept tweak it around". So now i end up at reddit, how do you use a concept to fullest to get a strong vision for a building? the ideas i've been playing around with seem empty and doesn't feel quite real in my brain no matter how I spin it. How do I know which details would look right? Which details make sense and are practical? How do I further refine my ideas and better integrate it to the building? Just a general gist / advice would be nice cause I feel like I'll go crazy here. submitted by /u/-WaterMelonSugar- [link] [comments]

Today, AD joins Mira Eng-Goetz of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design to break down their transformation of Albee House in Portland. Built in 1912 by architect A.E. Doyle, Albee House is a historic Georgian Revival masterpiece, now lovingly restored. Discover how Mira honored the architectural heritage of the building while embracing modern family living, and how she let nature guide the interior design process. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

In this episode of Open Door, AD steps inside Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott’s stunning New York apartment. With the help of interior designer Young Huh and Jonathan’s home improvement prowess, the couple designed a maximalist haven, blending vintage details with custom craftsmanship. From the bold colors in their entryway to the whimsical kids’ bedroom, their home is full of warmth and personality, reflecting Zooey and Jonathan’s collaborative vision. Shop the celebrity couple’s maximalist aesthetic with our editor-curated selection of furniture and decor inspired by their NYC home. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/zooey-deschanel-and-jonathan-scott-open-door Talent: Zooey Deschanel; Jonathan Scott Director: Skylar Economy Director of Photography: Eric Brouse Editors: Jess Lane; William Long Interior Designer: Young Huh Producer: Brandon Fuhr Line Producer: Jamie Rasmussen Production Manager: Melissa Heber Production Coordinators: Jeanne Tirro; Alexis Winston Visuals Assistant: Amanda Broll Camera Operator: Mar Alfonso Audio Engineer: Tyson Dai Production Assistant: Quinton Johnson Stylist: Martin Bourne Groomer: Rachel Hevesi Make-up Artist: Chris Ardoff Hairstylist: Michael Silva Associate Entertainment Director: Tracy Shaffer Director of Creative Development: Morgan Crossley Executive Producer: Keleigh Nealon Senior Producer: Alyssa Marino Williams Director, Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio Post Production Supervisor: Andrew Montague Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew Supervising Editor: Christina Mankellow Additional Editor: Daniel Berlin Assistant Editor: Billy Ward Colorist: Oliver Eid Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Legendary architect Sir Norman Foster sits down with Architectural Digest to reflect on his groundbreaking career, visionary design philosophy, and the future of architecture. As the founder of Foster + Partners, established in 1967, Foster has shaped skylines across the globe with iconic works such as The Gherkin in London, Hearst Tower in New York, and the HSBC Building in Hong Kong. His trailblazing contributions have earned him more than 400 awards, a knighthood in 1990, and the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential architects of our time. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

AD takes you behind the scenes of Netflix’s gripping new crime thriller ‘Black Rabbit’, with production designer Alex Digerlando giving an exclusive set tour alongside appearances by Jude Law. Starring Jude Law as restaurateur Jake Friedken and Jason Bateman as his troubled brother Vince, ‘Black Rabbit’ follows the siblings as they’re drawn deep into New York City’s criminal underworld. Discover how Digerlando meticulously recreated 279 Water Street—one of NYC’s oldest buildings—and transformed it into one of the city’s hottest restaurants that plays a central role in the series. Black Rabbit is available to stream exclusively on Netflix 00:00 Intro 00:22 The Building 02:11 First Floor Restaurant 04:47 Library Room 05:24 Kitchen 07:26 Second Floor Restaurant 11:44 Jake’s Office 13:04 VIP Floor 17:52 Façade Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Open Door has been taking you inside the homes of your favorite celebrities for years, giving you a glimpse into how they live. We’ve rounded up 24 episodes for you to binge-watch at your pleasure, from Dakota Johnson to Kendall Jenner. Step inside the most beautiful homes in the world with At Home with AD, the stunning new book from Architectural Digest’s Editor in Chief, Amy Astley: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/buy-online/9780847875733/ 00:00 Inside Troye Sivan’s Midcentury Melbourne Oasis 12:18 Inside Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad’s Soul-Filled Brooklyn Home 26:20 Inside Lenny Kravitz's Brazilian Farm Compound 32:25 Inside Dakota Johnson's Serene Hollywood Home 42:10 Inside Sienna Miller's Secluded Country Cottage 54:30 Inside Zedd's $16 Million Mansion That Has a Skittles Machine 1:03:43 Inside John Stamos's $5.8M Beverly Hills House 1:15:49 Inside NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony’s Stylish New Home 1:28:28 Inside Sofía Vergara’s Stunning Los Angeles Home 1:39:25 Inside Serena Williams' New Home With A Trophy Room & Art Gallery 1:46:47 Inside Vanessa Hudgens's Enchanting L.A. Home 2:01:41 Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's Tranquil Family Home 2:14:26 Inside Travis Barker's Tranquil Family Home 2:30:17 Inside The World’s Largest Private Home: India’s Lakshmi Vilas Palace 2:40:09 Inside Troian Bellisario and Patrick J. Adams’s Eclectic L.A. Home 2:55:43 Inside RuPaul’s Fabulous Beverly Hills Mansion 3:07:01 Inside John Legend & Chrissy Teigen's Serene Family Home 3:23:59 Inside Ray Romano’s Cozy Desert Hideaway 3:36:43 Inside Benny Blanco’s Fun-Filled L.A. Home 3:51:06 Inside Sonam Kapoor’s Stunning Mumbai Home 3:59:16 Inside Jennifer Garner’s Farm-Style L.A. Home 4:10:48 Inside NBA Star Jimmy Butler’s Epic California Mansion 4:24:58 Inside Walton Goggins’s Enchanting 1920s New York Lodge 4:37:55 Inside Kendall Jenner’s Home at Christmas Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Lainey Wilson describes the design philosophy behind her Nashville home. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

While starring in Law & Order: SVU, Christopher Meloni was gifted a baseball bat ahead of his daughter's birth, and since then, his collection has grown. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Riz Ahmed takes hygiene very seriously in his home. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

In this episode of Open Door, AD steps inside the beautifully curated London home of Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery. Designed in collaboration with Emma Ainscough, Michelle’s space blends English country charm with city living–from a dedicated boot room to a grange-style kitchen. With pops of red (Michelle’s favorite color) and numerous homages to her beloved lurcher, Alfie, the actress’s home is a deeply personal space full of character and life. Shop the actor’s chromatic style with our editor-curated selection of furniture and decor inspired by her London home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/michelle-dockery-open-door Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Production Designer Kalina Ivanov joins AD to break down how she transformed New York City into Gotham for Emmy-winning show ‘The Penguin’. ‘The Penguin’ takes place immediately after Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’, in a Gotham flooded by The Riddler's bombs. Discover how Ivanov transformed Yonkers into Crown Point by dropping 40 tons of dirt, and why NYC’s own history makes it the perfect inspiration for Gotham City. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Lainey Wilson has a long list of impressive career achievements, one of which was getting inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. As a gift after the ceremony, she was given a section of the flooring from the first-ever induction. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Demi Lovato's 'shroom room' features a cloud chandelier that changes color with the beat of music. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Carrie Bradshaw's closet in 'And Just Like That' is full of easter eggs from her 'Sex and the City' days. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Today, AD is welcomed by Chef Bobby Flay to tour his stylish New York City loft. After more than a decade of living in the space, the celebrity chef and restaurateur teamed up with interior designer Olivia Jane of Olivia Jane Design to give his apartment a full renovation. The pair aimed to enhance the open-air loft feel of the apartment, which is located in a century-old warehouse. Darker colors, warm tones, and vintage furniture create a cozy ambience while honoring the space’s open-plan design. Naturally, the heart of the home is a chef-worthy kitchen equipped with professional-grade appliances, clever storage, and plenty of counter space–perfect for cooking, entertaining, and unwinding. Shop the chef’s style with our editor-curated selection of furniture and decor inspired by his home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/bobby-flay-open-door Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Hidden in a form truck loading bay in LA is the Geoponika greenhouse, a one-of-a-kind space full of the world's rarest plants. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Set amongst apple trees and the spectacular Devon countryside is a tiny cottagecore dream brought to life. Here, with no prior building experience, El and Isaac have beautifully crafted their wonderful tiny home. What started as a sketch on paper and two half round windows that sat waiting to be used, became an absolute marvel of do-it-yourself can-do. After a quick tiny house building course in Wales gave them the basic knowledge needed, they set about bringing their stunning tiny house vision to life. Every inch of this place feels special. It’s filled with personality, warmth, and that unmistakable touch of love and care that only comes from a true DIY build. From the handcrafted details to the cosy, romantic design, you can really feel the heart that went into every part of it. Their story is a wonderful reminder that you don’t need to be an expert to make your dream home a reality, just a willingness to learn and give it a go. We hope you enjoy the tour of this very special tiny house and meeting the two wonderful young people who made it all happen. You can follow El & Isaac’s tiny house adventures here: https://www.instagram.com/homelytreefolk/ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #diy #cottagecore #hometour #tinyhousetour

In this week’s episode we return to visit our friends Sharon and John, who have created an incredible modern shed house on their elevated property in the Gold Coast Hinterland. With sweeping views that stretch for miles across the valley, this stylish home is one you won’t forget. We first met Sharon and John when we toured their magical treehouse cabin, where they shared their inspiring story of rebuilding their lives after bankruptcy by designing unique spaces that are both beautiful to live in and welcoming to guests through their thriving B&B business. If you missed that tour, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/x5yRECZAwkc Shed houses are becoming increasingly popular in Australia as an affordable, durable and low-maintenance way to build. With steel framing and metal exteriors, they’re strong, long-lasting, and perfectly suited to challenging climates. This home is a stunning showcase of Sharon and John’s impeccable style, with clever design choices, thoughtful details and a layout that maximises those incredible hinterland views. We can’t wait for you to join us on the tour of this spectacular modern shed house! ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #shedhouse #alternativeliving #smallhome #hometour #homedesign

This tiny house is a true showstopper! In this week’s episode, we meet Ash and Jacob, a young couple who have created a stunning tiny home that blends natural design, brilliant simplicity, and modern luxury.With housing costs soaring and the cost of living crisis hitting hard, this couple chose a different path. The result is nothing short of incredible Perched high on a hill, this tiny house enjoys one of the most spectacular parking spots you’ll ever see, with sweeping views that stretch all the way to the horizon. The property has been beautifully landscaped to connect the fully off-grid home to its surroundings, creating seamless indoor / outdoor living. Built with earthy materials and warm, natural tones, the home feels open, spacious, and perfectly balanced. Despite its compact footprint, it has everything the couple needs, from luxurious features to a clever home office that makes working from home a joy. This is tiny house living at its very best: beautiful, functional, and connected to nature. You can follow Ash & Jacob's tiny house life on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ash_evans__ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #naturalhome #luxurytinyhouse #hometour #homedesign #tinyhome

Step inside this spectacular 1960’s double decker bus conversion and discover how Ted and Kim have transformed a piece of history into an unforgettable home on wheels. Originally built in Scotland, this vintage bus was lovingly restored back to pristine condition before its remarkable transformation into a tiny home. Instead of filling the space with custom built-ins, Ted and Kim chose a different path by sourcing antique furniture from around the world and carefully bolting each piece into place. The result is a home that feels both unique and timeless, preserving much of the bus’s original character while adding layers of vintage charm. This is more than just a beautiful design. With a large solar array across the roof, an incinerating toilet, shower, and all the comforts of home, this off-grid ready double decker bus is designed to travel anywhere and turn heads wherever it goes. Every corner tells a story, from the carefully chosen antiques to the thoughtful preservation of the bus’s heritage. It is a stunning blend of past and present and a wonderful example of how creativity and vision can breathe new life into something truly special. This bus has been an amazing home for Kim and Ted for years now and has been on some mighty adventures with them. As serial builders they are now moving onto a brand new project and the bus is looking for a new home: https://www.facebook.com/share/1713QecEjd/ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #busconversion #vintage #smallspacedesign #hometour #homedesign #livingbiginatinyhouse

🔎👒 Download June's Journey for free here: https://woo.ga/54x707oq Thanks to June's Journey for sponsoring this video!! - Tucked away in the remote French Pyrenees, Louison and Adrien have built a tiny home that feels like something out of a dream. The mountains here are some of the most breathtaking in the world, and their handcrafted DIY house sits right at the heart of it all, surrounded by views that will leave you in awe. Life on this land is all about staying close to nature. The gardens are thriving with syntropic plantings that provide fresh food and colour through the seasons. Alongside their own home, there’s a second tiny house and a communal building currently being brought back to life, adding an extra layer of warmth and community to the property. For Louison and Adrien, their tiny house journey is about slowing down, living with intention, and holding onto the things that truly matter. Escaping into the mountains has given them the chance to create a lifestyle that’s simple, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling. If I could paint a picture of what living beautifully looks like, this tiny home in the mountains might just be it. To find out more about their incredible project, you can visit their website: https://jacquierlouison.wixsite.com/grange-de-pan ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented by: Bryce Langston Filmed bv: Gabrielle Vnd (https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle.vnd/) Editing by: Gabrielle Vnd Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #healinghome #sanctuary #hometour #homedesign #tinyhome

In this week’s episode we meet David, a truck driver whose spectacular and spacious single-level tiny house has become his sanctuary. After living for years on a houseboat, Dave was diagnosed with cancer and made the choice to simplify his life, move onto land, and focus on comfort, healing and well-being. This tiny house is brilliantly designed. The single-level layout is clever, practical and highly efficient, while still feeling incredibly open and filled with natural light. Styled to perfection, the home is full of lush house plants that create the feeling of a forest retreat. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered, making this one of the most impressive small homes we have filmed. Dave’s home is also fully off-grid, paired with a custom solar trailer that generates enough power for everything he needs, including his spa. It is a wonderful example of how smart design, style and sustainability can come together in a modern tiny house. Join us as we take a full tour of this beautiful home and discover how it has become a place of solace, comfort and healing. ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #healinghome #sanctuary #hometour #homedesign #tinyhome

This week we travel to New South Wales, Australia, to explore a truly extraordinary home. What was once a humble grain silo has been transformed into a striking architectural wonder. The circular form of the silo has been completely reimagined, creating a home that feels futuristic, warm, and unlike anything else. Inside, every curve has been embraced with creativity, turning a challenging round structure into a space that flows with imagination and style. Just as impressive is the outdoor living area. Thoughtful landscaping ties the silo to its breathtaking farm surroundings, complete with a wood-fired hot tub, a brazier, and lounge spaces perfectly positioned to enjoy sweeping views and star-filled skies. This remarkable home sits on a 1,600 acre, fifth-generation farm. For Amber and Nicholas, the silo is more than just a luxury B&B. It is both a way to diversify the farm in challenging times and a dream retirement home for the future. The project, originally drawn up by architect Sarah Lebner, has since taken on a life of its own, shaped by the family and their vision for the land. Join us on this tour as we step inside an old grain silo that has been reimagined into a truly extraordinary architectural gem. You can find out more and book your stay here: https://www.thesilosaccommodation.com.au ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #Architecture #SiloConversion #HomeTour #TinyHome #FarmStay #AlternativeHome #B&B

In this week’s episode we meet Linda, who has created an ultra spacious tiny house on the beautiful Gold Coast of New South Wales. This is a home that feels like a little mansion, designed to make the most of both indoor and outdoor living. The layout of this tiny home is outstanding. There’s a large kitchen, an open and inviting living room, and a loft with a walkway that connects the bedroom to a home office. Every corner has been carefully thought through, with warm and welcoming styling that makes the house feel comfortable and full of character. Linda’s home is part of a wonderful multigenerational living arrangement. Parked in her parents’ garden, this setup allows her to stay close to family and offer support as her parents grow older. It’s a beautiful example of how tiny houses can create sustainable and connected ways of living. From the garden landscaping that ties the house into its surroundings, to the cosy interior design, this tiny home has everything you could hope for in a space that balances practicality, comfort and beauty. Join us as we tour Linda’s ultra spacious tiny house that truly feels like a little mansion. ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #TinyHouse #HomeTour #TinyHome #MultigenerationalLiving #TinyHouseTour

Wendy made the bold decision to leave her three-bedroom home behind and downsize into a stunning minimalist tiny house. Her dream was to simplify her life, free up her time, and focus on the things she truly loves, and she has achieved exactly that. Her tiny home is a beautiful blend of modern-minimalist design with retro touches. A fresh white interior is brought to life with vibrant pops of colour from her décor, stunning light features, lush plants, and sparkling crystals that bring nature indoors. Every corner reflects her personality and creativity. Wendy works from home, so she added an incredibly clever second tiny house trailer that connects to the main home. This additional space includes a dedicated work pod, a pull-out bed for guests, and a covered deck to extend her outdoor living area. The twin-trailer design means her home can be moved with ease if she ever chooses a new location. She has found the perfect parking spot, with sweeping views over a peaceful dam and abundant wildlife all around. Here, she can work, relax, and enjoy nature from the comfort of her own space. Downsizing has given Wendy more freedom, less housework, and a home that supports her lifestyle perfectly. We hope you enjoy the tour of this simply stunning tiny home! 😍 ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #TinyHouse #Minimalist #Downsizing #SmallSpaceLiving #TinyHouseTour #TinyHome

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ArchDaily | Broadcasting Architecture Worldwide

The Early Childhood Education at Santa Maria School operates in buildings constructed at the end of the 1960s, which were expanded and renovated in the 2000s. The proposal was to develop a retrofit project to modernize and update the spaces in order to meet new technological demands, uses, and pedagogical practices, while ensuring the preservation of the architectural features that are part of the school's identity.

© Guilherme Pucci architects: Carvalho Terra Arquitetos Location: Jardim Marajoara, Brasil Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Guilherme Pucci Area: 550.0 m2 Read more »

A multi-faceted new urban neighborhood for living, working, and leisure is evolving in the western part of Hamburg's HafenCity on former industrial port sites. The recently completed EDGE HafenCity project is another important cornerstone of the Elbbrücken neighborhood. This energy-efficient office building actively fosters interaction and collaboration by bringing its users together while also being open to visitors and locals.

© Simon Menges architects: HENN Location: Hamburg, Germany Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Area: 3900.0 m2 Read more »

When the family showed us the lot for the first time, they did so with some skepticism. "Are you sure a house can fit here? It's a very narrow lot," they said. But beyond those doubts, they also saw that this parcel offered them the opportunity to change their lives, and they entrusted us with the challenge.

© José Hevia architects: Vallribera Noray Arquitectes Location: Sabadell, España Project Year: 2024 Photographs: José Hevia Area: 175.0 m2 Read more »

The habit of sitting at the table and sharing a specific moment with other people has been present for centuries in the most diverse cultures. The Greek Symposium, Roman Convivium, Medieval Feasts and Banquets, and Parisian Salons are just a few examples of how this custom was historically built and has been relevant in social and political negotiations, intellectual discussions, and philosophical debates.

© Javier Agustin Rojas The habit of sitting at the table and sharing a specific moment with other people has been present for centuries in the most diverse cultures. The Greek Symposium, Roman Convivium, Medieval Feasts and Banquets, and Parisian Salons are just a few examples of how this custom was historically built and has been relevant in social and political negotiations, intellectual discussions, and philosophical debates. Commensality often serves as a ritual for bonding, negotiation, and celebrating important events. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the stretch of time after the meal when the entire family stays seated and talks is so present that there is a word for it: sobremesa — literally translated as "upon the table" (though in Spanish it more accurately means "dessert" or "after-meal conversation"). But, despite often being associated with sharing a meal, the table can be considered a flexible platform open to many possibilities for appropriation and interaction. Read more »

The beaches of Salinas del Rey are considered the second-best location internationally for kitesurfing due to the excellent bioclimatic and atmospheric conditions of the area. This project arises from the need to install high-quality sports equipment to meet the tourist demand of water sports enthusiasts.

© Monica Barreneche architects: DEB architects: El Equipo Mazzanti Location: Juan de Acosta, Colombia Project Year: 2022 Photographs: Monica Barreneche Photographs: Sebastian Franco Area: 2190.0 m2 Read more »

While a book or piece of music can be easily set aside if it doesn't capture our interest, architecture is different. A building endures for decades, and it shapes the landscape and influences the lives of its occupants for years to come. This permanence brings with it a unique set of challenges: architects must design spaces that impact collective life, often under tight deadlines, limited budgets, and significant pressure. In addition to navigating complex regulations and coordinating construction, architects face the misconception that design is simple, or that anyone could do it. The constant balancing act between quality, cost, and speed often leads to sacrifices — whether in time, health, or the integrity of the project itself. This cycle not only wears down the profession but diminishes society's understanding of the true value of design.

Courtesy of Snaptrude While a book or piece of music can be easily set aside if it doesn't capture our interest, architecture is different. A building endures for decades, and it shapes the landscape and influences the lives of its occupants for years to come. This permanence brings with it a unique set of challenges: architects must design spaces that impact collective life, often under tight deadlines, limited budgets, and significant pressure. In addition to navigating complex regulations and coordinating construction, architects face the misconception that design is simple, or that anyone could do it. The constant balancing act between quality, cost, and speed often leads to sacrifices — whether in time, health, or the integrity of the project itself. This cycle not only wears down the profession but diminishes society's understanding of the true value of design. The well-known "good, fast, and cheap" triangle is rarely resolved without the architect sacrificing their own time, health, or even the quality of the project. Repeated for decades, this equation fuels a cycle of wear that not only undermines the profession but also depreciates the value of design in society, even diminishing the role of such a beautiful and important discipline. Read more »

Dutch artist Madelon Vriesendorp has been named the recipient of the 2025 Soane Medal, becoming the first UK-based female artist to receive the award since its launch in 2017. A co-founder of Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Vriesendorp is widely recognized for her surrealist and humorous visual language that has shaped how modern and postmodern architecture is represented and understood. Her work, which blends playfulness with critical thought, has provided architecture with vivid, memorable imagery that continues to influence generations of architects.

Madelon Vriesendorp. Image © Tilly Buckroyd Dutch artist Madelon Vriesendorp has been named the recipient of the 2025 Soane Medal, becoming the first UK-based female artist to receive the award since its launch in 2017. A co-founder of Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Vriesendorp is widely recognized for her surrealist and humorous visual language that has shaped how modern and postmodern architecture is represented and understood. Her work, which blends playfulness with critical thought, has provided architecture with vivid, memorable imagery that continues to influence generations of architects. Read more »

Located on an island near the water's edge, this all-season family cottage was designed as a private refuge, hidden from view while maintaining a strong connection to the raw beauty of its Muskoka, Ontario, surroundings. An existing dock and boathouse — designed by the same architecture firm and widely published — continually draws curious boaters uncomfortably close to shore. This unintended attention has made privacy a key consideration for the design of the cottage.

© Shai Gil architects: Akb Architects Location: Muskoka, Ontario, Canada Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Shai Gil Area: 467.0 m2 Read more »

Detroit-based Bedrock development group has announced the completion of the first phase of its Hudson's Detroit mixed-use project in the city center. The project was first unveiled in 2017, when the company presented plans for a 1.2-million-square-foot development designed by SHoP Architects to be built on one of downtown Detroit's long-abandoned sites, formerly occupied by the J.L. Hudson's Department Store. Once the tallest department store in the world and a central gathering place for the city throughout much of the 20th century, the site has now been reimagined as a contemporary urban destination. After nearly a decade of planning and construction, Hudson's Detroit aims to bring new activity and public space to a location emblematic of the city's commercial and cultural past.

Hudson's Detroit mixed-used development. Aerial view. Image Courtesy of Bedrock Detroit-based Bedrock development group has announced the completion of the first phase of its Hudson's Detroit mixed-use project in the city center. The project was first unveiled in 2017, when the company presented plans for a 1.2-million-square-foot development designed by SHoP Architects to be built on one of downtown Detroit's long-abandoned sites, formerly occupied by the J.L. Hudson's Department Store. Once the tallest department store in the world and a central gathering place for the city throughout much of the 20th century, the site has now been reimagined as a contemporary urban destination. After nearly a decade of planning and construction, Hudson's Detroit aims to bring new activity and public space to a location emblematic of the city's commercial and cultural past. Read more »

Across geographies and generations, architects are rethinking the idea of home, balancing personal expression, contextual sensitivity, and material clarity. These contemporary residential proposals, submitted by the ArchDaily community, reveal how the house continues to evolve as both an architectural statement and an intimate landscape for living. From the sculptural and futuristic to the grounded and vernacular, they explore how built form balances between identity, environment, and lifestyle in an increasingly complex world.

Casa de Agua y Cielo / pc - |< paolo cesaretti Arch -. Image © Gabriela Vasileva, Marilde Bianco Across geographies and generations, architects are rethinking the idea of home, balancing personal expression, contextual sensitivity, and material clarity. These contemporary residential proposals, submitted by the ArchDaily community, reveal how the house continues to evolve as both an architectural statement and an intimate landscape for living. From the sculptural and futuristic to the grounded and vernacular, they explore how built form balances between identity, environment, and lifestyle in an increasingly complex world. Read more »

In 2007, Lyon began revitalizing La Confluence, a former industrial district. Herzog & de Meuron were commissioned to develop the master plan for the project's second phase, with the additional task of designing the inaugural block (îlot in French) to mark the beginning of this new extension. Under the idea of "unity within diversity," a group of international architects was invited to develop each of the buildings (bâtiments).

© Jonathan Letoublon architects: Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO Location: Lyon, France Project Year: 2017 Photographs: Jonathan Letoublon Photographs: Courtesy of Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Photographs: Rodrigo Chapa Taller Area: 8856.0 m2 Read more »

The purpose of the house design is to arrive at a garden and the coastal landscape . The house bookends the garden as the headlands do the beach. The climatic benefit derived of integration with the landscape meant the house is half buried for climatic stability, bushfire protection and increased habitat and biodiversity. The house has hovering platforms of earth and planting. The site is more landscape than house and the robustness of concrete endures the interaction with the surroundings.

© Tony Marshall architects: James Stockwell Architect Location: Whitebridge, Australia Project Year: 2022 Photographs: Tony Marshall Area: 450.0 m2 Read more »

At 753 meters above sea level, Meishajian is the third-highest peak in Shenzhen, characterized by steep trails, exposed bedrock, and fragile soils shaped by erosion. The site attracts many hikers but presents significant challenges for construction due to its altitude, terrain, and limited accessibility. The project brief called for an observation station to provide rest, shelter, and viewing space while minimizing environmental impact.

© Yu Bai architects: line+ studio Location: Shenzhen, China Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Yu Bai Photographs: Courtesy of line+ Studio Area: 300.0 m2 Read more »

Flow Villa is hidden in the mountains of East Bali, Indonesia, far from the rhythms of city life and embraced by the lush serenity of an eco-resort setting. Nestled beside a river and surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, the villa exists in constant dialogue with the natural world.

© Pablo Luna Studio , Putu Sri Ferryan Andika, Kevin Mirc architects: Pablo Luna Studio Location: Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Pablo Luna Studio , Putu Sri Ferryan Andika, Kevin Mirc Area: 190.0 m2 Read more »

Built on a steeply sloped lot, House 258 arises from the principle of designing appropriately for the place, occupying the land and landscape with subtlety and respect while preserving the existing grove on the property. The result is an architecture that, on one side, opens up to the sunset and the surrounding valley, with its facade marked by the golden tones of concrete under the evening light, and on the other, immerses itself in the shaded and silent forest, illuminated by the filtered light of the treetops.

© João Paulo Soares architects: Cornetta Arquitetura Location: Rua Guapuruvus, 258, São Roque, SP, Brasil Project Year: 2024 Photographs: João Paulo Soares Area: 515.0 m2 Read more »

Two square rooms are essentially the same, though one sheltered, one exposed.

© Francisco Ascensão, Marta Machado architects: HUGOSANTOALHA Location: Guimarães, Portugal Project Year: 2023 Photographs: Francisco Ascensão, Marta Machado Area: 205.0 m2 Read more »

Located in the Frend atlantic coast, in a village between the coast and the marina that this young retired couple decided to settle. Customers wanted a house with the Japanese-inspired, open to the garden

© Antoine Séguin architects: Benoit Rotteleur Architecte Location: Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France Project Year: 2021 Photographs: Antoine Séguin Area: 110.0 m2 Read more »

Known today for her poetic yet rigorous approach to architecture, Lina Ghotmeh has become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary design. Her work spans continents, from the British Museum's Western Range redesign in London to AlUla's Contemporary Art Museum, and includes landmark commissions such as the Serpentine Pavilion in London, Stone Garden in Beirut, the Bahrain Pavilion at the 2025 Expo Osaka, and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu, Estonia which she won the competition to design at just 25. Through a palimpsest of projects, Ghotmeh has established a distinctive architectural language that bridges memory and contemporary life. Wherever she builds, her process captures a constant dialogue between people, place, past and future.

Jadid's Legacy Museum. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF). Image © Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Known today for her poetic yet rigorous approach to architecture, Lina Ghotmeh has become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary design. Her work spans continents, from the British Museum's Western Range redesign in London to AlUla's Contemporary Art Museum, and includes landmark commissions such as the Serpentine Pavilion in London, Stone Garden in Beirut, the Bahrain Pavilion at the 2025 Expo Osaka, and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu, Estonia which she won the competition to design at just 25. Through a palimpsest of projects, Ghotmeh has established a distinctive architectural language that bridges memory and contemporary life. Wherever she builds, her process captures a constant dialogue between people, place, past and future. Read more »

This blog wrapped in early 2024, though it continues as a Substack newsletter with the same name: archidose.substack.com

I'm breaking my blogging silence to do two things: Alert readers to the fact I am still writing reviews of architecture books under the title A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books, but over at Substack, not Blogger. Put a new post at the top of this blog so I don't have to look at those photos of me every time I come here to find an old post that I want to link to. That is all.

After 25 years of running this blog under various names — all of which can be lumped under the "Archidose" monicker — I've decided to shut it down, moving this hobby, this labor of love, to Substack, which I have used since mid-2021 and where I will continue to send out weekly newsletters focused on architecture books, but in a new format. (You can subscribe to my newsletter here or on Substack.) So, this isn't "goodbye" as much as it is "see you in your inbox." Grayer and hopefully wiser: me, John Hill, from the mid-1990s until today Besides thinking something along the lines of, Wait! 25 years?, you also may be wondering, Why stop now? The now, January 2024, is because I happen to like fives, it turns out — so much so that every significant thing related to this blog has occurred in five five-year intervals (this is by chance, not by design, I swear): 1999: Started A Weekly Dose of Architecture (with a post about the Kimbell Art Museum) 2004: Started A Daily Dose of Architecture (with a post about the World Trade Center Memorial Design Competition) 2009: Started working with World-Architects and got my first book deal (I was out of work at the time, so the writing that I began doing as a hobby in 1999 turned into my primary focus as of 2009) 2014: Stopped A Weekly Dose of Architecture (complete with five bullet points on why) 2019: Started A Daily Dose of Architecture Books (five more bullet points!) 2024: Stopped Archidose In terms of the why, I've thought of that question a little bit, and outside of it just feeling like it's the right time, here are a handful (again!) of reasons: Very few people read blogs anymore (true, that was also the case 10 years ago, but I kept at it until now, as I liked doing it) More people subscribe, open, and read my Substack newsletter than those who click on the links to this blog or find their way here in some other manner to read my posts (the logical step, therefore, is to put everything in the newsletter...but not behind a paywall, mind you) Blogger is outdated, with infrequent updates; its themes/templates are buggy; adding content is frustrating (this list could go on near endlessly) Substack’s formatting is much easier and more elegant than Blogger (see next bullet point, too) This blog takes up too much of my time, time I'd rather spend on other things (the new newsletter will be easier to produce than this blog, but hopefully it will be helpful and therefore worth people's time in opening it and reading it) But stopping this blog also makes me wonder what it amounted to, if anything. Is there enough good content on this blog to put some of it on paper, to make it a more permanent thing? Or is the content simply of its time and therefore best to leave here in the digital ether? I don't know, to be honest, and when I dig back through some of the posts I veer from thinking the things I wrote were really good to thinking they were garbage ... okay, not quite garbage, but not special enough for a bound volume tucked away in a library somewhere. The truth is somewhere between these poles, I reckon, so hopefully I'll come up with a way to make sense of this side project, this 25-year undertaking, and turn what I did into something else even more rewarding.

Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I spent my holiday break reading a five-year-old book about a trio of intertwined topics I'm particularly fond of: drawings, exhibitions, and New York City. Drawing on Architecture: The Object of Lines, 1970-1990 by Jordan Kauffman, published by The MIT Press, 2018 (Amazon / AbeBooks) As the book's subtitle indicates, Drawing Architecture covers a two-decade period — the 1970s and 80s — when architectural drawings produced by contemporary architects increased in popularity: with architects, with museums, and with the wider art market. These decades, especially the 70s, are known for its so-called "Paper Architecture," which arose due to architects encountering a glut of commissions and offsetting it through theorizing and exploring ideas on paper. Although Jordan Kauffman, a researcher at MIT when he wrote the book and now an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham, does not restrict himself to New York City, much of the book takes place there, given the city's role as the epicenter of the art market, the numerous art galleries holding exhibitions of architectural drawings, and the willingness of local architects to promote themselves through those galleries. These display spaces included Judith York Newman's Spaced: Gallery of Architecture, the Leo Castelli Gallery, and the Max Protetch Gallery. There were also a number of museums and other institutions in and beyond NYC — CCA, DAM, MoMA, Getty — that increased their holdings of architectural drawings, in turn increasing value of such drawings until around 1990. Then, as architects found themselves with more projects and computers entered the realm of architectural drawing, the two-decade trend came to an end. I missed Kauffman's book when it was released in 2018, though I have to disagree with George Baird's review published in Architectural Record at that time. He finds the thorough documentation and explanation of this important moment in recent history "not completely satisfactory," due to the inability to grasp the individual drawings in the numerous photographs of gallery shows reproduced in black and white, as in the one below. Baird did appreciate the reproductions of individual drawings that are almost as numerous as the gallery photographs, but not enough to give the book a ringing endorsement. I'd counter that, since the book is about the galleries and institutions marketing and collecting the drawings rather than the drawings themselves, the illustrations selected for the book are ideal. They capture the seminal shows that led to the phenomenon that is the subject of Kauffman's book; without them, readers would be frustrated and have to rely on the author's extensive descriptions of the displays — descriptions that are important for the historical record but stultifying for narrative flow. (Kauffman also separately lists each piece in each seminal show, complete with values ascribed to the individual drawings.) Another review, by Paul Emmons at EAHN, is more gracious toward the book, calling it "a primary resource on the history of the commodification of architectural drawing." Installation view of "Architecture I" exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery, 1977 (Image source) Being a scourer of used bookstores and having a strong interest in the period explored by Kauffman, many of the museum exhibitions and gallery shows described in the book as "seminal" were known to me before I cracked it open last month. For example, the three "Architecture" shows held at Leo Castelli Gallery every three years between 1977 and 1983 were each accompanied by catalogs: the first one is short, unpaginated and stapled, but the second and third were published by Rizzoli, the publisher of choice for American postmodern architecture in the 1980s. Even though I'm familiar with these shows — and others, including Arthur Drexler's The Architecture of the École des Beaux-Arts (MoMA, 1975) and The Drawings of Antonio Gaudi by George R. Collins (The Drawing Center, 1977) — through their printed companions, Kauffman is able to elucidate considerably more information about the exhibitions themselves as well as how they relate to the publications. Architecture I, the catalog, would lead us now to assume that just a few drawings were in Architecture I, the exhibition, for each of the seven included architects (Raimund Abraham, Emilio Ambasz, Richard Meier, Walter Pichler, Aldo Rossi, James Stirling, Venturi and Rauch), but Kauffman reveals how misleading this assumption is, by describing the circumstances of the show, illustrating it through gallery shots like the one above, and exhaustively documenting what was on display. In this sense, Emmons' description of the book as "a primary resource" is spot-on. Covers of catalogs for three "Architecture" series exhibitions — "Architecture I," "Houses for Sale," "Follies" — held at Leo Castelli Gallery in 1977, 1980, and 1983, respectively While I found it rewarding to learn more about these and other exhibitions I had previous awareness of, Drawing on Architecture was not short on revealing new information to me. Take, for instance, Spaced, the gallery run by Judith York Newman, a name considerably less familiar all these years later than Castelli, Protetch, and the like. The first iteration of Spaced was located on the Upper West Side between 1975 and 1983, making it the first gallery in the city to display architectural drawings and therefore leading the way toward other art galleries doing the same. Although Newman was integral to the reception of architectural drawings in the period, as were Martha Beck, Barbara Jakobsen (aka B.J. Archer), and Pierre Apraxine, their names border on the forgotten, at least relative to the more famous gallerists mentioned above as well as Phyllis Lambert (CCA), Heinrich Klotz (DAM), and Kristin Feireiss (Aedes) outside of NYC. Drawing on Architecture therefore serves, in its focus, to give them much-deserved attention. The shift of architectural drawings toward art and as architecture in and of themselves can also be found in Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association, the exhibition and companion publication from 2015 about the drawings collected by Boyarsky when he was head of the AA in London. Although Boyarsky's two-decade directorship overlapped almost exactly with Kauffman's book, he is only touched on briefly. Instead, we learn a good deal about fellow Londoner Ben Weinreb, "the most eminent antiquarian bookseller of architectural books, prints, and drawings," per Kauffman. Not only did he buy and sell drawings (many of them to Lambert at the CCA), making him relevant to Drawing on Architecture, he produced 58 catalogs over the course of four decades: catalogs that "set new standards for cataloging and connoisseurship," in Kauffman's words. The value of Drawing on Architecture is in discovering about Weinreb and other lesser-known players, carried out through exhaustive research and scholarship, but it is also found in the vivid portrait of 1970s/80s New York, when the architecture and art scenes overlapped and converged, unlike any times before then or since.

For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or 16) books made my list of favorites, organized into three categories: history, monographs, and exhibitions (the books are alphabetical by title within each category). As in previous years, not all of these books were published this year, given how slow I can be at digesting books and my departure from the annual spring/fall cycle of publishers. This last aspect, the timing of the books I draw attention to, will change next year, as I shutter this blog and transition it into something else — details on that will be announced next month. Until then, warm holiday wishes! 6 HISTORY BOOKS: Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City (2023) by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press — Thomas Leslie's followup to his 1871-1934 history of Chicago skyscrapers is even better than its predecessor, not only because the buildings covered are by Mies and other modern architects, but because the research is meticulous and the stories are really interesting. The Japanese House Since 1945 (2023) by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson — The latest by Naomi Pollock, who has written numerous books on Japanese houses, benefits from a wide-ranging chronological presentation of nearly one hundred such houses but also the input of the architects and, most valuably, the people who lived in them. Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures (2023) by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press — In the right hands, archives can yield insights, themes, and presentations that are educational and unexpected, as in photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams digging through the 90-year-old HABS archive at the Library of Congress to show Americans the wonders they have lost over that time. Mies van der Rohe: The Collective Housing Collection (2022) by Fernando Casqueiro, published by a+t architecture publishers — As I pointed out in my review at World-Architects, this book has some flaws in its graphics and text, but they don't detract from the comprehensive presentation of the apartment buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe in the middle of last century. Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism before Globalisation (2022) by Stylianos Giamarelos, published by UCL Press — Architects who appreciate Kenneth Frampton's theorizing of critical regionalism starting in the 1980s should read Stylianos Giamarelos's scholarly book that explores and recenters the formulation of critical regionalism by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre ahead of Frampton. Urban Design in the 20th Century: A History (2021) by Tom Avermaete and Janina Gosseye, published by gta Verlag — This carefully organized, beautifully presented, abundantly illustrated, and thoroughly cited history of urban design in the 20th century came out of a course taught by the authors at ETH Zurich, but it really should be a standard textbook for other schools, too. 5 (OR 6) MONOGRAPHS: A Book on Making a Petite École (2023) edited by Michael Meredith, Hilary Sample and MOS, published by Actar Publishers — There are very few practicing architects who produce books as an extension of their practice, and even fewer who do that extremely well. MOS is one of them and this is their latest. (Curiously, I saw an even larger, atlas-sized version of this book on display at Harvard GSD's Frances Loeb Library as part of The Book in the Age of ... exhibition in September.) Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 1 1990–2005 (2022) and Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 (2023), published by MACK — Released a year apart (will volume three follow a year from now?) but reviewed on my blog in February and December of this year, this monograph series on Caruso St John is stunning: beautifully made but also expressive of the words and images that inspire Adam Caruso and Peter St John in their quiet, poetic creations. Living in Monnikenheide: Care, Inclusion and Architecture (2023) edited by Gideon Boie, published by Flanders Architecture Institute — This book is about Monnikenheide, a residential care center for people with mental disabilities in Zoersel, Belgium, and the numerous buildings that have been designed there since the early 1970s. The book is beautifully produced and reflective of the place's myriad qualities. M³: modeled works [archive] 1972-2022 (2023) by Thom Mayne and Morphosis, published by Rizzoli — Fifty years of Thom Mayne and Morphosis are presented in more than 1,000 pages: a brick of a book centered on the models that the studio is known for, from the early models in wood and resin to the 3D-printed models they still produce. Speculative Coolness: Architecture, Media, the Real, and the Virtual (2023) by Bryan Cantley, edited by Peter J. Baldwin, published by Routledge — Architects my age will have flashbacks to Neil Denari, Peter Pfau, Wes Jones, and other machine-minded architects from the nineties when perusing Bryan Cantley's image-saturated monograph. The name says it all: page after page of speculative coolness, vague projects impeccably delineated. 4 BOOKS FROM EXHIBITIONS: Another Breach in the Wall: The City as a Common Good (2022) by Davide Tommaso Ferrando and Daniel Tudor Munteanu, published by Solitude Project — This two-volume book serves as the catalog to Another Breach in the Wall, the main exhibition of the Beta 2022 Timișoara Architecture Biennial in Romania, which focused on projects and actions in cities that subvert the norm. The book does that to some degree, too, with a foldout map serving as a wrapper for the two paperbacks and an elastic band holding the whole together. An Atlas of Es Devlin (2023) by Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson — It's hard to believe it, but the first monographic exhibition and monographic book on Es Devlin, the artist/designer behind sets for Adele, Beyoncé, and Cyrus (comma Miley) arrived this year, nearly thirty years after she launched her career in London. This big, expensive book is more artist book that exhibition catalog, and a highly revealing look at her creative process. Bernd & Hilla Becher (2022) by Jeff L. Rosenheim, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art — A "captivating tribute to the renowned German photographic duo known for their systematic documentation of industrial architecture," according to ChatGPT, but in my words it is simply a "beautifully produced catalog" of the 2022 exhibition at The Met. For a duo who treated books as an integral extension of their photography, this catalog of their work is equally valuable. Yasmeen Lari: Architecture for the Future (2023) edited by Angelika Fitz, Elke Krasny, Marvi Mazhar and Architekturzentrum Wien, published by MIT Press — In early March, an exhibition on architect Yasmeen Lari, usually described as Pakistan's first woman architect, opened at Az W, and the following month the Oxford-trained architect won the Royal Gold Medal, RIBA's highest honor. Needless to say, the major exhibition and honor were justified for an architect who pivoted from commercial buildings for companies with money to houses and other zero-carbon buildings for the poor. The book is thorough, with essays and interviews accompany the numerous projects.

Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question pertaining to monographs. This post features the last reviews of the year. A week from today I'll have a year-capping roundup of my favorites from the many books featured on this blog in 2023. An Atlas of Es Devlin by Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Is it possible to love a monograph on a designer whose work you're largely indifferent to? Es Devlin is a phenomenally famous artist and designer who is best known for creating the sets and backdrops for U2, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and other big-name musicians, and for such events as the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. Her London studio's designs for these and other performances, such as plays on London's West End, are provocative and attention-getting, befitting their spectacle nature ... but they're just not my thing, they don't strike my fancy. Her immersive installations, on the other hand, though I've yet to experience one, resonate more strongly with me; these include Forest of Us in Miami and Memory Palace from 2019. And while I like the design and the labyrinthine layout of the monographic exhibition now at the Cooper Hewitt that is also called An Atlas of Es Devlin, the appeal of her work to me is just fractional: yes on installations, no on the rest. But reviewing a book or exhibition or some other creation is not about taste and personal preference; it's about judging the thing on its own merits and determining how good or bad it is relative to similar creations. For books, monographs are a genre in and of themselves, and some are better than others; some are notable for being hybrids. Though big, expensive, and with a print run in (I imagine) the tens of thousands, An Atlas of Es Devlin — the first Es Devlin monograph — is as much an artists' book as it is a monograph and exhibition catalog. The spreads displayed here give a taste of the way Devlin, editor Andrea Lipps, who also curated the Cooper Hewitt exhibition, and book designer Daniel Devlin veered from the typical construction of a book — they cut circles in the pages, inserted smaller page sizes and even smaller gatefolds into the binding, used a variety of papers, etc. — to give it an artists-book feel, but on a considerably larger scale: the book is more than 900 pages, though given the atypical nature of the book it's nearly impossible to count the exact number. It is so big it comes in a specially made orange cardboard box for storage and protection. Just as the exhibition features an "iris" formed by overlapping and shifted circles cut into the gallery wall, the hardcover book opens with ten pages with circular cutouts that frame a photo of Devlin on the floor of Memory Palace. The circular openings are rung with statements apparently in Devlin's hand, and radiating from the circles are complex, layered timelines of her studio's prolific output — the last a sign of how in-demand an artist and designer she is. But, befitting an artists' book, these pages go even further, adding raised dots and lines that accentuate parts of the timeline, veer from it entirely, and/or push us to find some meaning amongst the information saturation. The book then shows some full-bleed photographs of her studio's output before launching into the process-based presentations that comprise the largest chunk of the book. The presentation is chronological, moving from "A Student's Sketchbook" (spread above) that spans from 1985 to 1995 to the designs for plays, performances, and installations she is known for, one after the other for at least 250 pages. After those come conversations Devlin had with fellow creatives during COVID lockdown, then more projects, then another 250 or so pages of completed projects in color photos. The book is packed, fully. The parts that make me appreciate the book so much are the process-oriented project presentations. Very few projects are presented simply; most are accompanied by a smaller inserted page and/or a gatefold — something that requires readers to do extra "work" that heightens their awareness and increases their absorption of Devlin's creative process. Each project, furthermore, is keyed to one of the color photographs in the last half of the book, requiring more flipping-back-and-forth "work" and providing a peek at the finished products. Put another way, it's impossible to nonchalantly flip through this book. The design and construction of the book force a slow movement and entice a steady gaze. One gains so much in handling the book that they need not read every description of every project to understand a lot about Devlin as an artist and designer. I can't think of a more ambitious goal for a monograph than the way An Atlas of Es Devlin gives readers such an intimate understanding of her creative thinking. Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2023 (Amazon) Is it better for a monograph to have project descriptions written by the architect or by an external writer? The first type ideally give readers some insight into the architect's creative process, though at times these descriptions can read as promotional materials aimed at potential clients. Descriptions of the second type benefit from some objectivity and most likely a critical position, but they might suffer from a lack of information and the sense, on the reader's part, of not learning enough about the illustrated projects. Most monographs fit into one or the other, including the two other monographs in this post: Es Devlin's monograph features project descriptions in her words, while the latest monograph on Jones Studio was written by curator Marilu Knode. Like the first volume of Caruso St John Collected Works, put out last year by MACK but reviewed on this blog in early 2023, Volume 2 has a mix of project descriptions written by the architects and coming from magazines and other external sources, the latter often years earlier and outside of the context of the book. If we look at the "Chicago and Milan" chapter, one of seven chapters in Volume 2, two projects are presented: Nottingham Contemporary, the UK gallery completed in 2009; and the Europaallee Mixed-use Building built in Zurich in 2013. The words of the architects, Adam Caruso and Peter St John, are used for Nottingham Contemporary, in which we learn about the intentions behind their winning competition scheme and the inspirations for the lacy pattern on the facade's concave panels. The longer, more in-depth presentation of Europaallee is accompanied by an article by Ellis Woodman from a 2014 issue of Architectural Review. The architects' mixed-use building is part of the Europaallee development west of Zurich Hauptbahnhof, which was master planned by KCAP and is made up of low- and mid-rise buildings organized about a pedestrian street; Caruso St John's building is at an important spot at the western end of the street, adjacent to a square and near a new pedestrian bridge that connects this main part of Europaallee to a sliver of the development on the north side of the railway tracks. I've seen their building on trips to Zurich, though I can't say I paid much attention to it, as the whole Europaallee project — with buildings by Gigon/Guyer, Max Dudler, David Chipperfield, and others — is characterized by unrelenting grids of windows. It's a bit like Tativille come to life. The Caruso St John building is in line with the rest, though Woodman admits that the narrowing of the piers between windows as the building rises — an element in the competition scheme that would distance the building from the earlier "joyless" building by Dudler — "came to present a significantly less austere image than was suggested by the initial renderings." Although Woodman is primarily positive in his assessment of Caruso St John's Europaallee Mixed-use Building, it makes me think that very few architects would actually incorporate critical texts like this in their monographs. That Caruso St John did so here is following from the format of Volume 1, in which texts by critics about the architects' projects are included, as are texts by others — architects, critics, historians, etc. — as long as they pertain to the issues explored by the architects in some way or serve as some theoretical foundation for their work. So Louis Sullivan's "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered" first published in Lipincott's Magazine in 1896, is also found in the "Chicago and Milan" chapter, as is "The Existing Environment and Themes in Contemporary Practice," an essay by Ernesto N. Rogers from a 1954 issue of Casabella; these two essays give the chapter, which otherwise just features the two projects in Nottingham and Zurich, its name. Although the essays are presented without comment, the relationship between them and Caruso St John's work can be grasped without difficulty, as Sullivan's essays coming a few pages before the "tall" 13-story building at Europaallee attests. Even without an awareness to such ties, I greatly appreciate the inclusion of inspirational and important texts; it is one element that sets this series of monographs apart from others. In addition to the projects spanning from 2000 to 2012 and the inclusion of articles and essays written by others outside of the context of the monograph, the book also features texts by Adam Caruso and Peter St John. Befitting the series, these texts come from other publications, from lectures and interviews, most of them within the years covered by the volume. An example is Peter St John's "Aldo Rossi's Gallaratese Housing," first published in Building Design in 2012. The architect first experienced Rossi's famous building in 1980, when he was a 20-year-old student on a scholarship, also seeing the buildings of Terragni and catching the The Presence of the Past, the inaugural Venice Architecture Biennale. He recounts his first impressions of the building, discusses it relative to Rossi's famous texts The Architecture of the City and A Scientific Autobiography, and revisits the building to find it "more charming than before." A few pages later we read Caruso and St John's text on Pasticcio, a composition of fragments of classical architecture in Sir John Soane's Museum in London, and see their installation of the same name at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale. That is followed by restoration work at Soane's Museum, a new chancel for St Gallen Cathedral in Switzerland ... the whole book unfolds in this manner: one unexpected piece after another, adding up to a thorough and varied portrait of the duo's quiet and occasionally timeless architecture. STRIVE: Jones Studio Adventures in Architecture by Marilu Knode, edited by Oscar Riera Ojeda, published by Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Should monograph present many projects in just a few pages, or very few projects across more pages? Two years ago, Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers put out Jones Studio Houses: Sensual Modernism, a monograph billed as "a self-imposed limited look at the 40-year-plus career of Eddie Jones." The thick, square book limited itself to houses (minus Jones Studio's own "house") and featured just ten of them, highlighted by Prairie Raptor, a stunning house in Oklahoma whose sculptural peak was inspired by Herb Greene's "Prairie Chicken" built in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1954. Digesting the book with its many photographs and drawings accompanied by short blurbs by famous names lauding Jones's architecture, it was clear the book was an incomplete portrait of the studio run by Eddie and his brother and first partner Neal Jones — a first course, if you will, to a larger, more well-rounded presentation of their work. With more than 40 built and unbuilt projects spanning more than 40 years, STRIVE is that main course. If a food analogy for an architecture monograph feels a bit contrived, note that three of the book's five sections take on "Family Table" titles. Instead of a literal family coming to the table to eat, the "family" is made up of Jones and the other architects in the studio, and the "table" is a collaborative work surface about which everyone's desks are arrayed. "Family Table #1," as it's called in the book, was in an office building in downtown Phoenix designed by Alfred Newman Beadle in 1978. In 1984, Eddie moved the studio he had established in 1979 (Neal joined in 1986) from his house to the Beadle-designed building, and years later he expanded within it to create the open-plan family-table office space. (Some further synergy between Beadle and Jones can be found in the fact both of them relocated from the Midwest to Arizona: Beadle from Minnesota, Jones from Oklahoma.) Jones Studio stayed in the Beadle building for 32 years, moving into the purpose-built "Home and Studio" in Tempe that begins the book's "Family Studio #3" chapter. The floor plans in STRIVE show how the literal table in the Beadle building is also at the heart of the now seven-year-old Jones Studio Office; the table and branching desks are described in the book as the "nerve center" of the studio and an "open mosh pit of ideas." So, you might be asking, what about "Family Table #2"? This is the most interesting of the trio, at least in the context of the book, and in two ways. First, for the exhibition southwestNET: Jones Studio, Inc. that took place at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006, the studio moved its operations into the gallery for its three-month duration, from May to September. Indeed, the studio — the family — literally became the exhibit, sitting at custom-designed desks that converged to form "Family Table #2." Photos in the book show a somewhat typical architecture office, with computers, phones, and lots of papers in the middle of a gallery with drawings on the wall, drawings suspended from the ceiling, and museum goers taking in the scene. The second thing of interest is that the exhibition was curated by Marilu Knode, who considers it "one of the most exciting of my career." She was later approached by Jones Studio to tell the story of the firm in what would become STRIVE. Her writing and consistent voice detached from the making of the projects help make this monograph so good, especially compared to the many monographs that are written in-house and read like marketing copy and therefore lack firsthand insight. People who actually read Knode's words that accompany the buildings will learn A LOT about the studio's process and what makes each project so interesting, beyond the obvious skill with which they've been designed. Having looked at numerous architectural monographs, I've come to the conclusion that the project that occupies the middle section of a monograph is often the most important — both for the architect and for the book itself. The five chapters of STRIVE start with "Jones Studio: The Early Years" and end with "Focused Future," chronological bookends for the three "Family Table" chapters. Given this structure, the second of those, "Family Table #2," sits in the middle of the book's nearly 500 pages. While the firm was working at the southwestNET exhibition, they submitted an RFQ for the Mariposa Land Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. In 2007, Jones Studio got the job, which became a "colossal, firm-altering undertaking." While Knode's words partly reinforce my hypothesis for middle-project importance, the project's documentation in photos, drawings, and numerous texts over more than 40 pages cement it. The building, completed in 2014, is also found on the cover — another sign of the project's importance in the impressive Jones Studio portfolio.

This third and most likely last installment in the inadvertent "Places in Time" series looks closely at three books: the first about Chicago from the Great Depression to the mid-1980s; the second one about the broader American built landscape over roughly the same period of time; and the third jumping to Switzerland and tracing the urban development of Schlieren, near Zurich, over a 15-year period this century. All three of the books were in my roundup of holiday gift books a couple of weeks ago. The first two Places in Time posts looked at Detroit/Chicago/St. Louis and Paris/Indonesia/Flanders. Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In my holiday gift books roundup a couple of weeks ago, I wrote that, of the four pieces in the subtitle to Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986 — "technology, politics, finance, and race" — technology is the most prevalent throughout the book. That assertion was based on just a cursory look through the book, all I could manage at the time, but also on its relationship to architect and educator Thomas Leslie's previous book, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934, published ten years prior. If I were doing that roundup now, having had more time to delve into the new book, I would write that politics and finance were, if not the most prevalent, the most illuminating and thoroughly discussed aspects in the book's presentation of skyscrapers over fifty years last century. Indeed, many of the drawings and photographs focus on the technical and technological aspects of skyscraper design and construction (just look at the cover!), but the stories of how certain skyscrapers came about and were shaped are rooted in Chicago's political machine, money, and the developers that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, SOM, and others worked for. An example is in order. If any architect jumps to mind in the period covered by the book, it is Mies, who reshaped Chicago through his glass-and-steel towers but also who, through the replicable nature of their designs, reshaped cities around the world. To this day, his most notable tall buildings in Chicago are 860-800 Lake Shore Drive, the Federal Center, and the IBM Building, all boasting steel structures and glass curtain walls. But before that trio of towers (860-880 came first, in 1952) there was Promontory Apartments, completed in 1949 near the University of Chicago. Structured in concrete, not steel, and with windows sitting on brick spandrel walls rather than on the floor slabs or hung as curtain walls, Promontory is often seen as an anomaly or an awkward step toward the more refined glass boxes that would follow. But, Leslie tells us, concrete was "selected over steel because of postwar supply problems" and the brick spandrel wall was mandated by code as a means of stopping the spread of fire. Furthermore, even with the windows sitting on knee-height walls, lenders balked at their size, wondering "how people can live with so much glass" and making it hard for the developer to gain financing. One year later, in 1950, "Chicago's progressive building code eliminated the masonry spandrel wall requirement," leading to 860-880 LSD and other glass-sheathed towers designed by Mies and others. The book's nine chronological/thematic chapters are full of similar political and financial information that greatly helps put the many notable skyscrapers (as well as quite a few apparently insignificant ones) into context. For example, chapter five, "Daley's City: Commercial Construction, 1955-1972," tackles the most powerful political player the city saw in the half-century covered by the book, Mayor Richard J. Daley. In a flip from his predecessors, "'Daley's City' sprung from investment capital," Leslie writes, "wedded to a regime intent on gaining and exercising raw power to tip the market's balance wherever it could." Early on, Daley oversaw the creation of the Central Area Plan (1958), discussed at some length in the book, and during his lengthy tenure he saw the erection of many commercial and residential towers in the Loop. But the Daley era is also when the Chicago Housing Authority shifted to high-rises and built them as segregated enclaves primarily on the South and West Sides, just about all of which have been torn down in recent years for low-rise developments. As such, the race aspect of the book makes up a good chunk of chapter six, "High-Rise Housing in the 1960s," though the subject is present throughout the book, just not to the same degree as the other three subtitled terms. Oddly, Leslie's book ends with a lengthy discussion of Helmut Jahn's State of Illinois Center, the 17-story building in the Loop that opened in 1985 and was renamed in 1993 as the James R. Thompson Center, for the governor who championed the project and oversaw its realization. I say "oddly" because the squat, rotund building is hardly a skyscraper, at least not in my mind. It is shorter than most buildings around it as well as others being built at the same time, such as Jahn's own 40-story One South Wacker, and does not have the vertically of most towers. So why include it? I think, in part, because it was the climax of postmodern architecture in Chicago in the 1980s, but mainly because it is a case study where technology, politics, and finance converge to the utmost degree; it's a fascinating story deeply and ably recounted by Leslie. It comes at the end of the last chapter, "After Sears," and spreads across four three-column, image-free pages; only on the last spread do we see the building, but only its exterior, not the stunning atrium it is known for. While this ending leaves something to be desired in terms of page design and illustrations, it captures the incredible amount of research Leslie managed to put into this second installment in his skyscraper history of Chicago. I'm hoping there is a next one and that it is already in the works, so it doesn't take ten more years for the rest of us to hold it in our hands. Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) As an architect who writes primarily about contemporary architecture but who is increasingly cognizant of the importance in saving and reusing old buildings, even going so far as to preferring adaptive reuse over new construction, I have a love/hate view of "Lost ___" books. The ones in my library tend to be about places where I've lived: Lost Chicago by David Garrard Lowe, for instance, and Lost New York by Nathan Silver. Looking at page after page of black-and-white photos of buildings that will never be again is to be transported in time, which I like, but all to often the captions border on the finger-wagging: "How could you tear down this glorious building?" they seem to be telling me, even though I played no part in their destruction. Yet, as Thomas Leslie's skyscraper book featured above reveals, even buildings loved by later generations were often not appreciated in their day. Leslie writes that Henry Ives Cobb's 1905 Federal Building "suffered from grave planning and environmental deficiencies that led to calls for its replacement almost immediately after opening." Lowe, who put the domed interior on the cover of the 2000 edition of his book, calls it "an awesome feat of engineering" with "one of America's supreme interiors." "This magnificent edifice, the most notable example of civic architecture in Chicago," he summarizes, "was wantonly demolished in 1965–66," making way for the three-building Federal Center designed by Mies van der Rohe. While Leslie helps us understand something of why the building was demolished, Lowe looks at it through rose-colored glasses, making its destruction a scar on modern-day humanity. Photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams are a bit more balanced in their description of Cobb's Federal Building, one of the one hundred buildings and bridges they gather from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) for Lost in America. They give some background on how Cobbs designed the 1905 building in the Beaux-Arts style "that was all the rage in Chicago and across the nation following the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition," where Cobbs had designed seven of its buildings. And the authors paint the picture in the 1960s, when the "once-majestic courthouse and post office had become lost in the canyons of skyscrapers" and was "covered by decades of city grime." They don't make demolition excusable, but their matter-of-fact description — of this building and the 99 other places in the book — tell interesting facts and appealing stories that do an excellent job in helping readers understand the photographs and the value of HABS. In this case, the photograph is, like the Lost Chicago cover, of the domed interior, taken in 1964 by Harold Allen, who "climbed high to the base of the dome to take this shot." Although Lost in America is limited to one photograph per structure, the descriptions invite readers to dig further into the HABS archive at the Library of Congress, where many of the photographs dating from 1933 to the present are digitized. In 1965, the dome atop the Federal Building was seen better than ever, we read, when neighboring structures were razed and opened up views unavailable before; Allen captured one such view, when one of Mies's glass boxes was already in place behind it. HABS was created in 1933 during the Great Depression and is considered the nation's first federal preservation program. In the ninety years since, the program has documented thousands of structures in the United States through photographs — all b/w large-format film photos, even to this day, it should be noted — drawings, and other materials, all of them archived in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress alongside the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections, which were created in 1969 and 2000, respectively. Why, you might be thinking, was Henry Ives Cobbs's Federal Building, which was completed in 1905, not documented until 1964? From the beginning, when Charles A. Patterson, an architect at the National Park Service, drafted a proposal for what would become HABS, the intent was to document antique buildings that were "diminish[ing] daily at an alarming rate." So photographing, measuring, drawing, and documenting them otherwise often took place when a building was threatened or demolition was imminent. The cover of Lost in America shows one instance where the act of demolition was actually captured by the photographer: Jack E. Boucher at the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage in Long Branch, New Jersey, in 1963. Cahan and Williams selected the structures and compiled them in a way that the book climaxes, for lack of a better word, with buildings like Grant's cottage, which are partially demolished — photographed just a bit too late. It's a sobering end to a sobering but excellent book that shows how the unfortunate flip side of American progress is erasure and forgetting. Urban Change Over Time: The Photographic Observation of Schlieren 2005–2020 Reveals How Switzerland Is Changing edited by Meret Wandeler, Ulrich Görlich and Caspar Schärer, published by Scheidegger and Spiess, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Although I've been to Zurich many times since I started working with World-Architects more than a dozen years ago, I've yet to visit Schlieren, the municipality on the western edge of Zurich. It's certainly an oversight, given that the town, which sunk into a post-industrial malaise from the 1980s onwards, "suddenly" turned the tide this century and "grew dramatically, attracting new residents and architectural tourists." This according to Caspar Schärer, one of the editors of the two-volume Urban Change Over Time, who drives the point home in the next sentence: "Architectural tourists!" How bad was the situation in Schlieren before the fifteen-year turning of the tide the book encapsulates? One newspaper, in a report from Schlieren, was titled "Life in the Cantonal Trash Can" (Schlieren is part of the Canton of Zurich), per another text in the book. So, how did things change, how did Schlieren get through this "difficult phase"? Proximity to Zurich and the town's location along a train line connected to the city surely helped, but much of it can be attributed to planning. In 2005, the town implemented the Schlieren Urban Development Concept (STEK I), which would determine where and how growth would occur, instead of letting it happen "uncontrolled and uncoordinated." STEK I became the basis for a photo project by Meret Wandeler and Ulrich Görlich, who decided on a 15-year timeframe — not shorter — as necessary for being able to see how the urban plan would physically take shape and impact the town. By 2020, when the project was done, the town had already moved on to STEK II, a new plan based on a reevaluation of STEK I in 2015/16, but the photographs nevertheless revealed that change in many parts of the Schlieren was dramatic. The first of the two volumes, which are packaged in a sleeve bearing the cover shown above, is a 152-page landscape-format book with spreads devoted to the 69 locations in town that were documented in photographs over the fifteen years, typically every two, odd-numbered years (some gaps are found in some places). The consistency of the photographic framing is exceptional, owing in part to the hiring of professional photographers after the initial photos were taken by the authors. The locations are keyed to maps in the back of the book, one for 2005 and one for 2020; seen together, the photographs and map illustrate the districts where STEK I was focused, where change was most pronounced. The town is basically bisected by the east-west rail line that connects it to Zurich; the most apparent change and increased density is visible to the north, while areas close to the train tracks on the south side were also filled in. Given the broad swath of the town documented by the project, it's interesting to see places where change is not immediately evident, akin to a real-life version of those find-the-differences cartoons. The second volume consists of essays, additional presentations of some of the photographs (focusing on typologies, on STEK I districts, the town's "building boom," etc.), and in-depth maps that help to give outsiders some orientation while also focusing on the development areas. These many pieces are presented beautifully across 480 pages in portrait format. The wide-ranging essays, which discuss the town, the project, "rephotography," and myriad other subjects, are particularly helpful but also, in the commendation of the book by the jury of the 2023 DAM Architectural Book Award, "very careful not to waste the reader’s time." The repackaging of some of the photographs from volume one is in some ways more helpful in understanding the town's urban change, since the authors use the photographs in ways that turns them into essays in their own right. The "Typologies" section, for example, groups photos of building entrances, parking lots, playgrounds, alleys, stores and restaurants, and garages, while "A New Town," which concludes the book, hones in on the places that would draw architectural tourists. Many of the photos in volume two are considerably larger on the page than the static format of volume one, accentuating one interesting quality of the photographs: they are devoid of people and other living beings, though not of signs of life. This rigorous approach, no doubt an impressive technical achievement, gives the project a strong anthropological quality and reveals that, while planning may be at the heart of the town's evolution this century, the shaping of the lives of the residents via planning was paramount.

This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in pairs. While at least one book in each pair is new, the other one isn't necessarily so — new, old, or not-so-old, it is related to the first in some manner, as explained in my descriptions. A few of these books will receive longer reviews next month. In the meantime, with this lengthy post and Thanksgiving coming up later this week, I'll be taking next week off, resuming regular posts the first week of December. HEADY STUFF FOR BRAINY ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE HISTORIANS: Architecture after God: Babel Resurgent by Kyle Dugdale, published by Birkhäuser, February 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Inhabited Machines: Genealogy of an Architectural Concept by Moritz Gleich, published by Birkhäuser, February 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Exploring Architecture is a new series of books from Birkhäuser that are focused "on thematic subjects [in architectural history and theory] that are relevant to contemporary architectural and urban discourse and practice." It aims to include "new and unexpected readings of built work, the analysis of the discipline's discourse and historiography, the study of architectural representation and media, and the consideration of socioeconomic and cultural-political forces on urban transformation." The peer-reviewed series, created under a six-strong advisory board chaired by Reto Geiser, launched in early 2023 with two books: Moritz Gleich's Inhabited Machines followed by Kyle Dugdale's Architecture after God. The pair of books indicate a serious tone for the series but also production values that are on par with monographs, found in the quality paper selection, quality image reproductions, page size that is slightly larger than the norm, and solid cover and binding. Having reviewed a few books made by Geiser, I'm not surprised at this attempt to elevate the design production of history/theory books. Still, these are not books the average architect will plop down in an armchair and read; their audience is small and focused on academia. (Hey, architectural historians like gift books, too!) Dugdale, a Yale professor based in New York City, has written a book set in Germany between the two world wars, using the Tower of Babel and the artistic output of Uriel Birnbaum from Austria as threads to explore how architects recreated a world where God is absent. Moritz Gleich, director of gta Verlag at ETH Zurich, appears to have turned his dissertation "on the genealogy of machinic concepts in architecture" into Inhabited Machines, which looks at technologies and architectural typologies in the 18th and 19th centuries as progenitors for some pretty famous machine analogies in 20th century architecture. TWO COOPER HEWITT TOMES: An Atlas of Es Devlin Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Making Design: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collections by Cara McCarty and Matilda McQuaid, published by The Cooper Hewitt, February 2015 (Amazon / Bookshop) An Atlas of Es Devlin, the first monographic show devoted to UK artist and designer Es Devlin, opened at the Cooper Hewitt on November 18, 2023. Devlin worked with Cooper Hewitt curator Andrea Lipps on the exhibition, one that immerses museum goers in a recreation of Devlin's studio and moves them through a mirrored labyrinth presenting early drawings, models of the large-scale set designs she is known for, and much in between. Lipps is also the editor of the hefty book that is united with the exhibition in terms of its contents but also its execution: it immerses readers in Devlin's process to better understand her output. The exhibition presupposes that visitors do not know anything about Devlin (I'm guessing very few will not), and the book takes a similar approach, revealing insights to readers who are invited to patiently page through the book. At around 900 pages, there's a lot to see, from school-age drawings and glances of her studio to maquettes of theatrical set designs and photographs of concerts by the likes of Adele and U2. Thankfully, with its mix of paper sizes and types, and the insertion of small gatefolds that further explain her design process, the book's format makes a voyage through it anything but boring; there are surprises at every turn of the page. Boasting as many pages as An Atlas of Es Devlin is Copper Hewitt's guide to its own collection, made with designer Irma Boom when the institution completed a major overhaul of its Upper East Side home (the former Andrew Carnegie mansion) in late 2014/early 2015. While the book is big, the numbers on the cover indicate how small it is compared to the collection: it presents just 1,145 of the museum's 210,000 objects in its archive. The objects were selected by the curators, who also penned texts for the book — all expressing the museum's primary goal: "to inspire people to see how design impacts their lives." Boom, ever the innovative book designer, created different colored wraps for the paperback; it's not clear which color one gets on Amazon and Bookshop (red?), but the Cooper Hewitt offers pink and "glow in the dark" (light green) on its website. THE NEW YORK WILLIAM B. HELMREICH KNEW SO WELL: The Bronx Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide by William B. Helmreich, published by Princeton University Press, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in the City by William B. Helmreich, published by Princeton University Press, October 2013 (Amazon / Bookshop) A few years after Princeton University Press published William B. Helmreich's well-received The New York Nobody Knows, it started putting out standalone "urban walking guides" to each of the five boroughs. Helmreich, a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the City College of New York, famously walked every street in New York City, speaking with just about everybody he came across (or so it seems), be it a building super, a doorman, a shop clerk, someone leaving their apartment, someone leaving a synagogue, ... The New York Nobody Knows discusses immigration, gentrification, and other issues in thematic chapters; it is thorough, but it must have been evident for both author and publisher that the effort of walking the five boroughs and the results of talking with so many people would lead to more than just one book. The first guide published was Brooklyn, in 2016, followed by Manhattan, in 2018. Sadly, a few months before the Queens guide was released in 2020, Helmreich died, succumbing to COVID-19 in March of that year, the same month fellow CCNY professor Michael Sorkin also died. At that time, as recounted by his wife Helaine, William had already finished the manuscript for the Bronx and the couple was starting to work on Staten Island, walking (again!) the streets of that borough. It's too bad we won't see Staten Island, because it, like the Bronx, is not as widely known (for me, at least, and I'm guessing quite a few other people) as Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. But as the earlier guides made clear, there is more to the boroughs than the familiar sites found in other guidebooks; and the boroughs are made up of people, not just buildings and landscapes, and it was those people that interested Helmreich the most. Their voices permeate The Bronx Nobody Knows, just as in the other guides. For me, someone who lives in Queens, one thing I appreciate about Helmreich's books is the way he managed to get people to open up and say things that would both describe a place and convey the similarities binding people across the city and, on a wider canvas, across humanity. A BEAUTIFULLY MADE SERIES ON CAROSO ST JOHN CONTINUES: Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2023 (Amazon) Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 1 1990–2005 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2022 (Amazon) Twelve months after MACK released the first volume in the collected works of British architects Adam Caruso and Peter St. John, the publisher put out the second volume, which takes the qualities of the first book — qualities I wrote about earlier this year in "Three Lessons from Three Monographs" — and applies them to the studio as they started their second decade and a new century began. I wrote in that post that monographs "should be comprehensive if not complete, "should convey the voice of the architect," and "should function as archives." Collected Works: Volume 1, I wrote, does all three: "From its simple linen cover with drawing of the steel facade of their Swan Yard project, strong stitching, and matte paper selection, to its documentation of built and unbuilt works over the title's fifteen years and the incorporation of articles and interviews previously published in Quaderns and other venues, the book is a beautiful object that is rewarding and refreshing on every turn of the page." Given the consistency of the two books, the same applies Collected Works: Volume 2. The numerous buildings, projects, exhibitions, articles, lectures, and other artifacts informing Caruso St John's work are presented in seven chapters, most of them pairs: "History and the Modern," "Greece and Rome," "Chicago and Milan," "Competitions," "Thomas Demand," "Switzerland," "Art and Money." These places and themes reflect their work extending beyond the confines of England as well as their teaching doing the same, with positions in Mendrisio, ETH Zurich, Harvard GSD, and elsewhere. The two architects explain how the studios they ran at universities incorporated reference texts by Rosalind Krauss, T. S. Eliot, Louis Sullivan, and others; those text are found here, enriching the monograph's collection of texts and projects and capturing the interests of two maturing architects. (Note: the two volumes are available from MACK in a Caruso St John Bundle.) THE CHICAGO SKYSCRAPER HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED: Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934 by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, May 2013 (Amazon / Bookshop) In my 2021 review of Thomas Leslie's 2013 book Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934, I pointed out how Leslie's book is described in another book as a "'recent study that includes thorough discussion of structural and constructive technologies,' as opposed to more prevalent architectural histories that focus on aesthetics, politics, planning, social history, and other issues with tall buildings." Such a focus is evident in the appendix listing the dozens of tall buildings built in Chicago between 1871 and 1934 (the years of the Great Chicago Fire and Great Depression) with such criteria as "facade type" (bearing masonry, cast iron, expressed frame, curtain wall, etc.) and "foundation" (piles, spread, caissons). It's an excellent book, as is the second installment in Leslie's series of books on skyscrapers in Chicago, but the subtitle of the second book, How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City, indicates the incorporation of those wider contexts eschewed in the first book. Even with these topics, technology is the most prevalent, based on a quick glance at the book's contents, which include numerous construction photographs and 3D "digital reconstructions" of a lot of the buildings discussed in the book. Spanning from the Great Depression to the recessions of the 1970s and 80s, the new book contains a large diversity of architecture — from Art Deco and modernism to brutalism and postmodernism — but also enormous social changes and other aspects (migration, civil rights, oil crisis, Mayor Richard J. Daley) that make the embrace of broader contexts sensible. While any book on skyscrapers in that period would include Marina City, Bertrand Goldberg's classic city within a city completed in 1967, Leslie also includes Goldberg's Raymond Hilliard Homes, a public housing project on the South Side for seniors and families. The latter allow Leslie to compare the forms and construction of the two projects but also the opportunity to touch on racial segregation in the city. (A couple addenda: While the two books have similar covers, three-column page layouts, and graphic design features, the use of different page sizes and proportions — from 10x10" to 8.5x11" — is unfortunate and a missed opportunity for consistency on the shelf, especially if a third book in the series is forthcoming. And just as my 2021 review of the earlier Leslie book coincided with the author speaking at the Skyscraper Museum, Leslie is giving a virtual talk tomorrow night about his new book and the city's residential high-rises in concrete; the talk will be archived on the museum's YouTube channel.) ADVENTURES IN HOUSING: Cohousing in Barcelona: Designing, Building and Living for Cooperative Models edited by David Lorente, Tomoko Sakamoto, Ricardo Devesa and Marta Bugés, published by Actar Publishers and Ajuntament de Barcelona, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Housing Redux: Alternatives for NYC's Housing Projects by Nneena Lynch, James von Klemperer, Hana Kassan and Andrei Harwell, edited by Nina Rappaport and Saba Salekfard, published by Yale School of Architecture, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) If life were fair, everyone would have access to decent, well-designed housing, and those projects would garner as much attention in the architectural press as the single-family houses that are commissioned by and built for the wealthy. A modicum of balance has been found in recent years, with social housing projects winning major architectural awards and gaining coverage, most notably Lacaton and Vassal's transformation of public housing projects in France and Lacol's La Borda Cooperative Housing in Barcelona. The latter is the star of Cohousing in Barcelona, which features case studies of eighteen built and ongoing projects that are the result of a partnership between the Barcelona City Council and non-profit social housing providers and housing cooperatives. Even though I was fortunate enough to visit La Borda with the architects last year, the book's thorough documentation through photographs, drawings, and lengthy commentary from the architects means I learned something new about it — and the other commendable projects in the book. If cohousing is endemic to Barcelona, what is the NYC situation? In the 20th century it was a mix of below-market subsidized housing, public housing, and middle-income cooperatives, aka Mitchell-Lama. Today, everything is lumped under "affordable housing," and it is typically created by developers as part of larger market-rate projects, with the city incentivizing the developers through zoning bonuses. One place proponents of affordable housing are looking is the open spaces of large public housing projects, in the vein of Carmel Place, a narrow stack of micro-units by nARCHITECTS built in 2016. A recent studio at Yale School of Architecture had students proposing affordable housing solutions for NYCHA's Washington Houses in East Harlem; the public housing project consists of more than a dozen towers on three superblocks that are the equivalent of seven city blocks, with open space comprising more than 85% of the site. The students developed master plans and then designed schemes ranging from reimagined brownstones to terraced housing and other ways of weaving more units between the existing buildings. It's refreshing to see architecture students tackling affordable housing in creative ways. MONOGRAPHS WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: Field Guide to Indoor Urbanism by MODU (Phu Hoang and Rachely Rotem), published by Hatje Cantz, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Quiet Spaces by William Smalley, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2018 (Amazon / Bookshop) These two monographs are atypical — and refreshing — in that they incorporate content from outside the work of the designers who made them, but in ways that meld seamlessly with their own work. Although MODU, the Brooklyn studio of Phu Hoang and Rachely Rotem, is so young and has built so little a monograph would seem a bit premature, their Field Guide to Indoor Urbanism is nevertheless chock full of projects, each one illustrating the multifaceted nature of their output: architecture, urban interventions, installations, and socio-economic research among it. The duo makes a statement by upending conventions, literally, by starting the book with a glossary — one where the terms and definitions clearly describe their unique points of view — and ending it with the foreword. In between are essays, projects, and a series of conversations with Japanese architects, including Fumihiko Maki, Itsuko Hasegawa, and Kengo Kuma. The last is what would be considered the outsider content, but even then the interviews were conducted by Hoang and Rotem as part of their research into Second Nature, which they define as "a dual expression of social and environmental contexts. Humans and nature as one." Quiet Spaces is an apt title for the first monograph on UK architect William Smalley, who established his eponymous practice in London in 2010. The coffee table book is full of full-bleed color photographs captured mainly by Harry Crowder but also Hélène Binet; each photographers' choice of film over digital jibes with Smalley's handling of interior spaces, which could be called, for lack of a better term, timeless. The cover photograph by Binet — of Smalley's Oxfordshire Farm, done in collaboration with James Gorst Architects — hints at this quality, but it also recalls the work of Luis Barragan. Hardly by coincidence, Oxfordshire Farm is preceded by Barragan's own house in Mexico City, one of six "quiet spaces" in the book by other architects, ranging in time from Andrea Palladio to Peter Zumthor, with Geoffrey Bawa and others in between. Smalley's way of treating his inspirations in the book with equal weight to his own work is refreshing and illuminating, revealing shared qualities but also Smalley's enduring fascination with beautiful design regardless of the who, when, or where. (The Record section of his website expresses this too.) The mix results in a monograph that is surprisingly cohesive regardless of the various voices and times, reinforcing the timeless quality of Smalley's architecture. CAPTURING AMERICA'S PAST IN PHOTOGRAPHS: Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Richard Nickel Dangerous Years: What He Saw and What He Wrote by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, December 2015 (Amazon) Anyone with a strong interest in architecture in the United States should know and love HABS, the Historic American Buildings Survey that is maintained by the Library of Congress. The voluminous collection of photographs and drawings spanning from 1933 to the present is a great resource for, among other things, people making architecture books. Photographer Jeffrey Ladd creatively mined the survey for A Field Measure Survey of American Architecture, creating a portrait of the US through a small sampling of the hundreds of thousands of HABS photographs. Similarly, photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams pulled photographs from the survey to draw attention to the buildings and bridges that America lost to decay, neglect, demolition, and destruction. One hundred notable, lesser known, and fairly generic examples are presented in four chapters: Timeless, Forgotten, Disgraced, Doomed. Even though the HABS photographs have remained remarkably consistent over its 90 years, with contemporary photographers still using large-format film (not digital) cameras, Lost in America has a notable arc to it, with famous buildings early in the book and actual scenes of demolition, as in the cover photograph, found at the end. It's hard not to feel a tinge of melancholy or even anger at the wanton destruction implied and captured by the HABS photographers in black and white — emotions tempered, or perhaps even magnified, by the information presented in captions by Cahan and Williams. Although Lost in America is available on Amazon, Bookshop, and other usual outlets, people buying it directly from CityFiles have the option of getting a limited edition with a slipcase featuring a Richard Nickel photo of Chicago’s Republic Building, a Holabird and Roche building that was erected in the first decade of the 20th century and pulled down in 1961. Nickel is one of the photographers inside Lost in America, but the photographer and preservationist is also the subject of Dangerous Years, an earlier book also by Cahan and Williams and also published by CityFiles, in 2015. Cahan had written an earlier, indispensable biography on Nickel, They All Fall Down: Richard Nickel's Struggle to Save America's Architecture (notably, that book features a self-portrait of Nickel atop the Republic Building), so it is logical that he would make another book on Nickel, one that "in his own words and with his own pictures, is his story." The coffee table book traces Nickel's brief but productive and passionate career through photographs, letters, notes, sketches, and other artifacts displayed on large 9x12" pages with black backgrounds. Like Lost in America, Dangerous Years is melancholy, not only because he gravitated to buildings that often met the wrecking ball, but because his widely known end while salvaging materials from one such building is made all the more real through letters to/from his fiancé and even notes for a missing person report made by his parents on the day he went missing. ILLUSTRATED STORIES FOR KIDS — AND GROWN-UPS: Modern New York: The Illustrated Story of Architecture in the Five Boroughs from 1920 to Present by Lukas Novotny, published by Rizzoli, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Shigeru Ban Builds a Better World by Isadoro Saturno, illustrated by Stefano Di Cristofaro, published by Tra Publishing, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) A pair of illustrated books: one for children and one for grown-ups. Modern New York is Lukas Novotny's second book, following the similar Modern London published in 2018. The colorful illustrations — all of them straight-on elevations, as evidenced by the cover — give the impression that the book is yet another repackaging of famous and predominantly tall buildings in New York City: the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building are there on the cover, as are the American Radiator Building, the Pan Am (MetLife Building), AT&T, Hearst, and 432 Park Avenue. But the inclusion of Paul Rudolph's Tracey Towers in the Bronx and the presence of the Goodyear blimp and a helicopter landing on the Pan Am Building hint at a wider presentation. Novotny is actually drawn (pun intended) to buildings obscure, plain, and off the beaten path — those well beyond what's found in tourist guides. The buildings and modes of transportation, which were potentially more modern than the buildings, are presented in ten chapters: one per decade, from 1920 to present. Each is given at least 16 pages, so relatively insignificant decades (what was built in the 1940s?) reveal surprises even so-called experts, like this reviewer, weren't aware of. I wish there were more children's books about architecture, not only because they provide parents a way to educate their kids about architecture and architects at an early age, but because the subject has such a great potential for doing interesting children's books. Pop-ups! Concertina books! (I reviewed one of those.) Books by architects for their own kids! (I reviewed one of those, too.) Isadoro Saturno's children's book on Shigeru Ban gets creative with format, from its cardboard-like cover with cutout framing a portrait of the architect to the choice of matter paper, cutout-like illustrations, and smaller book on Ban's disaster-relief projects inserted into the middle of the book. By focusing on the fact Ban has made many buildings from paper, from cardboard tubes, and not all of them disaster-relief projects, the book shows kids that what they didn't think was possible is possible. The book opens their minds to the possibilities in anything, architecture or otherwise, encouraging them to think creatively and without limits. CHANGING ZURICH (AND ITS ENVIRONS): Urban Change Over Time: The Photographic Observation of Schlieren 2005–2020 Reveals How Switzerland Is Changing edited by Meret Wandeler, Ulrich Görlich and Caspar Schärer, published by Scheidegger and Spiess, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) New Housing in Zurich: Typologies for a Changing Society, edited by Dominique Boudet, published by Park Books, April 2018 (Amazon / AbeBooks) Last month the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) and Frankfurt Book Fair announced the winners of the 2023 DAM Architectural Book Award: ten books, nine of them from publishers in Germany and Switzerland, six from Zurich alone, and four of the ten winners published by Park Books or its sister publisher Scheidegger & Spiess. A winner by the last is Urban Change Over Time, a two-volume book with fifteen years of photo documentation of Schlieren, a satellite town on the western fringe of Zurich. The jury praised the book for its vision and endurance: "The book’s structure derives from the topic, explores many different aspects of the theme, and yet is very careful not to waste the reader’s time." The slimmer of the two volumes has nearly 150 pages of photographs on landscape-oriented pages, with each spread showing the matching photographic documentation of one spot in town over those fifteen years. The matching of the framing in the photos is remarkable, as if dozens of tripods were cemented into place throughout the town for the fifteen-year duration of the project. In some cases the changes are in your face, in many they're subtle, and in others they're apparently non-existent. The longer volume — 480 pages in portrait format — has photographs as well, many of them larger on the page and in the context of the town's development areas or focusing on different typologies; there are also essays, interviews, and maps that aid in orienting oneself with the photos and understanding some of the development areas. The whole is a beautiful production worthy of its accolade. While I don't think New Housing in Zurich nabbed a DAM Award when it was released five years ago, this book from Park Books pairs well with Urban Change Over Time, for its equally high production values, for its geographic proximity, and for simply having the word "changing" in its subtitle. (This book, though hard to find, should also appeal to readers interested in Cohousing in Barcelona and Housing Redux, featured above.) The book presents 51 housing projects spread across Zurich, some of which I was able to visit years before when in Zurich for my work with World-Architects. The projects I visited, and most of the ones in the book, are fairly large and therefore have large sites where site planning is paramount; site plans or aerial views are then included for each of the 51 projects, as well as floor plans, photographs (or renderings), and project descriptions. What makes the projects remarkable beyond their architectural qualities is the fact they are predominantly middle-class and/or cooperatives — making the book a suitable reference for other places where there is a shortage of such housing, well-designed or not.

A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) What makes modern and contemporary Japanese houses so appealing? Much of it stems from the novelty of residential designs, which can be traced to a litany of factors, including a cultural acceptance of demolition and renewal that creates a constant stream of new architecture; a litany of legal requirements pushing architects — both young and established — to be formally creative; and let's not leave out the clients willing to take risks. Most of the houses that spark jealousy in architects outside of Japan are found in Tokyo and other urban areas where money, zoning, and architects converge to fuel unexpected creations. One factor, the country's exorbitant inheritance tax, leads many families to cut up their properties into smaller parcels to pay for the tax; the resulting, awkward pieces of land then require architects to squeeze a house into a wrapper defined by fire-safety requirements, sunshine laws, and practical concerns like a parking space. Such is the case today, but distinctive single-family houses in and beyond Tokyo have been prevalent since the end of World War II, when architects took part in the necessary postwar rebuilding that was buoyed by prosperity in the ensuing decades. Naomi Pollock's excellent The Japanese House Since 1945 traces the evolution of single-family houses across eight decades, focusing as much on the people who live(d) in the houses than the architects who designed them. The book is structured as a chronological, decade-by-decade presentation of nearly one hundred houses across 400 pages. Each house is documented in two to five pages with photographs, drawings, and a brief description. The photographs are of their period, rather than contemporary, probably done because most of the old houses have long been demolished. The floor plans are also original, rather than redrawn for the book, but they use a helpful numbered key that is consistent across the book. Last, and perhaps most important, are Pollock's descriptions, which incorporate quotes from the architects and/or the owners and provide details on the designs and living situations beyond typical surveys. Pollock has written numerous books on Japanese architecture, is an international correspondent for Architectural Record, and has elsewhere brought her firsthand accounts and access to architects in Japan to bear on architecture that many people outside of Japan are fascinated by. Compared to books such as New Architecture in Japan, co-written with Yuki Sumner, and Jutaku: Japanese Houses (see bottom of this review), The Japanese House Since 1945 is her most important and best book to date. Although the Japanese houses that are the subject of Pollock's new book are billed as, per the back cover, "many of the most exceptional and experimental houses in the world," it starts with houses that are more traditional than modern. Kunio Maekawa's own house in Tokyo, completed in 1942, has a wood exterior that "evoked traditional Japanese farmhouses," Pollock writes, but has a "spacious living room, exemplifying Maekawa's vision of the ideal house for the burgeoning modern era." Maekawa worked in the Paris atelier of Le Corbusier, later joining Antonin and Noémi Raymond in Tokyo, two foreign architects who moved to Japan after World War I (Antonin worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on the Imperial Hotel). The couple left Japan ahead of WWII but returned after its conclusion, building a house and studio (above spread) in Tokyo that is also rooted in traditional Japanese architecture but subtly signals this "burgeoning modern era." These two instances illustrate how outside influences entered Japan after the war, with tradition and modernity mixing in ways that would eventually lead to the exceptional architectural experimentation the country is known for. The chronological, decade-by-decade presentation allows the evolution of Japanese residential architecture to unfold gradually and be seen in the context of the 1964 Olympics, Expo 1970 in Osaka, the end of the bubble era, the March 2011 earthquake, COVID-19, and other epoch-defining events that are described by Pollock in intros to each decade. Readers see the introduction of concrete, steel, and other materials in the 1960s and 70s, followed by the light construction of the 80s and 90s, and the formal experimentation of our current century. Each decade has at least one icon — Kiyonori Kikutake's Sky House in the 50s, Kazuo Shinohara's Umbrella House in the 60s, Tadao Ando's Row House in Sumiyoshi in the 70s, etc. — but most readers will find something new among the 98 houses. Even those well-versed in modern Japanese houses will be pleased by the nine "At Home" pieces inserted throughout the book. In these, we learn about Yuki Kikutake, daughter of Kiyonori, growing up in Sky House; Fumihiko Maki writes about his own house built in Tokyo in 1978; and we read about the anonymous husband and wife living in Sou Fujimoto's House NA. A last ingredient is nine spotlights — one at the end of each chapter — that discuss the articulation of various elements: roofs, windows, stairs and corridors, gardens and courtyards, etc. The brief case studies, "At Home" features, and spotlights combine to create a compelling and vivid portrait of modern living in Japan over the last eight decades. Naomi Pollock's latest book prompted me to dig out a few other titles from my library that also present Japanese houses. They are described briefly below, presented in chronological order by date of publication, and are intended for anyone who wants do delve deeper into some of the decades or architects explored in Pollock's book; titles with links point to earlier reviews on this blog. Readers who want a more comprehensive overview of early modern Japanese architecture (not just houses) should find David B. Stewart's The Making of a Modern Japanese Architecture rewarding. The New Japanese House: Ritual and Anti-Ritual, Patterns of Dwelling by Chris Fawcett, published by Harper & Row, 1980 (Amazon / AbeBooks) The push and pull between tradition and modernity is the subject of this book by Chris Fawcett, the British critic who wanted to undo misconceptions in the West about Japanese houses. He focused on "Post-Metabolist" architecture, houses from the late 1960s and the 1970s that he presented as "ritual affirming" and "ritual disaffirming" houses. It's an intriguing book, but not one that seems to have had much of an influence all these years later; I wonder if Fawcett would have gone on to make more lasting and impactful books on Japanese architecture if he didn't die young. The New Japanese House can be bought inexpensively online, but harder to find is GA Houses 4: Ontology of House, Residential Architecture of 1970s in Japan, which features an essay by Fawcett and dozens of houses from that decade. Japan Houses in Ferroconcrete by Makoto Uyeda, photography by Junichi Shimomura, published by Graphic-Sha, 1988 (Amazon / AbeBooks) This book features 35 houses designed by 21 architects, all united by the use of concrete, varying from small applications, such as alongside wood, steel, and other materials, to expansive houses in reinforced concrete by the likes of Tadao Ando. Although dates are not provided for the houses, most are from the 1980s with some from the previous decade. One of the most rewarding aspects of this book, which I was chuffed to discover while browsing a used bookstore, is the fact all of the photographs — and there are A LOT of them — were specially taken for the book; they go much deeper inside the houses than the "official" photographs found in monographs and other publications. Tadao Ando 1: Houses and Housing, published by Toto, 2007 (Amazon / AbeBooks) 2G N.58/59: Kazuo Shinohara Houses edited by David B. Stewart, Shin-Ichi Okuyama and Taishin Shiozaki, published by Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2011 (Amazon / AbeBooks) One thing I find appealing about architecture in Japan is the way many famous architects there continue to design single-family houses even after getting hired for museums, office buildings, and other larger projects; houses are not merely a leg up to bigger commissions. In turn, monographs on architects' houses can occasionally be found. A couple favorites of mine are the first book in Toto's now-five-strong series on Tadao Ando (Houses and Housing was followed by Outside Japan, Inside Japan, New Endeavors, and Dialogues) and a double issue of 2G devoted to the houses of Kazuo Shinohara built between 1959 and 1988. In addition to them including some of the best modern Japanese houses ever built, the two publications are beautifully produced. Small Houses: Contemporary Japanese Dwellings by Claudia Hildner, published by Birkhäuser, 2011 (Amazon / AbeBooks) Another appealing aspect of Japanese houses is their size. Even though the petit houses prevalent in Japan can be attributed to the country's population density, the breaking up parcels to pay for inheritance taxes, as mentioned above, and other considerations that aren't necessarily geared to the sustainability of living small, it's refreshing to see so much creativity put into small houses rather than the oversized houses that are the norm in the US. This appropriately small book is a good collection of around two-dozen small houses by Go Hasegawa, Atelier Bow-Wow, Sou Fujimoto, and others, all of them completed within the few years leading up to the book's publication. The years since have seen many more creative Japanese houses but fewer house books for readers outside of Japan; websites are now the norm, but I'd be more than happy with more books like Small Houses. How to Make a Japanese House by Cathelijne Nuijsink, published by NAi Publishers, 2012 (Amazon / Bookshop) Astute readers may have noticed that most of the books featured in this post were authored by foreigners (Pollock from the US, Fawcett from the UK, Hildner from Germany, Nuijsink from The Netherlands), which goes hand in hand with the strong appeal Japanese houses have on people outside of Japan. I can't imagine a book titled "How to Make a Japanese House" coming from a Japanese architect; they would not need to explain the work they do on a daily basis to fellow Japanese architects doing the same. For Cathelijne Nuijsink, the premise of the book allowed her to explore the making of Japanese houses through in-depth interviews with four generations of their creators: Jun Aoki, Kazuyo Sejima, Junya Ishigami, and so on. It's an excellent book that remains in print a decade later. Jutaku: Japanese Houses by Naomi Pollock, published by Phaidon, 2015 (Amazon / Bookshop) Appropriately, this review of Naomi Pollock's The Japanese House Since 1945 ends with another book by Pollock: a compact Phaidon picture book with more than 400 contemporary Japanese houses, from Hokkaido in the snowy north to Kyushu in the subtropical south. Not surprisingly, most of the houses are found in Kanto Prefecture, which is anchored by Tokyo. It's a stellar collection that suffers from too much in a small package: there is only one photo per house, an exterior photo that shows readers what anyone would be able to see in public, just hinting at the qualities within. Two photos per house — one outside, one inside — could have been done with a slightly larger paper size. Alas, the book proves the creativity in Japanese residential architecture but leaves us wanting more — much more.

The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together: Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles edited by James Sanders, published by Rizzoli Electa, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Implementing Urban Design is the latest of many books about urban design and planning by Jonathan Barnett, whose career and CV span around fifty years. Over that time he has served as an architect, planner, educator, and an advisor to cities in and beyond the US, including Charleston, South Carolina, Omaha, and New York City, where he was Director of Urban Design in the Department of City Planning. When I received Implementing Urban Design, one of the first things I did was scour my bookshelves for other books by Barnett (something I do with most other reviews). There I found his first book, Urban Design as Public Policy: Practical Methods for Improving Cities, published in 1974. It, his first book, summarized his efforts in that role at NYC Planning, presenting the working methods behind the projects he worked on and doing it in ways that other urban designers in other places could learn from them. Just as Barnett's first book was "concerned with techniques of dealing with a number of significant urban and environmental problems which are found in existing cities, or are created when new areas are developed," his latest book focuses on the "complicated interactive process" that is required to move urban designs from their conceptual phases to completion. "What happens in between," in other words, is the subject of Implementing Urban Design, illustrated in ten chapters with case studies drawn from Barnett's experience as an urban design consultant. New York City is here, in chapter 3, "Designing Cities Without Designing Buildings," an echo of a chapter of the same name in the 1974 book. The chapter in the earlier book includes, among other projects, the Lincoln Square Special Zoning District, created in the wake of construction of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and developers rushing to build near it. A requirement to build to the sidewalk (to a height of at least 85') and including arcades for the buildings on the east side of Broadway were the most dramatic components of the special district. Too early to see its impact in 1974, Implementing Urban Design shows the area nearly fifty years later, with a hodgepodge of towers on podiums along Broadway but a street wall that is fairly cohesive. Although the arcade requirement was eventually eliminated from the special district (they're now "permitted" rather than required, such that recent projects like Robert A. M. Stern's 15 Central Park West don't have one), the bulk of the requirements are there, working to maintain that certain design aspects of Broadway north of Columbus Circle extend into the future. The same chapter in the new book also touches on the office campus of PPG in Pittsburgh and a streetscape handbook for Norfolk, Virginia, but other chapters often delve deeper into individual projects in individual cities. For example, chapter nine, "Mobilizing Support to Redesign an Entire City," presents Barnett's process in the fairly massive creation of a master plan for Omaha, Nebraska (the cover depicts a visualization from the plan). Another chapter, "Changing Regulations to Prevent Suburban Sprawl," documents his work with Wildwood, a town west of St. Louis that incorporated in 1995 and wanted to develop a new zoning ordinance that would be appropriate to the area and veer from the suburban norm. My wife being from St. Louis, a city I've in turn visited numerous times, attracted me to this chapter, whose theme — preventing urban sprawl — is of undeniable importance. Barnett walks through the process in detail, from initial contact and developing a team, to research, concepts, writing the master plan and development regulations, and devising a specific plan for the Town Center. The last is now just partially built out, about 25 years after Barnett was brought in. But if we learned anything from the Lincoln Square example, urban designs can take upwards of fifty years until they are "complete." Spread from Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles If the visuals in Implementing Urban Design are, to put it inelegantly, less than sexy, the opposite is true of Renewing the Dream, which was edited by James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline, and produced in association with Woods Bagot, the Australian firm that now boasts 17 offices around the world. The "freshest member" of the global studio, founded in 2020, is in Los Angeles, where numerous projects to date have focused on transportation, including a concourse at LAX and a proposal for turning gas stations in Los Angeles into EV charging stations with cultural components like drive-in theaters. This beautifully produced coffee table book is full of striking visuals by Woods Bagot and from the worlds of art, photography, and cinema. Even though Renewing the Dream presents a number of projects by the LA studio of Woods Bagot, including the ReCharge LA Prototype EV Station, I wouldn't call the book a monograph. Consisting of a half-dozen essays and two interviews alongside case studies of Woods Bagot projects — all geared around the theme of the "mobility revolution" in Los Angeles — the book's genre is indefinable: it is a hybrid that Sanders describes in the introduction as a "kaleidoscopic portrait" of LA, with "an unusually wide-ranging mix of content—research and data studies, urban design and public art projects, cultural and historical overviews, surveys of current and future technologies." ReCharge LA Prototype EV Station by Matt Ducharme and Woods Bagot Los Angeles Studio The book's wide-ranging content is predicated on what Sanders and Woods Bagot call LA 3.0, a new Los Angeles in the making, following LA 2.0, the freeway and tract-housing landscape of the mid-20th century, and, before that, LA 1.0, the streetcar and boulevard paradigm before WWII. Some of the in-progress LA 3.0 is mandated — extending the subway by 2028, the year of the LA Olympics, and the outlaw of gas cars and trucks for sale by 2035, accelerating the rise of EVs — but much of it comes from wider developments that aren't necessarily rooted in LA but have taken hold there, notably the climate emergency (think the Getty Fire in 2019) and digital technologies like Uber, which eliminate the need for personal cars on, for instance, nights out with friends. Los Angeles may seem like the most unlikely place for a book devoted to a mobility revolution, but my personal experience with LA gave me the opposite impression. My only trip to the city was around twenty years ago, when I spent two weeks there working on a competition with a short deadline. I stayed at the Biltmore in downtown, with a view of Pershing Square out my window. My morning commute was walking across the street to U.S. Bank Tower; my evening commute, 12 or 16 hours later, was the opposite. No car, no driving — a very un-LA experience of LA. But on weekends I walked around DTLA, took buses to the Getty Center and Santa Monica, and rode the subway to West Hollywood. Although I was a tourist, my experience showed me it was possible to navigate a good deal of LA without a car. An expanded subway network, more frequent buses, urban design focused on walkability and bicycling — it isn't hard to consider these and other efforts having dramatic changes on the car-centric nature of Los Angeles. Yet, the wide-ranging mix of content in Renewing the Dream reveals that the biggest impact of mobility advances on the city — any American city, really, not just LA — is found in parking. If changes in laws, increased public transit, technology advances, and other things lead Americans and Angelenos to have fewer cars, drive less, and use ride-sharing and take public transit more, then the many square miles of surface parking lots can be given over to spaces for people, not cars: densifying (sub)urban areas and providing housing and other much-needed functions. So, in addition to the ReCharge LA project, the book includes MORE LA, Woods Bagot's study for infilling lots previously used for surface parking, and Sanders' own California Court project, a denser version of the city's beloved bungalow courtyards apartments from a century ago. The last, documented in the 1982 book Courtyard Housing in Los Angeles, is one of a few-dozen books in the bibliography whose quotes and influence pepper Renewing the Dream. The older book and newer proposal illustrate that, while certain elements of the mobility revolution are linear and future-oriented, some of them are historical and cyclical. The answers to tomorrow's sustainable Los Angeles, in other words, are found as much in the city's existing built environment as they are in technologies and designs still to come.

In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was director of the International Foundation of Visual Information and used the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) system to "teach through the eye." A recent article describes Modern Man in the Making as a "pictorial statistical history of human technological adaptation and social cooperation [that] addressed a modern audience searching for optimistic narratives amid an economically, politically, and socially volatile era." The book is a classic, and for someone like me who veers toward arguments made in a combination of words and images, it is a book I should probably have — at the very least, I should know more about it. Although it was released as a trade book, can be found cheaply in b/w reprints, and is freely available on the Internet Archive, first editions of Modern Man in the Making go for hundreds and thousands of dollars. This is one of those books that screams out for a high-quality facsimile edition — and it will be getting that treatment early next year, courtesy of Lars Müller Publishers. The timing is curious, though, as Lars Müller just released Joy and Fear, in which Theo Deutinger brings the subjects and visual techniques of Neurath's magnum opus into the 21st century. Although Deutinger writes that his book "enters in dialogue" with Neurath's book, I couldn't help thinking that the two books side by side would heighten the differences and similarities, the constants and changes between the 1930s and the 2020s. Alas, I'll have to wait until February to do that. Joy and Fear is not the first book by Theo Deutinger published by Lars Müller. That was Handbook of Tyranny, which was published in 2018 and was recently released in an updated, expanded edition. I didn't see it upon its initial release, though I did catch Deutinger's display of the book's illustrations — the walls, fences, and other means of controlling human behavior in cities — in actual objects: plants, railings, barbed wire, a prison jumpsuit and other pieces of the "routine cruelties of the twenty-first century" at the Storefront for Art and Architecture. That 2019 exhibition prompted me to get the book and then write a review: "The straightforward illustrations look like they could have been pulled from Architectural Graphic Standards, making the book read at times like an actual handbook for tyrannical dictators." Deutinger's "detailed non-fictional graphic illustrations," as described by the publisher, also owe a debt to Neurath, as evinced by the publication of Joy and Fear. People who already own the first edition of Handbook of Tyranny won't find it necessary to buy the update, given that the changes amount to just eight new pages and consist mainly of some new paragraphs here and there, and the reordering of charts and graphics to reflect the state of the world five years later. Still, I appreciated the fact Deutinger went to the effort of an update, doing something that was de rigueur in books decades ago but is now rare, almost exclusively the province of the internet, which can be updated in close to real time. But Deutinger's illustrations — almost subversive in their dryness — are appropriate to the pages of a book; I feel like they would lose something on the screen, even though the changes impacting his illustrations happen at a clip much faster than in half-decade intervals. Spread from Handbook of Tyranny (Expanded Edition) by Theo Deutinger, published by Lars Múller Publishers, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In between Handbook of Tyranny and Joy and Fear, Deutinger and Lars Müller put out Ultimate Atlas: Logbook of Spaceship Earth, a book that uses lines — and nothing else — "to create a total portrait of the planet." No wonder one review calls it "the ultimate simplification of reality." I haven't seen that book, but visually it seems that Joy and Fear strikes a balance between the highly detailed illustrations of Tyranny and the minimalism of Ultimate Atlas, as if Neurath's Isotype cannot be improved upon in describing the state of the world over time. As described above, Deutinger's book "dialogues" with Neurath's nearly century-old book. It does this by extending the timeline to the present and adjusting some data visualization from the original; the latter updates are highlighted with the icon of a person holding up a sign. What does the book reveal about the modern world? Clearly, yet unfortunately and not surprisingly, that progress is being made by the few, not the many: geographically, demographically, politically, economically, etc. Spread from Joy and Fear: An Illustrated Report on Modernity by Theo Deutinger, published by Lars Múller Publishers, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The spread above can serve to illustrate how the book works. The red, blue, and black chart on the left shows household ownership of amenities in the USA, from 1910 to 2020, including such items as computers, phones, wifi, telephones (cell and landline separately), toilets, and electricity. Most of the amenities are full as of 2020, though only one — landline telephones — is in decline. Though the same chart for other geographical areas would be telling, the opposite page shows an update version of data viz. from Neurath's 1939 book: radios, TVs, and cars in the 1930s (top) and 2020s (bottom) in the six geographical regions used throughout Deutinger's book (USA and Canada, Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southern Territories, Far East). Although the scales change between the two charts, it's clear that the regions in the bottom rows (Latin America, Southern Territories, Far East) have become more modern in recent decades. But it's up to the reader to speculate on what so many cars mean, for instance, to our warming planet. Visualizing how the continued burning of fossil flues will impact our warming planet is one subject of Climate Inheritance, the latest book from Design Earth, the brilliantly inventive studio of Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy that previously wrote and illustrated Geographies of Trash (2015), Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment (2018), and The Planet After Geoengineering (2021). The cover features one of the many beautiful illustrations populating the book: a diagram of aquifers refilled by injecting storm water into "bladders" that serve to raise the sinking city of Venice. Venice and its Lagoon is one of ten sites in the book, each one on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Others include the Galápagos Islands, Sagarmatha National Park, and the Statue of Liberty. What is the future of such places — heritage sites that are already preserved to a greater extent than other places — when the Anthropocene leads to inherited conditions future generations may not anticipate? Spread from Climate Inheritance by Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy (DESIGN EARTH), published by Actar Publishers, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) By way of illustration, the chapter on the Statue of Liberty indicates that Design Earth is not interested exclusively on the preservation and care of monuments, of places deemed heritage sites; what they symbolize is also important, revealing that inheritances involve myriad problems beyond the environmental and physical. To Ghosn and Jazairy, the statue gifted to the USA from France is about patina, poverty, and pollution: "The ecology of the color line is more than skin deep." Pollution led to damage on the skin of the statue and the need for numerous restorations, but well beyond that, "disparate exposure to pollutants," the book reads in regards to today's reframing of socioeconomic inequalities, "may help explain racial discrepancies in lung functioning." In Design Earth's imagined future, the Statue of Liberty appears to be joined by a "Brown Lady Liberty," the symbol of "a long awaited but not yet actualized freedom that was articulated over a century and a half ago." One more book that joins with the other three to be — in my mind, at least — an illustration of how images are effective in describing the world and the way it changes over time is Stephen J. Eskilson's Digital Design: A History. Eskilson's book, unlike the other three, does not use newly created images to create a narrative, but the story that he is telling is about images: design in its various aspects, from graphic and industrial design to architecture and data visualization. It's a history that needs to be told, especially since people now born into the digital world don't realize how developments in design from the 20th and even earlier centuries shaped our digital present — and likewise will shape our digital futures. Architecture is the subject of two chapters: "Digital Architecture I: Origins" and "Digital Architecture II: Parametrics and 3D Printing." (The latest buzz in architecture — and just about every realm, really — AI, is treated in its own chapter.) In the first architecture chapter, Eskilson moves from the Sydney Opera House, in which "[Ove] Arup pioneered the use of computational analysis," to Peter Cook and Colin Fournier's Kunsthaus Graz via Frank Gehry in Bilbao, Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus, and Greg Lynn. The second chapter jumps ahead to Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher, especially the latter's wholehearted, sometimes controversial embrace of parametricism, while also looking at how digital software bridges construction via 3D printing and robotics. This is design history, remember, so there is nothing novel in what Eskilson discusses, but he succinctly traces some of the most important developments to describe our current condition. (Unfortunately, one typo — and I hope it's just that — distracted me while reading the first architecture chapter: Eskilson calls AD, the "magazine that associated digital architecture with aspects of structuralist theory," Architectural Digest instead of Architectural Design! I can't think of more polar opposites than these two publications sharing the first term and abbreviation but having very little else in common.) Spread from Digital Design: A History by Stephen Eskilson, published by Princeton University Press, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Even with two architecture chapters among its twelve chapters, most interesting to me is the chapter devoted to data visualization, a subject that is also strongly aligned with Neurath and Deutinger. Like other chapters in the book, Eskilson briskly covers decades and centuries in just around twenty pages, moving from 18th-century charts and graphs to digital data on websites, across buildings, and on the walls of galleries. Some of what makes this chapter so appealing is the abundance of examples unknown to me, such as Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway (1995), which is pictured above, has a permanent home at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and now I feel I must go see. (That said, I wish the book had a list of books for further reading, and I am surprised that a book published by a university press has no footnotes at all.) More recent examples are really interesting, including Oliver O'Brien's Tube Tongues (2014), an interactive map that shows the prevalence of non-English speaking in different London neighborhoods. Rising to the fore re: data viz., though, is the importance of design/the designer in making data in digital environments visible and understandable, especially when the output is on a website and via an API, for instance, rather than in a book and done by an illustrator. The books above may be old-fashioned, just by the fact they are books rather than digital environments, but they offer plenty to consider in regards to thinking about and visualizing the world around us — now and in the future.

Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture Institute, 2023) edited by Sofie De Caigny, Hülya Ertas and Bie Plevoets, the companion to the exhibition of the same name at the Flanders Architecture Institute. Read my review here.

The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture books. The first one is This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings, a collection of excerpted texts about buildings, spanning from the mid-1800s to the 2010s. This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings edited by Stephen Bayley and Robert Bargery, published by Unicorn Publishing Group, October 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Edited by Stephen Bayley and Robert Bargery, respectively chair and executive director of the UK's Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, This Is Architecture is billed as "different" from the typical "writing on building by architects [that] is limited to exculpatory manifestos or technical sermonizing to a captive congregation of converts." They describe the nearly 100 excerpted texts as "exceptional examples of writing on buildings by writers which merit inclusion on the quality of the writing alone" (emphasis in original). So readers find Lewis Mumford, Ada Louise Huxtable, Ian Nairn, Martin Pawley, and others who wrote (well) about architecture for a living, but also Virginia Woolf, Umberto Eco, Jean Baudrillard, Blaise Cendrars, and others far removed from the field of architecture. The aims of the "non-partisan" and "non-didactic" selection are to "enhance popular appreciation of architecture and to celebrate those who are architecture's eloquent champions." Presented in a "running order [that] is essentially random," each writing is accompanied by a biography of the author in a narrow column; in a few cases the excerpt is so short the bio runs longer on the page, as in the four lines from Louis Kahn's Conversations with Students from 1969. As in any book that is basically a survey, a collection of things united by a theme, it's easiest as a reviewer to focus on organization, presentation, and selection. In order, I find the "essentially random" organization interesting at times (Kahn's text opposite Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York, for instance) but for the most part insignificant, since many entries span multiple pages, each one serves as a self-contained statement, and such a book can be read in many ways beyond the usual front to back. The presentation is very good, from the glossy papers with occasional images to the inclusion of a ribbon bookmark and the list of sources in the back matter. The selection is fittingly UK-centric, with numerous English critics alongside Nairn and Pawley, for instance, and far too many writings about London and buildings in London. But where are Michael Sorkin and Herbert Muschamp, two US critics who I read for "the thrill of their prose" and "the stimulation to be had from their insights," qualities the editors find lacking in architectural criticism? Unfortunately, they are missing: a shame, given that Muschamp's nearly iconic critique of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao is far more interesting than Jonathan Glancey's piece excerpted here. Judging the book based on what it includes, rather than what it omits, and doing so in the context of me thinking about the past and future of architecture books, This Is Architecture says a few main things to me: writings on buildings are not the sole purview of architects and architecture critics, since architecture is "the most important art because [it is] the one that cannot be ignored," as the editors assert; architecture is more than aesthetics and style, as evidenced by the texts that focus on other aspects of the built environment; and the most influential writings on architecture have not been exclusively in books, given the numerous texts excerpted from magazines and journals, some of which were later collected in book form (think Martin Filler's NYRB essays and his Makers of Modern Architecture series). These three points are hardly groundbreaking — they're obvious, really — but it's good to be reminded now and again about such things. While the point of This Is Architecture is to take pleasure in things written in the past, it inadvertently says some things about the future by focusing on a diversity of voices, approaches to writing about architecture, and media. Which brings us to the second book, Future Book(s), in which editors Pia Pol and Astrid Vorstermans asked journalists, artists, architects, and others to speculate on the future of the book, specifically "books on art, design and architecture, and cultural-critical publications." Future Book(s): Sharing Ideas on Books and (Art) Publishing edited by Pia Pol and Astrid Vorstermans, published by Valiz, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The occasion of the recently published book is the twentieth anniversary of Valiz, the Amsterdam publisher started by Vorstermans in June 2003 (Pol joined in 2008). The last twenty pages of Future Book(s) shows the covers of the many books put out by Valiz over those twenty years, some in series (Antennae, Vis–à–Vis), many in Dutch and almost as many in English, and all on art, design and architecture, and culture, as expected. I have not read any Valiz books before Future Book(s) (one of their books, Binational Urbanism: On the Road to Paradise, was featured on this blog, but reviewed by an outside contributor), but it's clear the publisher focuses on the margins, presenting work by artists, practitioners, and academics that explore new territory in their fields. The design of Future Book(s) accentuates their position; in many ways the book is the antithesis of This Is Architecture, from the voices included in its pages to the materiality and layout of the same: the glossy This Is Architecture has a staid, consistent format from piece to piece, while the various chapters of Future Book(s) were laid out by different graphic designers, limited only by the monochrome palette of the lightweight matte paper. If This Is Architecture's random order makes flipping through the book one of surprising adjacencies, Future Book(s) is the same times ten. Each thematic chapter may be united by a single graphic designer, but each contribution is treated singularly, meaning they are visually unique but often wholly unexpected takes on the subject at hand. A fairly academic text with footnotes but sans illustrations may be followed by a two-page spread that is entirely illustrated content, followed by six pages of artworks, followed by a personal anecdote, and so on. The themes that structure the book (Personal Threads, Histories Unfolding, Digital Realms, Shaping Future Form, etc.) are vague enough that contributions could fit in just about any of them; in fact, the editors admit the dozen themes were came later, meaning the contributors were not beholden to any themes in speculating on future books. Still, the editors give some hints in their introduction: "By definition, books are made for the future. They solidify knowledge while at the same time generating new ideas. They make sure that the now finds a place where it is accessible to the future." While the comments of Vorstermans and Pol make it seem that threats to the future of the book are hyperbolic, there is no shortage of contributors imagining distant futures where books take on forms different than the bound books we are familiar with. Books 200 years in the future, as seen in Elisabeth Klement and Pieter Verbeke's contribution, look like books, but they are made underwater, celebrated at the New York Art Book Fair Under Water 2223, and read by dogs, who have evolved considerably in the ensuing two centuries. In Tricia Treacy's piece, "What If?," shortages of paper are addressed through algorithms that "design and print several different texts of interest, overlapping on individual sheets of paper throughout a custom book..." More than one contribution examines how AI will be involved in the making of books, but nobody denies that ChatGPT and other will be involved to some degree. Uniting the texts, as I mentioned, are the nearly dozen designers, whose treatment of the contributions illustrates the importance of graphic design and the inadequate nature of web pages and other digital media by comparison. My reading through of This is Architecture and Future Book(s) coincided with me visiting The Book in the Age of ... exhibition at Harvard GSD's Loeb Library, which I reviewed for World-Architects a couple of weeks ago. Curated by Rem Koolhaas, Irma Boom, and Phillip Denny, among other elements the exhibition had (it ended yesterday after six weeks) a large three-part "book" on a table near the entrance to the library. Across the three parts, it moved from books in the age of "the hand" to the age of "press" to the age of "machine." One page in the last included this statement relevant to the blog post you're reading: "The future book is local. It is made from locally produced materials, printed nearby, and delivered to homegrown readership. Hyper-local publishing will lead to a renaissance of book innovation." Positioned beneath an image of the cover of Elements of Architecture, the massive book by Rem Koolhaas and Irma Boom that came out of Koolhaas's 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, but not attributed to anyone, the statement (image above) comes across to me as Boom's, given how she has spoken about the appeal of books from the 1500s, the 1600s, and the 1960s: "periods [that] demonstrate freedom and creativity in the use of materials, typography, sizes of the books, and structure of the texts" (source). An example from the 1960s is Art of the Sixties, published by the Wallraf-Richartz Museum with plastic covers, a plexiglass spine, metal screws, color photos pasted on brown paper, and portraits of the artists on transparent foils (take a look). The 1500s and 1600s follow the invention of the Gutenberg press, while the sixties came after the war and coincided with great social change. Similarly, the digital software and other tools that led to e-ink, ebooks, and other potential book-busting technologies will most likely herald this "renaissance of book innovation." The statement from the exhibition also indicates that bookmaking will have to respond to climate change, dwindling resources, and other things that will (continue to) impact our globalized world. Books tend to be produced in one place (unknown for This Is Architecture, Netherlands for Future Book(s)) and then are shipped around the world from there; "hyper-local publishing" would reduce the need for books to be loaded on container ships and sent halfway around the world, using digital technologies and local printers to create variations on a book based on papers, inks, bindings, etc. It would also lead to more variations on subjects, as seen in these two books, considering the UK-centric nature of This Is Architecture and the numerous Dutch voices in Future Book(s). Actually, the UK- and NL-focus of these two books are what made me think of the statement from The Book in the Age of ... exhibition. If the future book is hyper-local, not just national or local, dramatic changes in production and distribution should lead to changes in content and design. Who knows, maybe the 2030s will be as exciting as the 1500s, 1600s, and 1960s?

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is. Although a famous name, Lutyens was not an architect I had much familiarity with before I received a review copy of the first volume of The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Flipping through it prompted me to do a little digging on Lutyens in other publications. Racking my brain, it seems my classmates and I learned very little about him in architecture school a few decades ago. As a traditionalist with buildings in Arts and Crafts, Edwardian, and neoclassical garb, Lutyens was far removed from the concerns of postmodernism, deconstructivism, and any other –isms in vogue a half-century after his death. If we had heard his name, it was most likely in regards to what's referred to as Lutyens’ Delhi in New Delhi, the British colonial capital in India that he laid out and designed buildings for between 1912 and 1931. The Beaux-Arts plan culminated in the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), the grandiose domed presidential residence, inaugurated in 1931, that is arguably his greatest building. Yet, when I dig into my library to find some mention of Lutyens, the few titles I can find emphasize his country houses rather than his work in India. The trusty Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Architecture (2004), for instance, devotes one short paragraph to New Delhi, it coming after a handful of paragraphs listing his many notable country houses. In her entry on Lutyens, Hilary J. Grainger calls him "one of the most noteworthy English architects of his generation," one who was "above all, a domestic architect." In another instance, the first US edition of Nikolaus Pevsner's A Dictionary of Architecture (1976) praises the "genuine monumentality" of the Viceroy's House but goes further in describing his early Arts and Crafts houses as "excellent" and his later Edwardian houses as "really spectacular." Although Lutyens is nowhere to be found in Pevsner's An Outline of European Architecture (1943) or in his influential genealogical history of modernism, Pioneers of Modern Design (1949; originally published as Pioneers of the Modern Movement in 1936), Pevsner did write a lengthy reassessment of Lutyens for Architectural Review in 1951. The occasion was the then-recent publication of the three-volume The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens by A.S.G. Butler and The Life of Sir Edwin Lutyens by Christopher Hussey. Pevsner admits he did not find Lutyens as important in the development of European architecture as C.F.A. Voysey and Charles Renee Mackintosh, two contemporaries both in Pioneers, but given that Lutyens built more than them and his "success was so much bigger and maintained over so much longer a period," Pevsner found the large three-volume monograph and 600-page biography sufficiently warranted. What stands out to me are how Pevsner praises Lutyens' "immense care over details," which is paralleled by the many exquisite detail drawings in the three volumes by Butler, and "the fun he had with space," a bit of a surprise given the traditional nature of the plans he developed. Pevsner's statement that "Lutyens’ handling of space has not in the past been sufficiently appreciated," says to me why this noteworthy English architect failed to impact the architects who overlapped with him chronologically but went down different avenues in the 20th century: with modernism's focus on space, especially open and flowing space, Lutyens offered little overt inspiration. Similar sentiments to Pevsner's are explored in Architectural Monographs No. 6, published by Andreas Papadakis in 1979. The foreword to the monograph edited by David Dunster and featuring a lengthy essay by Peter Inskip starts: "This issue of Architectural Monographs is something of a departure" from previous issues, among them Michael Graves and Alvar Aalto, because Lutyens "has never been canonized by architectural historians as a predecessor of the Modern Movement." It continues: "His vast output of over 300 buildings and projects shows a continuing fascination with traditional construction techniques and borrowing from the past," as evident in "the scale and detailing of the functionally distinct rooms." No new technologies and no open plans — no wonder Lutyens has remained influential with classically trained architects but not with modernists (not that there are just the two camps, of course). While Inskip looks at Lutyens' houses from a "modernist point of view," he was not the first to do so. A decade earlier, in the pages of Perspecta 12: The Yale Architectural Journal, architect Allan Greenberg explored architectural similarities between Lutyens and Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Greenberg's 1969 essay, "Lutyens' Architecture Restudied," was later put into book form, in 2007, as Lutyens and the Modern Movement. In the earlier essay he presents numerous floor plans of Lutyens' houses from the first decade of the 1900s and points out a few characteristics common to them: a symmetrical disposition of rooms; a solid mass (or void) at the crossing of the main axes; an independent circulation pattern overlaid on the first two; and an intricate plan hidden by the formal, symmetrical massing and elevations. It is in the plan where he links Lutyens and Wright, finding the same four characteristics in Wright's Ward Willits House from 1901. The departure in the two architects' contemporaneous plans are rooted in space: "Wright's space is continuous and flowing," Greenberg writes, while "Lutyens seldom planned continuous spaces [...] but he was aware of the potential." Greenberg finds some of the same with Corbusier's houses of the 1920s, though he also discusses the similarities between New Delhi and Chandigarh at length. Which brings me to the impetus for this post: The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses by A.S.G. Butler with George Stewart and Christopher Hussey, published by ACC Art Books, April 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) As mentioned above, The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens — aka the Lutyens Memorial Series, given that it was published six years after his death — was first published in 1950 in three volumes, the first on "Country Houses"; the second on "Gardens, Delhi, and Washington"; and the third on "Public Buildings, Etc." The originals (now fetching thousands of dollars) were published by Country Life, the British magazine founded by Edward Hudson in 1897. (Country Life also published the Lutyens biography by Christopher Hussey mentioned above.) Not only did Hudson commission Lutyens for several houses, most notably Deanery Gardens (1901) and Lindisfarne Castle (1903), and the magazine's offices, he regularly published the architect's buildings in his magazine. The photos, drawings, and text from the magazine are what became the three-part Memorial. The large-format books (12x16"!) were reprinted by the Antique Collectors Club at least twice that I gather, in 1984 and 2002, each in limited print runs. The new reprints are being published by ACC Art Books, the successor to the Antique Collectors Club, which was bought by The Images Publishing Group in 2016. The first volume, featured here, was published in spring of this year, the second volume came just last month, and the third volume is forthcoming. Around the time of the 2002 reprint, Gavin Stamp wrote an extensive introduction for Edwin Lutyens: Country Houses (From the Archives of Country Life), published by Aurum Press and The Monacelli Press. Although Stamp was, from the best of my limited knowledge of him, an architectural historian more interested in Greek, Victorian, and other architectures predating modernism, he also felt the need to align Lutyens with modern architecture, specifically Wright. His introduction quotes a review of the Memorial series by Wright himself, from a 1951 issue of Building magazine: "[I] voice admiration of the love, loyalty, and art with which this cultured architect, in love with Architecture, shaped his buildings. To him the English chimney, the Gable, the Gatepost monumentalized in good brickwork and cut-stone were motifs to be dramatized with great skill. He was able to idealize them with a success unequaled." So, basically, in the 20th century, the relevance of Lutyens relied on his architecture being influential on younger generations of architects who were trained in modernism or, in later decades, were dabbling in postmodernism. Even A.S.G. Butler and his collaborators wrote in Country Houses that, while "Sir Edwin was not a notable exponent of the slick modern mode," they did not believe "the architecture of Lutyens was outside the main stream [sic] of modern work." Does the same striving to align Lutyens with modern architecture apply today, in the third decade of the 21st century, more than 150 years after the birth of Lutyens and more than 75 years after his death? My opinion, and it is just that, is no, the archive of Lutyens' architecture can stand on its own without the need for it to be aligned with more forward-thinking contemporaries. If anything, the opposite of previous attempts is most valid today: his work is an inspiration for architects more inclined to vernacular, classical, and other traditional styles of architecture. While I'm not a proponent of 21st-century classicism, I'm all for a plurality of architectural expressions — if they're done intelligently, capably, and, dare I say, beautifully. And with the superrich getting superricher, our current age isn't too far off from the late 1800s, when Lutyens started designing country houses for people of means. Put another way, large houses on par with those in Country Houses are being made today, unfortunately as lousy McMansions rather than tasteful and complex compositions rooted in architects like Lutyens. I'm generalizing, to be sure, but the audience for this book is both well-defined and likely to buy it. The series, it should be noted, is the winner of the inaugural ICAA Book of the Year from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. With all that said, is The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses, keeping in mind that it is a reprint of a nearly 75-year-old book, good? The quality of the reprint is nearly perfect, with a good selection of papers for the three sequential parts of the book: the texts, the drawings, and the black-and-white photographs. Text and drawings are on matte heavyweight pages, while the photos are on glossy paper. The inks make everything read well; in particular, the drawing reproductions are exquisite. The book is big and apparently well-built, but a tear at the hinge of the paste-down endpaper and free endpaper indicates it might not be strong enough. Hence, not quite perfect. My main frustrations are with the format of the book, which obviously goes back to the original. The text is page after page of wide justified columns — four to a spread, roughly fifty pages without a single illustration; it's a bit of a slog. Houses in the roughly chronological text are keyed to the drawings, which are numbered I to CX and logically follow the text. I often appreciate properly keyed texts, like here, but without any inline images this format requires a lot of flipping back-and-forth in a very big book. And the photos that come third and last in the book? They are numbered, 1 to 271, but they not keyed to the texts or the drawings. What is the result of this three-part structure? Unless you follow the text closely, dutifully flipping to the drawings and searching for the related photographs, forming a mental image of each house (and there are many) based on description, drawing, and photographs is difficult. The Papadakis and Monacelli books mentioned above use project structures more common in architectural monographs, with text descriptions alongside photographs and drawings; these make knowing Castle Drogo, Grey Walls, The Salutation, Tigbourne, and other houses by name that much easier. Familiarity in The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens comes with a bit more effort, but it's an effort architects interested in Lutyens will find rewarding. Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses

Blue Dream is a house designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for Julia "Julie" Reyes Taubman and her husband Robert "Bobby" Taubman. The house, located in East Hampton, on the South Fork of Long Island, was completed in 2017, nearly 30 years after the architects were commissioned to design their first house on Long Island, the Slow House. A book devoted to Blue Dream, written by Paul Goldberger, was released last month by DelMonico Books. Blue Dream and the Legacy of Modernism in the Hamptons: A House by Diller Scofidio + Renfro by Paul Goldberger, photography by Iwan Baan, published by DelMonico Books, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Like other architects educated in the United States in the early 1990s, the architecture of Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio was an inspiration to me. Diller + Scofidio had built very little then, but their beautiful drawings and means of presenting them exhibited a clear desire to build. The only constructing they did then was temporary, almost exclusively in theaters and galleries. Even without a building to their name, their first monograph, Flesh: Architectural Probes, was published in 1994 (the butt cheeks on the front and back covers and butt-crack binding set it apart from every other architecture book). A standout project, coming near at the end of the monograph, is the Slow House, which had already brought D+R attention when it won a P/A Award and graced the cover of Progressive Architecture's January 1991 issue (PDF link). Model of Slow House from DS+R website. The Slow House arcs and expands in plan from a single front door to a two-story picture window facing the water (locals referred to it as a banana). Of relevance here is the house's site in North Haven, Long Island, and the view through the picture window of Long Island Sound. The view's importance is accentuated by a second chimney, opposite a functioning chimney, that would have held a video camera framing the water view for the owners to look at while in the house or back in Manhattan. Page 229 in Flesh shows a photograph of the Slow House taking shape, the formwork for its foundation walls and columns ready to be filled with concrete. Alas, that photo captured the furthest extent of construction: the house was a victim of insufficient assets and the early 90s recession, never to be completed. L: Slow House drawing in the collection of MoMA. R: Slow House under construction in 1991. I never knew exactly why the Slow House wasn't completed, but Paul Goldberger reveals some of the story in Blue Dream, writing that "the house was to be funded by the sale of two Cy Twombly drawings." The collapse of the art market kept that from happening, but the importance of Slow House can be found in the Museum of Modern Art's acquisition of the project's drawings and models for its permanent collection. The most iconic piece is a floor plan and series of building sections drawn on a transparent sheet over wood with what appears to be a schmear of joint compound. Moving from the view in the rearview mirror to the view through the picture window, the sections radiate from the floor plan, in a sequence that is logical yet confounding, given how the sections overlap as they increase in height. Most remarkable is the way the drawing implements remain part of the presentation, and how the compass armature is a custom creation, what I see as a clear extension of Diller's education and Scofidio's teaching at Cooper Union. Needless to say, I was chuffed to see the drawing in person back in 2013, when Pedro Gadanho pulled it out of the MoMA archives for Cut 'n' Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City. Goldberger mentions Slow House in a chapter of Blue Dream that finds Julie and Bobby considering Diller Scofidio + Renfro for their East Hampton house. Charles Renfro, who joined Diller + Scofidio in 1997 and became a name partner in 2004, recounts to Goldberger their initial meeting with Julie at their office, in 2010, when they showed her Slow House "and our small residential oeuvre of mostly unbuilt houses." While hearing "unbuilt" would push most clients to look for another architect, Julie was not a typical client. A few years before the meeting, the Taubmans held an invited design competition, with Thomas Phifer standing out above Shigeru Ban, whose design was "remarkable" but impractical and "more suited to a house in the tropics," and Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, whose design was "more restrained and perhaps less daring than what [Julie] wanted." Phifer sensed that Julie wanted something more sculptural than his first scheme, with three linear pavilions connected by glass-enclosed walkways, so over time it morphed into striking sail-like forms appropriate to its site on the dunes facing the Atlantic. But designing and building a house, architecturally daring or not, is as much about personal relationships as it is about architectural design. Phifer and Julie Taubman "had not connected as closely as [Phifer] wanted his clients to connect," Goldberger explains, and "the immaculate quality of Phifer's architecture was never the right match for Julie's taste." Blue Dream as captured by Iwan Baan. Who was the right architect for Julie's tastes? It was Charles Renfro, who "seemed to connect easily with Julie Taubman in a way that Phifer had not," Goldberger writes. Another reason DS+R got the job was their ability to connect with the precedents Julie was drawn to, namely the houses of John Lautner, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, and Jacques Couëlle, as well as Frederick Kiesler's iconic, site-less, unbuilt Endless House (also in MoMA's collection). The cave-like qualities of the houses designed by Couëlle and Kiesler appear to have inspired Renfro the most, as Julie selected the "Ravioli" scheme from the four initial concepts the studio generated after their meeting. The others were the "Mobius," the "Roof," and the "Dunes." Any of them would have led to statement house dramatically different from the Hamptons norm, but continuing on the path started by the Ravioli scheme led to the built Blue Dream, a sculptural house unlike another DS+R project, yet one that is hard to see coming from another contemporary architect. Spread from Blue Dream in "Where Modernism Flourished" chapter. By the time we read about the Taubmans selecting DS+R for the commission, we have absorbed much of the house through the numerous full-bleed color photographs by Iwan Baan that sit between early chapters about the Taubman's background and wishes, about the history of modernism on Long Island (this chapter echoes Goldberger's essay in Houses of the Hamptons from 1986), and about the aborted project with Phifer. The chapters that follow move forward in time, tracing the development of its formal design; documenting the efforts to engineer the design and turn it into an actual building; presenting the interior contributions that turned the house into a Gesamtkunstwerk; and revealing the personal issues that make the house as melancholy as it is exuberant. The book has a clear narrative sweep, one that is aided by the coffee table format, with its large paper size, large photos, and the easy integration of images with Goldberger's text. The format, I feel, is appropriate to the house and its circumstances. Even if you're not a fan of Blue Dream (I'm still more partial to the Slow House), it's hard not to get pulled along on the ride of its realization as recounted in these pages. The view from the picture window at Blue Dream, photographed by Iwan Baan.

(Covers of some of the books discussed in this post) If your first reaction to the title of this post is something along the lines of, "Wait, isn't critical regionalism just 40 years old?," then everything you think know about critical regionalism is partial, in both senses of the term: incomplete and biased. Yes, Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance" was published in Hal Foster's The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture in 1983, exactly 40 years ago, but the term "critical regionalism" was coined two years earlier by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre in their article "The Grid and the Pathway: An Introduction to the Work of Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis" in Architecture in Greece. But as the term took hold in architectural circles that decade, and to a lesser but still lasting degree in the decades since, it has more often been associated with Frampton's essay, even though he acknowledged the earlier essay at the time and that acknowledgment brought Tzonis and Lefaivre a good deal of attention beyond their native Greece. Yet, if critical regionalism is some sort of –ism, then should it be defined by just one critic? Is it unfair, in other words, that Frampton's take should take precedence over Tzonis and Lefaivre's? First thing's first: what is critical regionalism? If we take a step back and look at the more general term "regionalism," the entry for it in the three-volume Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Architecture (2004, edited by R. Stephen Sennott) describes regionalism in architecture as "the desire to shape buildings according to the particular characteristics of a specific place." Further describing it as "the oldest and most pervasive of all building ideas," the entry omits mention of critical regionalism but includes Frampton's essay in its bibliography. Richard Weston, in his excellent introduction to architecture from 2011, 100 Ideas that Changed Architecture, while he doesn't include critical regionalism among the hundred, he describes it in the entry for regionalism like so: "Attempting to come to terms with the ethical dilemmas of practicing in a globalized world, [... Tzonis and Lefaivre] argued that while welcoming the benefits of interaction and exchange, designers should think critically about their impact and value the uniqueness of the local/regional culture, environment, and resources." Furthermore, they "hoped to avoid both the commercialization of 'folk' traditions and their political use — as in Hitler's promotion of volkisch culture — as a means of excluding others." Weston goes on to describe how Frampton took up the couple's approach but "argued for an emphasis on topography, climate, light, and the tactile rather than the visual [...] advocating tectonic rather than scenographic form as exemplary of the approach," as found in the work of Alvar Aalto and Jørn Utzon. In just a few sentences, Weston draws a basic distinction between the concepts of critical regionalism proffered by Tzonis, Lefaivre, and Frampton, namely that the social and political implications of regionalism nullified the concept for Tzonis and Lefaivre, thereby requiring a critical approach to regionalism, while Frampton saw critical regionalism as a valid response to "scenographic form," by which he means the postmodern architecture that was taking hold of the American architecture profession at the time. Although the architecture and ideas influencing Frampton's "Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance" date back to at least the mid-1960s, the direct impetus for his essay was the 1980 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Paolo Portoghesi with its famous "street," the Strada Novissima. Frampton was invited by Portoghesi, alongside fellow critics Charles Jencks, Christian Norberg-Schultz, and Vincent Scully, to contribute to the inaugural architecture biennale in Venice, but he stepped down, writing in a letter to Robert A. M. Stern (a page of it is shown in OASE #103: Critical Regionalism Revisited) that the exhibition "seems to represent the triumph of Post-Modernism" and that he had already "written a text which is categorically critical of this position." Frampton's letter to Stern was dated May 13, 1980, but the text he mentions he had already written was not "Towards a Critical Regionalism" as it would be found in The Anti-Aesthetic. Most likely it was "The Need for Roots: Venice 1980," which was published in the winter 1981 issue of GA Document. (I have not seen that essay so can't comment on it.) Between the Biennale in 1980 and the release of Foster's collection of postmodern essays, Frampton worked out his concept of critical regionalism, or at least the seeds of the concept can be seen in those years. Modern Architecture and the Critical Present, published by AD in 1982, was basically devoted to his 1980 book Modern Architecture: A Critical History (the fifth edition arrived in 2020), so alongside its other contents it included "Place, Production and Architecture: Towards a Critical Theory of Building," an excerpt of the book's last chapter. It also included "The Isms of Contemporary Architecture," revised to add "Regionalism" as one of the –isms. Although Frampton mentions the thesis of a "hybrid 'world culture'" advanced by philosopher Paul Ricoeur, whose words preface his Anti-Aesthetic essay, and he discusses the work of Aalto, Mario Botta, Alvaro Siza, Gino Valle, and other architects who fit the mold of critical regionalism, the –ism was not yet explicitly "critical." That same year, 1982, Frampton contributed "Proposals for a Critical Regionalism" to Perspecta 20: The Journal of the Yale School of Architecture. Similarities to the essay that will follow in 1983 are found in the Ricoeur quote prefacing the article and a mention of "The Grid and the Pathway." While the "Six Points" essay is abstract, with mention of just two or three architects, the Perspecta article is loaded with buildings and projects that illustrate Frampton's concept. Tadao Ando, J. A. Coderch, Ricardo Bofill, Raimund Abraham, Botta, Valle, and others serve as examples of "recent regional 'schools' whose aim has been to represent and serve, in a critical sense, the limited constituencies in which they are grounded." The essay concludes with mention of "The Grid and the Pathway," but Frampton does not give credit to the authors for coining "critical regionalism," instead using their subjects, Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis, as exemplars of the regional "school" in Greece. Curiously, even though the Perspecta editors give full credit to Tzonis and Lefaivre in the citation to their text, Frampton only mentions Tzonis, referring to "The Grid and the Pathway" as "his article"; this is indicative of the sexism still entrenched at the time but also a lack of understanding of Tzonis and Lefaivre's concept for critical regionalism beyond their 1981 essay. The information described above can be cobbled together from various sources, as cited, as well as from the recently published Kenneth Frampton: Conversations with Daniel Talesnik, in which Frampton is forthcoming about the origins of "Towards a Critical Regionalism" and the debt it owed to Tzonis and Lefaivre. (His recital of the facts to Talesnik makes it seem that it is a story he has told numerous times in the decades since his essay.) But to gain a considerably deeper understanding of the overlapping theories of critical regionalism and their origins, one recently published book is extremely valuable and highly recommended: Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism before Globalisation by Stylianos Giamarelos, published by UCL Press, 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) There are too many revelations in Giamarelos's history/historiography of critical regionalism, but only enough space here to mention three. First is the role of Robert A. M. Stern in the 1980 Venice Architecture Biennale, The Presence of the Past. Giamarelos describes Stern as "the show's overlooked protagonist [...] historically overshadowed by Portoghesi." Frampton, remember, was invited to participate, but by the time he and the other critics went to Venice, in November 1979, the direction of the exhibition was already determined during a September 1979 meeting where Stern presented his detailed proposal that "practically formed the backbone of the exhibition," per Giamarelos. No wonder most of the architects contributing to the Strada Novissima were from North America rather than Europe or Asia, and no wonder Frampton addressed his resignation letter to Stern. A second revelation is the contribution of Anthony Alofsin, who was a student of Tzonis's in the 1970s, when he was teaching at Ivy League schools in the US. Alofsin is known now for numerous books on Frank Lloyd Wright, but in the 1970s his work as a sculptor and architect in New Mexico "stimulated his interest in the historic processes that lay beneath" the area's historic buildings. He brought this interest in regionalism to Harvard GSD in 1978, where he took courses from Tzonis that "familiarized him with critical theory," per Giamarelos. Alofsin ended up joining Tzonis and Lefaivre on a paper, "The Question of Regionalism," for a conference in 1980 organized by Swiss sociologist Lucius Burckhardt. Alofsin's text submitted to Tzonis, "Constructive Regionalism," served as the basis for the paper, but Tzonis and Lefaivre modified Alofsin's conclusion, introducing the critical regionalism they would expand upon for the Architecture in Greece esssay. (Vincent B. Canizaro's excellent Architectural Regionalism: Collected Writings on Place, Identity, Modernity and Tradition includes Alofsin's original text.) So, while "The Question of Regionalism," when published in 1981, was the first appearance of critical regionalism in print, it was only in German and therefore not cited by Frampton, unlike the bilingual "The Grid and the Pathway." A third illuminating thread of information from the book involves Frampton's proposed 18-book series of "monographs on critical architecture practices of 'unsentimental regionality'" for Rizzoli, who would have published them over a period of two to four years. First proposed at the end of 1981, Frampton moved forward with two titles — on Tadao Ando and Atelier 66, the practice of Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis, published in 1984 and 85, respectively — before Rizzoli discontinued the series. (Such an ambitious, audacious proposal no doubt stemmed from Frampton serving as an acquisitions and editorial consultant at Rizzoli from 1979 to 1988.) Outside of Vittorio Gregotti, whom Frampton would have written about on his own, each book would have been edited by Frampton, included a short introduction by him, and featured a longer essay by an author familiar with their work; naturally, then, Tzonis and Lefaivre contributed to the book on Atelier 66. Giamarelos also discusses the book Frampton started to work about critical regionalism, given that his essay made such an impact in the 1980s that it warranted a book-length exposition. That never happened, but Frampton rolled some of his version of critical regionalism into Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture, an excellent and well-respected book but not one with the lasting impact of the 1983 essay. So, if Frampton did not write the book on critical regionalism, who did, assuming one exists? The first architecture book bearing the critical regionalism moniker was written by none other than Tzonis and Lefaivre. Critical Regionalism: Architecture and Identity in a Globalized World was published in 2003, the third in Prestel's "Architecture in Focus" series, which also included books on "Minimal Architecture" and "Light, Mobile and Floating Architecture." The authors used the book to provide a deeper history of regionalism, tracing it from Ancient Greece to ca. World War II in an essay by Tzonis, and delving into the ideas of Lewis Mumford in an essay by Lefaivre that looked at the three decades after the war. The other half of the book has twenty examples of critical regionalism, mainly in photos, making it as much a picture book as a text of history and theory. Given the impact of critical regionalism on architects — it is one of the few architectural concepts/theories with direct application to professional practice — I wanted to include something on it in Buildings in Print: 100 Influential and Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books. Although Critical Regionalism is the book I chose, Giamarelos describes their later book, Architecture of Regionalism in the Age of Globalization: Peaks and Valleys in the Flat World (first published in 2011 and expanded in 2020) as the couple's definitive statement on critical regionalism, signaling its greater importance. While this review can only touch on a few points in Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism Before Globalisation, Giamarelos's goals are two-fold: articulating the formulation of critical regionalism by Tzonis and Lefaivre, since it has long been overshadowed by Frampton's concept; and, in the book's second half, exploring the cross-cultural roots of critical regionalism in Greece, the home of Tzonis, Lefaivre, and their original subjects, Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis. Giamarelos wraps up the book by arguing for the continued relevance of critical regionalism today, shifting it from "an architectural theory of the 1980s into a manifesto for architectural historiography in the 21st century." If architectural historians embrace the seven points of Giamarelos's manifesto remains to be seen, but the value of the history the book tells is abundantly clear, given the lack of a history of critical regionalism before it.

Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high number of books by a particular author ("frampton," as in Kenneth) or maybe about a certain architect ("wright," Frank Lloyd). One of the oft-used tags on the specific end of the spectrum is "moma," which includes books published by the Museum of Modern Art, be it Robert Venturi's Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture or exhibition catalogs, as well as books actually about MoMA, like Terence Riley's The International Style: Exhibition 15 and The Museum of Modern Art. As of today, I have 34 books tagged "moma" in my library, spanning from The International Style in 1932 (the 1990s reprint, mind you, not the first edition) to Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism, the catalog to the exhibition of the same name that opened yesterday at MoMA. In between the books from 1932 and 2023 are catalogs for MoMA exhibitions I attended and wrote about; exhibitions I wish I would have seen in person; and exhibitions, many of them seminal, held well before my time. The value of exhibition catalogs is evident in the latter two: they enable people who did not see an exhibition to be exposed to what the curators put together, often with the added input of scholars on the subject. One could even go further and say the catalogs are more important than the exhibitions themselves, since they have longevity, serving as archives of the exhibitions well after they've been demounted and destroyed. While I don't fully agree with such a statement, since exhibitions benefit from being spatial experiences and often — and increasingly — feature films and other media that can't be replicated in books, the value of catalogs is undeniable. Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism edited by Carson Chan and Matthew Wagstaffe, published by the Museum of Modern Art, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) How does Emerging Ecologies compare to previous catalogs from MoMA exhibitions on architecture? Based on my exposure to them, I would group MoMA's architecture catalogs into two broad types: printed companions to the drawings, models, and other artifacts on display in the galleries; and scholarly essays on the exhibition's subject. Often these two strands are combined, with essays prefacing plates of the works on display. But if we go all the way back to MoMA's first architecture exhibition — Modern Architecture: International Exhibition, curated by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcok in 1932 — we find these two types in two separate publications: a companion catalog (PDF link) and the more familiar, polemical book by Johnson and Hitchcock (sans Lewis Mumford's contribution on housing from the exhibition/catalog) that "defined 'the International Style'" at the time and in the decades to come. Emerging Ecologies, as edited by Carson Chan and Matthew Wagstaffe, falls into the "printed companion" camp. Visitors to Emerging Ecologies between now and its closing on January 24, 2023, will approach the third-floor architecture galleries in one of two ways. Stepping out of an elevator, they will be confronted by a timeline of relevant events and dates for the artifacts in the exhibition, while those arriving via escalators and the bridge next to the atrium will see the yellow wall pictured at the top of this post and then go either left or right into the exhibition's two galleries. The various exhibits are laid out thematically, but when I previewed the exhibition last week, I found the layout and presentation fairly laid back, conducive to a leisurely stroll through the numerous colorful projects comprising "the first expansive survey of the history of environmental thinking in architecture," spanning primarily the 1960s and 70s. The exhibition is also the first from MoMA's Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment, which was created in 2020 and helmed by Chan the following year. In lieu of a thematic organization following from the layout of the exhibition (e.g., "Prehistory of Environmental Architecture," "Enclosed Ecologies," "Life Forms," etc.) or one following the timeline visitors see by the elevators, the book is in alphabetical order by the names of the architects or other authors of the works in the exhibition (there is an expanded timeline in the back matter). While this results in putting Emilio Ambasz first among the more than thirty names, it more broadly puts an emphasis on the personalities behind environmental thinking, rather than the works themselves. Like other surveys, be they exhibitions or not, the structure allows comparisons to be made based on quantities: the number of pages given to each name helps signal their importance. So who is most important in Emerging Ecologies? No contest it's R. Buckminster Fuller, not only because he earns sixteen pages while most others have four or six, but because the "pathbreaking architect, writer, designer, inventor, and philosopher" (per the book) infiltrates other names in the book. Cambridge Seven Associates built one of Fuller's geodesic domes for Expo 67 and Murphy & Mackey built one at Missouri Botanical Garden; these are just the most direct permutations of Fuller elsewhere in the book. Architecture exhibitions at MoMA are, by virtue of their setting, geared to general audiences. As such, the catalogs are where the curators expend the effort in digging deeper, usually in more scholarly ways. That isn't the case with this "field guide," as Chan and Wagstaffe label it, but that doesn't mean architects and others with prior knowledge of environmentalism in the 1960s and 70s will not find something new, or new perspectives on the subject, in the book. Beyond names like Fuller, there are such groups as the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Warren County Citizens Concerned about PCB that capture today's emphasis on equity and citizen engagement. It's not all hero worship, in other words. For me, a big fan of buildings merging with landscapes, I was pleased to learn about Malcolm Wells, who pivoted his practice from "conventional" to "earth-sheltered," sticking to his beliefs from the mid-1906s to his death in 2009. I was also surprised that I hadn't known about him earlier. Surely, I won't be alone in making such discoveries in Emerging Ecologies, a rich survey of a period with obvious relevance today.

Last week dose explored three "places in time": St. Louis in the early decades of the 20th century; Detroit between 1935 and 1985; and Chicago suburb Oak Park ca. 1906, when Frank Lloyd Wright completed Unity Temple. Those three US-centric books were split between two historical surveys and one case study. The same applies to the European/Asian books here, with a survey of brutalist architecture in Paris followed by a survey of Indonesian architecture trained in Germany around 1960 and a case study of a care center for people with mental disabilities in Belgium. Brutalist Paris: Post-War Brutalist Architecture in Paris and Environs by Nigel Green and Robin Wilson, published by Blue Crow Media, July 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek: German-trained Indonesian Architects from the 1960s edited by Moritz Henning and Eduard Kögel, published by DOM Publishers, July 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Living in Monnikenheide: Care, Inclusion and Architecture edited by Gideon Boie, published by Flanders Architecture Institute, April 2023 Before receiving Brutalist Paris from the folks at Blue Crow Media, I thought of the UK company simply as a maker of maps. I reviewed Concrete Map Chicago back in 2018 and since then have noticed them putting out maps of modern architecture, brutalist architecture, public transit — even trees. If the Chicago map is any indication, the others put out by Blue Crow Media excel at assembling a mix of quality buildings and presenting them in a way that allows people to orient themselves to the locations of the selected buildings in a particular city; that's the power of maps: orienting oneself physically, in place, and mentally, at a distance. So I was a bit surprised to find the maps on the inside front and back covers of Brutalist Paris to be, frankly, practically useless. Their scale is too small; the contrast between streets and blocks is too low; it's not clear how the four maps join up; the lists of buildings keyed to the maps do not extend to the book's pages. I could go on, but that's not necessary because this book is not about the maps. Rather it is about the words of Robin Wilson and the photographs of Nigel Green. The maps give some cursory, almost ghostly, geographic information, but they are not there to structure the book. Brutalist Paris features seven essays by Wilson and four geographical sections with Green's photos inserted between the essays. Although the duo collaborates as Photolanguage, words and images are distinct. "Whilst the photographic component provides an extensive, general survey of the production of the period as a whole," Wilson explains in the first essay, "the text necessarily develops a more selective interpretation of a smaller range of key works." Paris does not spring immediately to my mind as the city of brutalist architecture par excellence (that would be London or Boston), but Wilson's words and Green's images do a good job of arguing for the importance of Paris as a brutalist city. Jumping to the fore are not the famous examples (Breuer's UNESCO, Niemeyer's Communist Party HQ, Corbu's Maisons Jaoul) but the complex, fractal-like constructions of Jean Renaudie and Nina Susch, Renée Gailhoustet, and others. Wilson describes "a properly oblique and combinatory architecture" and Green captures the light, scale, and in some cases decay of the complexes. The photos may be just a couple of years old, but the choice of presenting them as duotones helps transport readers to the sixties, seventies, and eighties, when parts of Paris really embraced creative concrete architecture. The next book covers roughly the same timeframe as Brutalist Paris — the few decades following the year 1960 — but in two locales thousands of miles and two continents apart: Indonesia and Germany. The two places don't immediately strike me as intertwined, but editors Moritz Henning and Eduardo Kögel discovered a link between them that is quite interesting: a dozen architecture students from Indonesia who studied at TU Berlin and other schools in West Germany in 1960/61. The editors found out about them while working with the curators of Occupying Modernism, the Indonesian contribution to Encounters with Southeast Asian Modernism, an ambitious, multifaceted program directed by Henning and Kögel with Sally Below and Christian Hiller. (Out of the same program came Contested Modernities: Postcolonial Architecture and the Construction of Identities in Southeast Asia, a publication I "briefed" last year.) Like other parts of Encounters, Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek focuses on cross-cultural cooperation between Southeast Asia and Western Europe, and it even comes across subtly in the book's title, words that are probably enigmatic to English speakers: Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek is the Indonesian equivalent of the German Diplom–Ingenieur Architektur. Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek is number 171 in DOM Publishers' longstanding "Basics" series as evidenced by the square format and orange, geometric cover (like this one). While the subject seems too niche to me to be a "basics" book, the structure and presentation of the book are very clear and well done, aiding in one's understanding of the subject and recognizing its importance. Following spreads of period photographs in West Berlin, Hannover, Aachen, and Jakarta, the book's contents are fitted into five parts: "Context," with a handful of essays give relevant background on Germany and Indonesia in the period of the book; "Diplomas," a presentation of ten of the students' final projects; in-depth "Biographies" of eight of the architects; "Positions," excerpts of a few texts by some of the architects; and contemporary "Photographs" of buildings in Indonesia the architects designed after returning there to practice. So, who are these architects that studied in Germany but took their knowledge back home to Indonesia? Soejoedi Wirjoatmodjo and Han Awal were known by the editors beforehand, but the rest (Herianto Sulindro, Jan Beng Oei, Mustafa Pamuntjak, Bianpoen, Suwondo Bismo Sutedjo, Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya) were primarily discovered in the archives of TU Berlin, which kept their drawings, model photographs, and even some of the models. I can't think of a better arguments for architecture schools — and the future architects attending them — to carefully document their thesis projects and maintain them in archives. The third place-in-time book, Living in Monnikenheide, heads to Zoersel, in Belgium, and jumps forward in time to near the present. The book's subject, Monnikenheide, is a residential care center for people with mental disabilities that was created around 1973 and has seen more than a dozen buildings added to its "campus" in the half-century since. I had never heard of the place — neither Monnikenheide nor Zoersel, the Flemish village now home to around 22,000 people — so reading some of the essays and perusing the case studies of the buildings were acts of discovery. Gideon Boie, the book's editor and instigator of the book project, describes Monnikenheide as "an unprecedented housing project" that "searched for the normalization of housing for people with mental disabilities" and, in wording that echoes recent trends in architectural culture, "a testing ground for care architecture." The book's subtitle, Care, Inclusion and Architecture, sets up the half-dozen essays that carry the titles "Living with Disability," "At Home in the Care Centre," and "Caring for the Landscape of Care," among others. The essays capably address the myriad issues around the place, from its niche typology to the politics of "inclusion" and the important role of the beautiful wooded landscape connecting the various buildings. The bulk of the book — 70 of its 160 pages — is devoted to the case studies of the buildings, primarily the ones built between 1997 and 2021; the early, "first-period" (of three periods, per Boie) buildings are just described briefly at the beginning of this long section. Architecturally, the buildings range from somewhat typical modern Belgian brick dwellings to low-slung glass-walled updates to older buildings, pitched-roof care homes clad in corrugated metal, and a three-story care home covered in blackened wood. While each building is pleasing in one way or another, Monnikenheide is not about any individual building: it is about the interaction of the buildings with each other and the landscapes between them and, in the case of the brick dwellings in the village, the logical extension of "inclusion" to a context more urban than pastoral. Full-bleed photographs between the different sections of the book do a decent job in capturing the character of the landscape and the village; I say "decent" because their silver duotones, akin to the cover, are more aesthetic than informative. But in concert with the essays, case studies, and the book's design, the photos contribute well to a beautiful document of a special place that architects interested in this facet of care will find valuable.

Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them myself, so I don't inherently hate them. But I tend to pass on them when it comes to new books, which most likely boils down to the fact I'm not a practicing architect and therefore don't need to look at, say, a roundup of libraries when I'm designing one. Yet, when it comes to old surveys — as in my latest #archidosereads — I have a hard time saying no to them after spotting them in used bookstores. I think part of their appeal is the way they capture the character of a certain time, and often, with the occasional geographical focus of surveys, a particular place in time. Being seen decades after they were made, the best ones manage to transport me back to a certain place in time — something I find irresistible, even if subconsciously, before putting it down in words here. A book need not be old to do such a thing, so this week and next week I'm featuring books that manage to capture certain places at certain times. The six books aren't all surveys, but the majority of them do fall into that subcategory of architectural books. Following the three US-central books here, next week's installment will head to Europe and Asia. Detroit Modern: 1935–1985 by Peter Forguson, photography by Amy Claeys, published by Visual Profile Books, November 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple: A Good Time Place Reborn by Pat Cannon, photography by James Caulfield, published by Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, December 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes by Nancy Moore Hamilton, published by Missouri Historical Society, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In its geography and name, Detroit Modern sounds like a sequel to Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy, the 2018 book written by preservationist Brian D. Conway with photographs by James Haefner, also published by Visual Profile Books. But they are two different beasts, given that the earlier book was the product of the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, which received a grant from the National Park Service for the project, while the nearly one-year-old Detroit Modern was written by Peter Forguson, a landscape designer and landscaping contractor who has worked on the grounds of some of the 70 houses collected in his book. Forguson's book, in turn, is a labor of love, one that draws attention to an overlooked geographical subset of mid-20th-century modern residential architecture, something Michigan Modern similarly did for a wider array of building typologies on a larger geographical scale. The 70 houses spanning 50 years were designed by names both familiar and lesser known: from Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Minoru Yamasaki, Edward Durell Stone, and Gunnar Birkets among the former, to Irving Tobocman, Don Paul Young, Louis DesRosiers, and Robert L. Ziegelman in the latter. While those last four names, among numerous others in the book, are new to me, they may be fairly well-known names in the larger Detroit area (the book is more Grosse Pointe Farms and Bloomfield Hills that Detroit proper, it should be noted), given that they designed roughly 20 of the book's 70 houses. This book will no doubt appeal to locals interested in mid-20th-century houses, but it should also appeal to people living outside the Detroit area who like the same. It should be pointed out that although photographer Amy Claeys is billed as photographer, many of the houses feature photographs by others, including Haefner and occasional period photographs by the great Balthazar Korab. As such, the book doesn't have the visual consistency of Michigan Modern (it's also lacking in floor plans, valuable elements in any good book on residential architecture), but the book's ability to capture the high-quality architecture created in a place over a fairly long time period makes it a valuable document. The buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright, unlike the houses of suburban Detroit, don't need to worry about being overlooked. There are more than 400 extant buildings designed by Wright, and although only a small number of them are considered masterpieces, that number is higher than most — save perhaps Le Corbusier. One way of quantifying greatness is via UNESCO, which put 17 Corbu sites on its 2016 list but only eight Wright buildings on a similar list a few years later. One of those eight is Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois, the Chicago suburb home to Wright at the time; ground broke on the building in 1906 and it was dedicated in 1909, the same year Wright left for Europe to work on the Wasmuth Portfolio. Given the importance of Unity Temple in Wright's oeuvre, it made sense that Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple: A Good Time Place, a celebration of the edifice, was released in 2009. Although restoration plans, led by T. Gunny Harboe, began around 2006, the "award-winning transformative restoration" would not be complete until 2017, twelve years after the building celebrated its centennial. With Unity Temple carefully restored and open to the public for about five years, the time was right to update the 2009 book by Patrick F. Cannon with photographer James Caulfield. I have not seen the earlier book, but it appears to be a square book of approximately nine inches, whereas the newly "reborn" book taking on a larger page size — nearly 10 x 12 inches. The slim, 120-page book has a brief history of the commission, its design and its construction, at the beginning, with a text by Harboe on the restoration, a selective bibliography (including Robert McCarter's 1997 case study from the "Architecture in Detail" series), and some texts from ca. 1909 in the back matter. In between are approximately 75 pages of photographs by Caulfield. Unfortunately, what should be the best part of the book — post-restoration photographs of Unity Temple's exterior and interior — is the most disappointing. Without knowing the details, Caulfield appears to have a preference for HDR photography, which makes the concrete building look like a computer model on the outside and too evenly illuminated on the inside. Only in the photos where Caulfield lets shadows be dark (the cover photo being one of those) can readers fully appreciate what Wright accomplished more than a century ago. I'm from suburban Chicago so am quite familiar with the numerous Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Oak Park. But even though my wife hails from St. Louis, and therefore I've been there quite a few times and have seen firsthand various parts of the city and county, I was not previously familiar with Alexander August Fischer, the subject of this hefty book by his inadvertent biographer, Nancy Moore Hamilton. I say inadvertent because in retirement Hamilton, a longtime resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and former geographer and data analyst who had spent just one year of her life in St. Louis, found herself drawn to St. Louis and the streetscapes built by A. A. Fischer. As the photos on the cover of the book (some of many in the book shot by photographer Reed R. Ratcliffe in 2022) attest, the streetscapes of Fischer are a pleasing lot — or, at least the ones that have survived intact to 2022, a century or more after they were created, are. After all, when I think of the streetscapes of St. Louis, what comes to mind are vacant lots and vacant or condemned buildings being just as numerous on any block as extant and/or occupied buildings, such is the unfortunate present of the Midwestern city. Hamilton's large book published by the Missouri Historical Society is like two books in one: a biography of Fischer and a directory of the many buildings by Fischer's company. Following Hamilton's semi-autobiographical introduction, which goes into some detail on how she ended up spending close to two decades focused on the subject of Fischer and his buildings, is the biography: four chronological chapters on Fischer's life, from his German ancestors to his death (in 1936 at the age of 70) and legacy. The subject may only seem appealing to residents of St. Louis, but it is a lavishly illustrated biography, with numerous large photographs by Ratcliffe as well as archival photographs and other documents. At just 120 pages and accompanied by the illustrations, the biography is a fairly quick read. The bulk of the book follows: the 340-page "Directory of A. A. Fischer Builds" that methodically presents one building per page with data and illustrations. It doesn't matter if a building was razed, it is given a page and indicated as such. While extant buildings receive photos by Radcliffe, buildings long-gone have older photographs or just maps. And speaking of maps, the book is accompanied by a foldout poster that locates every building in the book — very helpful. The pros of the book are obvious, mainly that Hamilton fills a void in the scholarship of the built environment in St. Louis. A. A. Fischer was a prolific builder of residential buildings across the city in the first decades of the 20th century, though his impact was basically unheralded. In this sense, the book is more than welcome. My only con with the book is its hefty format. With a 10 x 12" paper size and nearly 2" thick, it is a large, unwieldy book. The pages are nearly full in the biography, but the photos in the directly are small and the margins across those same pages are large. With the layout of the directory apparently sized to entries with the most available information, most of the these pages are therefore empty space. I feel that either the photos should have been larger across the directory pages, or the whole book should have opted for a smaller page size. Of course, the latter would make the book a less impressive object — one that wouldn't have immediately conveyed the size of Fischer's contributions to St. Louis.

Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or arriving at my doorstep unsolicited — the highest percentage of them are monographs. This fact goes against the occasional sirens over the irrelevance and anachronistic nature of monographs in our digital age, with free access (for now) to voluminous amounts of information on buildings and architects readily available online. But books, in my opinion, are better archives than websites, offering architects a further level of control over the finished product compared to websites. It's not uncommon today to find architecture firms, no doubt driven by savvy marketing departments and PR firms, merging their brands across platforms, such that their monographs resemble their websites. But in five or ten years time, only the books will retain that expression, thereby making them important archives of architects' work and the means of presenting it. The four recently published monographs that follow provide four diverse expressions for architectural monographs today. Speculative Coolness: Architecture, Media, the Real, and the Virtual by Bryan Cantley, edited by Peter J. Baldwin, published by Routledge, April 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Merging City and Nature: 30 Commitments to Combat Climate Change by Batlleiroig, published by Actar Publishers, March 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) I'm not sure when I came across the architecture of Bryan Cantley, but for sure it was through his popular Instagram account — with nearly 30,000 followers now, at least it is popular by architecture standards. The images saturating his account transport me to my undergrad days in the early 1990s, when Neil Denari, Peter Pfau and Wes Jones, and other machine-minded architects were in vogue. Building; Machines, the twelfth issue of Pamphlet Architecture, was the bible of this strain of contemporary architecture, where structure and services were exposed, elements moved (or at least appeared to do so), and surfaces (almost always metallic) featured curves that echoed the form of concrete mixer trucks. I figured I wasn't alone in connecting those aesthetic dots, but I also assumed such a reading was overly superficial and potentially unfair toward whatever Cantley is doing through his designs and illustrations. Neil Spiller actually mentions Neil Denari and Wes Jones in his introductory essay to Speculative Coolness, but only briefly, lumping them with a wider swath of visionaries ("the Wright brothers, Barnes Wallace, Archigram, Norman Foster and Richard Rogers") and stating that "nowadays these preoccupations have their epicenter in SoCaL." Cantley is a professor at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and has taught at SCI-Arc and Woodbury University, all SoCal schools, though his bio at the start of the book also points out that "his work is in the permanent collection at SFMOMA, as well as in the personal collection of Thom Mayne." If such "preoccupations" have their epicenter in and around Los Angeles now, they did so thirty years ago, too, when Denari, Jones, etc. taught and practiced there. This network with shared interests and formal similarities is accentuated by Wes Jones's essay in the pages of Speculative Coolness and Mayne's afterword in the same. A major thing separating the work of Denari and Jones with that of Cantley is the brief, or program, or whatever one wants to call it. Although much of the machine-inspired architecture of the nineties remained on paper or in model form, the projects were clearly proposals to be built, be it an unlikely monastery, a more reasonable house or apartment building, or most obviously an industrial structure (an example of the last, by Holt Hinshaw Jones, was built at UCLA in 1994). But it's difficult to grasp what Cantley's projects might function as if they are considered as models for actual buildings, or if they were designed in response to particular briefs, for instance in the way Brodsky and Utkin created designs for competitions but hardly ever had them approach being recognizable buildings. But do I care if Cantley's designs are speculative, self-generated programs rather than proposals for specific briefs from others? Do I care if I grasp his intentions, further obscured by the texts accompanying the images? Well, frankly, no. His projects, as rendered in sketches, drawings, models, perspectives, and collages, are just too beautiful. No wonder his website sells prints of his architectural imagery — and no wonder this monograph is saturated with the same, sure to woo architects and architecture students too young to remember the nineties. Half a world away from Southern California is the equally warm-and-dry region of Catalonia and the metropolis of Barcelona, where the multi-disciplinary firm Batlleiroig, founded by Enric Batlle and Joan Roig in 1981, is located. Forty years is a long time for an architecture firm, and across those years Batlleiroig has realized many projects spanning multiple disciplines: architecture, landscape, and planning. Those same disciplines structure the book, which features ten chapters with three projects per chapter — one planning project, one landscape, and one building per chapter. But let's not call them chapters: Batlle describes them as "ten concepts that we believe must be incorporated into our daily lives to combat the climate emergency and improve living conditions on the planet." 10 x 3 = 30, hence the thirty projects presented in Merging City and Nature are also "30 commitments to combat climate change." Over Batlleiroig's 40-plus years, the firm has grown to 140 people, making them a large firm in any of their three disciplines. Such size often means, at least in terms of architectural monographs, a business-like approach over an artistic one. This approach is definitely on display in Merging City and Nature, from the 10x3 structure and the descriptions of the projects/commitments (more bullet points than narratives) to the design and layout of the book, which resembles a textbook at times. Structure trumps reality, such that even though the firm has fifteen times more architects than planners and twice as many architects as landscape architects (as expressed in a bubble diagram at the back of the book), there are ten projects presented for each discipline. I would have loved to see more landscapes, which are the strongest parts of Batlleiroig's output (the Garraf Controlled Waste Landfill project is one of many highlights). As is, the book's rigid structure enables the firm to show how each of their disciplines addresses each of the ten concepts: commendable from a marketing perspective but dry and fatiguing for anyone looking for inspiration. So, if you're looking for a practical book loaded with well-designed examples of how architects and planners can address the climate emergency, Merging City and Nature is the book for you. Allied Works Architecture 2003- 2022 (TC 156) by Brad Cloepfil and Allied Works, published by TC Cuadernos, July 2022 (Amazon) Skylab: The Nature of Buildings by Skylab and Jeff Kovel, published by Thames & Hudson, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Often my excitement with learning about an architectural imprint is tempered by the fact I didn't know about it sooner. How did Valencia's TC Cuadernos put out dozens and dozens of monographic issues on contemporary architects in and beyond Spain before Allied Works sent me number 156 without me knowing about them? Am I that out of touch with European architectural publications? Or are there just too many to keep track of? The quality of the issue devoted to about twenty years of Allied Works' buildings is exemplary, indicating that the wider TC Cuadernos oeuvre melds the qualities of, say, El Croquis with Detail: offering color photographs on high-quality paper accompanied by detailed architectural drawings. (That said, I do wish the font for the project descriptions and essays was easier to read and that all the drawings were labeled, not just the wall sections — reading floor plans without labels is not very helpful.) Allied Works Architecture 2003- 2022 is the first expansive monograph on Allied Works since Occupation, the 2011 release covering the first sixteen years of the studio founded by Brad Cloepfil in Portland, Oregon, in 1994. I have not seen that earlier monograph, but the level of control I mentioned in the prologue to this post is naturally eschewed in the new book (essentially a periodical), in terms of page design and the couple of things I quibbled about above. Still, for the most part it is an Allied Works product, with the drawings, models, photographs, and text provided by the studio. Most refreshing is the span of the book, with fourteen completed buildings over nearly twenty years presented; it even includes Cloepfil's fairly well-known early essay/project "Sitings: Five Reflections on Architectural Domain" (PDF link), which functioned as a statement of intent when he founded his firm now nearly thirty years ago. Back in 2017, I attended the Vectorworks Design Summit in Baltimore, where Cloepfil gave the keynote and I was able to speak with him one-on-one after his presentation for an article at World-Architects. Before that talk, the projects I was most familiar with were the Maryhill Overlook (1998), the Wieden+Kennedy Headquarters (2000), the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2003), and the Clyfford Still Museum (2011). These four projects are thoroughly orthogonal buildings, but the projects he presented in Baltimore, such as the National Music Centre of Canada (2016) and National Veterans Memorial and Museum (2018), are dramatic departures from the apparent norm: curved and spatially complex constructions that see Cloepfil and Allied Works apparently striving to create architectural icons. Not surprisingly, these last two projects are found at the beginning of TC 156, signaling their importance in this phase of Cloepfil's career and the output of his studio. The diversity of Allied Works' designs can be seen in the other cultural, residential, and commercial projects that fill the monograph, including the issue's closer: Providence Park Stadium Expansion (2019), a project that hardly screams "Allied Works" but exhibits the studio's attentiveness to form, material, and structure — especially as presented in the pages of TC 156. Also based in Portland, Skylab was founded by Jeff Koval in 2000 — more than twenty years ago, meaning it was about time for the firm to produce its first monograph. Although Skylab is best known for a series of projects with Nike — especially the Serena Williams Building (2021) and a temporary installation for the shoe brand at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials for Track & Field — the format of the book reflects the music business: The square book features foldout cover boards, a circular cutout and "parental advisory" sticker on the cover, multiple large double-fold gatefolds, and "sides" rather than chapters (Side-A, Side-B, etc.). There isn't even a table of contents, something that makes flipping through the book a voyage of discovery, much like dropping a needle on an album, putting on headphones, and listening deeply. From the photographs of the ten presented buildings under construction to photographs of them completed and everything in between, there is an almost rock n' roll aesthetic suffusing Skylab — a certain coolness that makes the LP format appropriate, if a bit quizzical at times. (If taken to its logical conclusion, wouldn't each "side" be the same length, instead of just 12 pages for Side A, for instance, versus 130 pages for Side B?) One can easily flip through The Nature of Buildings without any awareness of the LP metaphor and gain just as much understanding of Skylab's work: digesting the projects through images layered with green text and drawings; relishing the surprise each gatefold elicits; and reading the trio of conversations between Kovel and others, including clients. The latter are presented sideways on the page, a bit like liner notes, I assume, though they can also be seen just as readily as print elements meant to stand out from the projects that are right side up throughout the book. Like fellow Portlanders Allied Works, the portfolio of Skylab is formally and typologically diverse. Kovel and company's projects might not be as geographically widespread as Cloepfil's, with most of Skylab projects keeping Portland weird, but with commissions in Utah and Idaho they're gaining in popularity beyond their local following.

From the middle of March, when a family emergency put this blog on hiatus, until the middle of July, when a funeral mass was held for my dad, my life was split almost evenly between my home in New York City and my parent's home in Central Florida. The emergency in March was an incident putting my father in the hospital, and it was followed by numerous diagnoses, the need for him to go into assisted living, and eventually him going back into the hospital, where he died — peacefully, with me, my mother, and my sister at his bedside. Back in March I anticipated, even with his diagnoses, to be helping him in various capacities for a few years, not just a few months. They were difficult and taxing months that found me as relieved as saddened when he passed; the obvious pain and frustration he felt are gone, but memories of him remain and in some ways are stronger and more prevalent now than before. Over those three months, I managed to eke out a half-dozen posts on this blog: a roundup of some books published during the first part of this year; some thoughts on the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which I managed to attend between trips; a couple work-related posts, one on self-publishing by architecture firms and the other featuring books from my trip to the Venice Architecture Biennale; a "cheater" revisiting an old post as an excuse to explore ChatGPT; and my first installment of "Book Briefs" this calendar year. That sporadic frequency will continue for the rest of the summer, as I take time to do things with my wife and daughter and just generally decompress. But one thing the last three months did, in the context of this first blog post in six weeks, was push me toward a local focus. So here I present two books on the phenomenon of supertall residential towers, the most high-profile ones found along 57th Street, aka "Billionaires' Row." Billionaires’ Row: Tycoons, High Rollers, and the Epic Race To Build the World’s Most Exclusive Skyscrapers by Katherine Clarke, published by Currency, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Sky-High: A Critique of NYC's Supertall Towers from Top to Bottom by Eric P. Nash, photography by Bruce Katz, published by Princeton Architectural Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In the prologue to Billionaires' Row, Wall Street Journal reporter Katherine Clarke describes the construction of 40 Wall Street, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building nearly a full century ago as "a veritable race to the sky as wealthy titans of industry vied to build a succession of towers, each taller than the last." (It's a race recounted by Neal Bascomb in Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City back in 2003.) The brief historical anecdote gives the new book an angle, one expressed clearly in its subtitle. Yet I have a hard time buying that the developers of One57 (Gary Barnett/Extell), 432 Park Avenue (Harry Macklowe and CIM Group), 111 West 57th Street (Michael Stern/JDS), 220 Central Park South (Steve Roth/Vornado), and Central Park Tower (also Barnett/Extell) were involved in any sort of race, figurative or otherwise. I've been paying attention to this handful of buildings along Billionaires' Row as long as Clarke has, though not nearly to the same in-depth and insider degree as her, I'll admit, yet I still struggle to find a correlation between these towers and the Manhattan office buildings from the 1920s and 30s. Yes, there is synergy in that each grouping was born from the circumstances of the time (architectural, technological, economic, etc.), but the only "race" I find now is not between the developers themselves, but between the developers and the market — the developers had to quickly sell their eight- and nine-digit aeries before the market for them dried up. If anything, the assemblage of these five towers sitting mainly along 57th Street, a wide street they exploited for unused FAR (floor-area ratio) and reshaped in the process, are less an example of competition and more so an instance of geographical synergy, like a row of car dealers along a busy thoroughfare. People looking for a behind-the-scenes look at the development of these Billionaires' Row towers will be very happy with Clarke's book. The focus is squarely on the four men listed above, the developers behind the five towers. Readers will learn a little bit about the architecture, interior design, engineering and other physical attributes of the towers, but they will learn a lot more about the legal and economic means of how each individual tower happened, as well as the personalities of those men and the people they had relationships with, both business and personal. I have given walking tours of 57th Street and other parts of the city where luxury residential towers are in abundance, and while I tend to focus on aspects of architecture, engineering, and zoning, I never forget to mention how much celebrities and other high-worth people pay for the units; slenderness ratio is exciting to some, but the most audible gasps come from patrons hearing about condos selling for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Similarly, Clarke knows her audience; she is attuned to the public's interest in money — plus how much people love to hear about bad things happening to rich people. So the book, a chronological account spanning just over a decade, has plenty of information on the money problems, leaks and creaks, lawsuits, and personal squabbles playing out over that time. If you like hearing that sort of thing, you'll love this book. Although I found Billionaires' Row at a used bookstore a few weeks ago, it was released just last month, exactly two weeks before Sky-High, by former New York Times writer Eric P. Nash. Was there a publishing race to get the first book about Manhattan's supertall towers for the super rich in print? I doubt it, especially since Nash's book has a wider scope than Clarke's, and his book is as much about the photographs by Bruce Katz as it is Nash's critical takes on a dozen 300-meter-plus towers, residential and otherwise, in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Also, the two books lag two years behind Andi Schmied's wonderful and artsy Private Views: A High-Rise Panorama of Manhattan (VI PER Gallery, 2021), arguably the first book on the phenomenon. Last year, well before it was published, an editor at Princeton Architecture Press sent me a preview of Sky-High for a potential blurb on the cover. It wasn't used (the book ended up without any blurbs), but this is what I wrote: "I don't know whether to join Eric P. Nash's fact-filled, opinion-laden chorus and decry some of the dozen supertalls that have reconfigured New York City’s skyline this century, or adore them all through Bruce Katz's loving wide-angle lens. All I know for sure is that this is a much-needed book." Now seeing the book in print, sent to me recently by the publisher, I stand by my statement and its implication that it's nigh impossible to reach any conclusions on the phenomenon of NYC skyscrapers this century when imbibing critical takes, mainly of the aesthetic variety, joined by architectural photography presenting the buildings in the best possible manner. No wonder the back-cover description calls it "part architectural guidebook and part critique." Nash's thirteen numbered chapters are grouped in three parts — "A Short History of the Tall Building in New York City," "Supertalls," and "Is Bigger Better?" — with Katz's documentation of the dozen towers inserted as project spreads with black backgrounds. The latter would seem to demarcate photo contributions from text, but more of Katz's photographs are provided alongside Nash's text, making the book more visual than textual. As such, the tug of war between verbal critique and visual praise is near constant. Unfortunately, in the last part of the book, when Nash states that "the real question skyscrapers of any height pose is [...] how they impact the quality of street life," very few photos of that condition, where a skyscraper meets the sidewalk, are provided — and we only see the good examples, including the pedestrian plaza next to One Vanderbilt. Perhaps this dearth is due to timing (the retail at the base of 111 West 57th is still empty, for instance, while its residential entrance on 58th Street sits behind scaffolding), but perhaps it's an inadvertent commentary on the fact these towers contribute very little to the quality of street life. Yes, 432 Park Avenue has a nice POPS between the tower and its detached retail component, but 220 Central Park South puts a private drop-off along 58th Street, opposite where Central Park Tower has an entrance to the pricey Nordstrom department store. Most of these Billionaires' Row towers put their loading docks along narrow 58th Street, but photos similar to those I captured recently would stand out like proverbial sore thumbs in this book. Instead, Nash references Edward Soja, Rebecca Solnit, Shoshna Zuboff, and Henri Lefebvre in a chapter in part three, when he quotes Elizabeth Diller, architect of the near-supertall at 15 Hudson Yards, as saying skyscrapers like 432 Park Avenue and 111 West 57th Street "damage the city fabric." If they do, visual evidence of it is hard to find in Sky-High.

The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog, was #48, back in December. I wasn't planning on continuing the series this year-of-doing-things-differently (or so I thought), but a couple of weeks ago I brought back the "Briefs" to play around with ChatGPT, which I had been hesitant to dive into but was told by numerous people that I MUST try it. At that time I also mentioned an in-progress "Brief" with eight books — here they are. Concrete in Switzerland: Histories from the Recent Past edited by Salvatore Aprea, Nicola Navone, Laurent Stalder and Sarah Nichols, published by EPFL Press in May 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Concrete in Switzerland is a companion publication to Beton, the exhibition held at S AM (Swiss Architecture Museum) in Basel from November 2021 to April 2022. In addition to the involvement of S AM, both the exhibition and the book boast three partners: the gta Archiv, ETH Zürich; the Archives de la construction moderne, EPF Lausanne (EPFL); and Archivio del Moderno dell’Academia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). The editors from each of these three institutions — Salvatore Aprea (ETH), Nicola Navone (USI), and Laurent Stalder (EPFL) — also contributed one essay each among the book's thirteen essays: Aprea's contribution is about the famous Hennebique System; Navone's focuses, appropriately, on reinforced concrete architecture in Ticino; and Stalder traces about a century of technology's role in the Swiss pastoral, moving from Bruno Taut's Alpine Architecture to near the present day. Appropriately, Stalder's essay is first in the book, effectively serving as an overview or appetizer, if you will, for the essays that take deeper dives into individual subjects. Some standouts include: Silvia Berger Ziauddin's take on concrete bunkers, reminding me of my visit to Sasso San Gottardo; Lorenzo Stieger's essay on terraced hillside housing; Giulia Marino's presentation of the IGECO heavy prefabrication system; and Roberto Gargiani's piece on concrete in the early works of Herzog & de Meuron. This being a companion to an exhibition, the essays comprise about two-thirds of the book, the remainder filled by a lengthy visual essay, "Concrete Stories," by Sarah Nichols, curator of Beton. Her nearly 100-page contribution is broken down into shorter sections with such names as "Concrete is Rock," "Concrete is Energy," and "Concrete is Immaterial." The last shows how ideas around concrete are as important as the physical material itself. Urban Design in the 20th Century: A History by Tom Avermaete and Janina Gosseye, published by gta Verlag in January 2021 (Amazon) In its selection of Urban Design in the 20th Century as one of the ten recipients of a 2022 DAM Architectural Book Award, the jury described the book as "a handy and extensive" publication that is "an exciting, informative, and likewise uncluttered read, giving the complex mass of material a good structure and making it easy to consume." That is an apt description for the 100-plus urban design projects described through hundreds of illustrations across nine chapters spanning 440 pages. Organization is paramount, from the chronological-thematic structure of the chapters to the layout of said images (on black pages) and text (on white). Born from a course in urban design history taught by the authors at ETH Zurich, the book traces a history along the lines of what has been covered before (e.g., the books of Peter Hall and David Grahame Shane) but occasionally broadens the scope beyond a European center, and does it in a way that is appealing for students today: lots of images, large text, and bite-sized (sub)chapters. Today, one might expect a more culturally relevant take on the subject, but the authors point out in the book's coda that most developments in urban design the 20th century were "informed by a European point of view" and that telling a more global history would "undermine current attempts to decolonize history." The last point hints at some forthcoming scholarship that should flesh out histories like this one, presenting alternatives to familiar European perspectives. Modern Architecture in Japan by Manfredo Tafuri, edited by Mohsen Mostafavi, published by MACK in October 2022 (Amazon) Even though, as my collection of books has grown, my appetite for first editions has increased, I still have a soft spot for reprints. (It was one of the likes in my Valentine to architecture books, after all.) They allow hard-to-find, often prohibitively expensive books to be readily available once again and appreciated by new generations of audiences. Even if the ideas in an old book are dated, decisions regarding what merits reprinting point to some renewed interest in a subject or an author's take on a subject, among other things. A few months ago I happened upon a 1982 reprint of Ralph Adams Cram's Impressions of Japanese Architecture and the Allied Arts, first published in 1905 then revised in 1930; I had never heard of the book, but the fact it was reprinted and was relatively cheap led me to buy it. It has a little bit of overlap with one of the fall 2022 books MACK sent me, a handsome reprint of Manfredo Tafuri's Modern Architecture in Japan from 1964. The differences between the two books are as great as their similarities: Both are outsiders' views of Japan (Cram from the US, Tafuri from Italy), but the ensuing changes in the half-century between books meant Tafuri focused on modern architecture over Cram's exploration of temples, shrines, and other creations from previous centuries. (Only in the brief conclusion does Cram jump to the present and Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel and the influence of European architecture on Japan.) Although Cram based his book, as the name indicates, on travels to Japan, curiously, when Tafuri wrote his guide to the country's modern architecture at the age of just 29, he had never even been to Japan! But the biggest difference, at least in terms of the reprints themselves, is that Tafuri's book was originally released in Italian, so the book put out by MACK is notable as the first English translation of his armchair guidebook. The nearly 60-year lag between original and translation means its importance is minor relative to Architecture and Utopia (just six years between the 1973 Italian original and English translation in 1979) or even Theories and History of Architecture (twelve years: 1968 and 1980). Still, Mohsen Mostafavi's preface argues for the relevance of Tafuri's book today "despite its reliance on secondary sources and its occasional inaccuracies," while a handful of essays following Tafuri's text put it in a greater context. A most interesting take is Tafuri writing the book as much to influence contemporary architecture in Italy as to understand it in Japan. Modern Architecture in Japan was part of a series edited by Leonardo Benevolo, in which other architects and writers wrote about the Soviet Union, Great Britain, Brazil, and a few European countries. I can't help but wonder if those books will find their way into English, or if Tafuri's book, thanks to the longevity of his name, will be the only one meriting a reprint. The Pliable Plane: The Wall as Surface in Sculpture and Architecture, 1945–75 by Penelope Curtis, published by MACK in October 2022 (Amazon) Just as MACK's translated reprint of Tafuri's book reminded me of an older book on Japan, the subject of Penelope Curtis's The Pliable Plane — the manipulation of the wall surface bridging art and architecture in the decades after WWII — made me think of another old book: Paul F. Damaz's Art in Latin American Architecture. I became aware of the 1963 book when writing 100 Years, 100 Buildings, using it as a reference on two of the buildings: Oscar Niemeyer's Saint Francis of Assisi Church at Pampulha (1947) and University City of Caracas by Carlos Raúl Villanueva (1953). Niemeyer actually wrote a preface for Damaz's book, and no wonder, considering the author called his church "the best instance of collaboration between an architect and artists"; the expressive azulejo artwork on the street facade is the most famous instance of many artistic contributions integrated with the church, outside and in. Are these or other examples of wall-heavy art in Damaz's survey also found in Curtis's book? Not that I could see. Her short yet very interesting book is limited to European and US examples, with an abundance of Henry Moore — no surprise, given her former role as director of the Henry Moore Institute. While some of the projects are very well known, Curtis examines them in atypical ways. Paul Rudolph's A&A Building at Yale (now Rudolph Hall), for instance, is bound to come to any architect's mind when considering wall surfaces, but Curtis focuses on the lesser-known sculptural plaster casts from classical architecture integrated into the hammered corduroy concrete walls. Part of the joy in the book, at least for me, was discovering previously unknown projects, a standout being the Mausoleum Fosse Ardeatine (1949) in Rome. Foundations of Urban Design by Marcel Smets, published by Actar Publishers in January 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The latest by Marcel Smets, whom I know of as the author, with Kelly Shannon, of the excellent The Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructure, is a short book with short texts that aim to "open up the core ideas of urban design to the wider public." The Foundations of the title are 29 numbered chapters (F01–F29) that consist of apparently oppositional yet complementary pairs that touch on organizational strategies (Ribbon/Cluster, Ladder/Star), urban spaces (Market Square/Parade Ground, Hole/Void), circulation corridors (Street/Road, Path/Avenue), waterways (Brook/Detch, River, Canal), and other less formal aspects of urban design (Use/Morphology, Creator/Curator), among other things. The short texts (none appeared to be more than four pages) are accompanied by pairs of images that capture the essence of Smets's lessons. Given the intended audience, the text is far from challenging and is further leavened by the illustrations, though I wouldn't go so far to say it's a stimulating read. Still, the book is a good introduction to urban design for students — and that wider public curious about the field. Spatial Infrastructure: Essays on Architectural Thinking as a Form of Knowledge by José Aragüez, published by Actar Publishers and Public Space in January 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Back in 2016, José Aragüez's The Building was released. I never saw the book back then, but I recently picked it up and, despite its occasional academic abstruseness, really like the collection of 43 brief, three-page theoretical takes on what the title indicates: buildings. Born from symposia at the Architectural Association in 2014, it reads a bit like TED Talks for architectural educators and theoreticians. Clearly not a followup, even though it does include the introductory essay from the earlier book, Aragüez's second book, Spatial Infrastructure, takes a different, longform approach, featuring just eight essays across roughly 150 pages (that's nearly 20 pages per essay, on average). The topics in the essays spanning from 2010 to 2022 are very much aligned with The Building, with heady theoretical takes grounded in discussions of real-world examples, such as Toyo Ito's Taichung Metropolitan Opera House in Taiwan (the subject of "Sponge Territory") and FOA's Yokohama Ferry Terminal among other buildings in the essay that lends the book its title. Em obras: história do vazio em Belo Horizonte (Under Construction: History of the Void in Belo Horizonte) by Carlos M. Teixeira, published by Romano Guerra Editora in 2022 (Amazon) Think of cities in Brazil and most likely the three most-populous ones spring to mind: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia. Sixth on the list of Brazilian cities by population, though right up top in the life of architect Carlos M. Teixeira, is Belo Horizonte, a not-too-small city of 2.5 million in Minas Gerais. The name of Teixeira's studio, Vazio S/A, translates as "empty" but refers to the voids in Belo Horizonte that have preoccupied him for decades. In my review of his 2012 monograph, Entre, I wrote how "the stagings and sets [of his performance-based projects] attempt to activate the leftover voids of his home city," using the second Topographical Amnesia as an example. For his latest, more thematically ambitious and chronologically sweeping book, Teixeira presents the 100-plus-year history of Belo Horizonte (it was founded in 1897) with a focus on everything that has not been built: "The city, fragmented and prosaic, accepted with no nostalgic sentiment and exalted as what is most important in the city." This atypical history is told through photographs — "anti-postcards" — and numbered texts (001–122) that are interspersed with the photos. (The English translation placed at the end of the book means some back-and-forth flipping is needed to see any relationships between image and text.) Architects outside Brazil will see something familiar when they reach number 82, circa 1947: Oscar Niemeyer's buildings at Pampulha, what Teixeira calls "the occupation of a suburban void." In 1994, Teixeira writes, when residents were give a referendum to select a symbol of the city, Niemeyer's Pampulha Church was in the running but, in the end, the Serra do Curral — a sprawling natural void at the southern boundary of the municipality — won with 270,000 votes. With that "victory," I can't think of a stronger argument for Teixeira's ongoing infatuation with the void in the city where he lives and works. Lina Bo Bardi: Material Ideologies edited by Monica Ponce de Leon, published by Princeton University School of Architecture in October 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) The Womxn in Design and Architecture (WDA) formed at Princeton University School of Architecture in 2014, and three years later the graduate student group held its first annual conference, commemorating the one-year anniversary of Zaha Hadid’s passing. But it would be the second conference, Lina Bo Bardi: Material Ecologies, that became the first in WDA's Publication Series, published as a beautiful linen flexicover with numerous gatefolds among the numerous contributions coming out of the March 2018 conference. The conference had a three-part thematic structure (Concrete Brut, Natura, Material Re-Use) stemming from the "Material Ecologies" subtitle, and while the contents of the book follow the schedule of the conference's keynotes and panels, with two notable additions (Beatriz Colomina and Mario Gandelsonas), the book does not belabor the three themes, instead letting the essays stand out on their own merits. An obvious highlight is "Betwixt and Between" by Zeuler R. M. de A. Lima, author of an excellent 2013 monograph on Bo Bardi. Photo contributions by Veronika Kellndorfer ("Sprawling Nature") and Joana França ("Lina, In Situ") are stunning. Mike Cooter's "Artifacts of Work" is an unanticipated standout, one that translates a piece of one of Bo Bardi's buildings into an installation in an architecture exhibition. Kudos to CLANADA (Lana Cavar and Natasha Chandani) for the lovely design of the highly tactile book.

Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago, in an effort to write a "Better Late Than Never" installment of "Book Briefs," something I had done back in April 2018 with Book Briefs #35. But, sensing I would not be able to absorb the books quickly enough to get the post done in less than a week, I thought that revisiting that five-year-old post would be a great way of (finally) dipping into the timesaver that is AI, asking OpenAI's ChatGPT to write similar one-paragraph reviews and see what it came up with. So that's what I did. Specifically, I told ChatGPT to "Give a short, one-paragraph review of 'X Book' by Y author." Its output is featured below, in four of the six books that were part of Book Briefs #35, accompanied by my own "briefs" from 2018 and blurbs from the publishers. How do the reviews compare, my own vs. OpenAI? My takes are certainly more personal, with first-person commentary that isn't always germane to the book at hand but indicates where I'm coming from and what I find of interest and/or value. ChatGPT is, on the other hand, formulaic, with four sentences in a clearly repetitive structure for each review: statement of importance; two descriptive sentences; a closing statement indicating relevance to a particular audience. The AI "reviews" read well and have a clear position, but they are prescriptive, repetitive, and boring (so many rules of three!), especially when read in multiples, as here. I included the blurbs to see if OpenAI was drawing any phrases from them in shaping the reviews; that does not appear to be the case, nor does it appear that it used my "briefs" to formulate its speedy takes (each one took about five seconds to generate) on the books I gave it. Maybe ChatGPT is more effective in longer reviews, but this exercise does not lend any urgency to such an attempt on my part. African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia edited by Manuel Herz, published by Park Books in 2015 (reprinted in 2023) (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb: "In the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial power. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries 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 one hundred buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans, and selected floor plans and sections. The vast majority of images were newly taken by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster for the book’s first edition. Their photographs document the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed in an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Further essays on postcolonial Africa and specific aspects and topics, also illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding volume." JohnHILL: Although the size of a coffee table book and graced by full-page Iwan Baan photographs, African Modernism is a deep, scholarly work, not just something to flip through. Focused on the five subtitled African countries that gained their independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s (5 of 32 countries on the continent that did so), the book examines how architecture played a role in expressing their independence and modernity. Each country is given an introduction, a timeline, a photo spread by Baan, documentation of important buildings in photos (most by Baan) and words, and an in-depth academic essay. Though many buildings show signs of wear (not surprising, given the time between their realization and today), the architectural quality is astounding. That the buildings in the book are largely unknown points to a deficit in architectural education and publishing — and the need for more books like this one and Adjaye Africa Architecture. ChatGPT: "'African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia' edited by Manuel Herz is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the architectural legacy of African modernism. With a focus on five countries, the book explores the post-independence era and the architectural projects that emerged during this period of political and cultural transformation. The book's rich collection of photographs, plans, and essays provides valuable insight into the unique blend of local and international influences that shaped African modernist architecture. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, history, and cultural identity in Africa." The Architecture of Paul Rudolph by Timothy M. Rohan, published by Yale University Press in 2014 (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb (excerpt): "Based on extensive archival research and unpublished materials, The Architecture of Paul Rudolph is the first in-depth study of the architect, neglected since his postwar zenith. Author Timothy M. Rohan unearths the ideas that informed Rudolph’s architecture, from his Florida beach houses of the 1940s to his concrete buildings of the 1960s to his lesser-known East Asian skyscrapers of the 1990s. Situating Rudolph within the architectural discourse of his day, Rohan shows how Rudolph countered the perceived monotony of mid-century modernism with a dramatically expressive architecture for postwar America, exemplified by his Yale Art and Architecture Building of 1963, famously clad in corrugated concrete. The fascinating story of Rudolph’s spectacular rise and fall considerably deepens longstanding conceptions about postwar architecture: Rudolph emerges as a pivotal figure who anticipated new directions for architecture, ranging from postmodernism to sustainability." JohnHILL: A lot has happened in the four years since this book's publication [between 2014 and 2018]: Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago was demolished, Paul Rudolph's own Orange County Government Center was maligned through a partial demolition and insensitive addition, and the famed Robin Hood Gardens was demolished. A new exhibition, in fact, hones in on the demolition of Brutalist structures, something that books like Rohan's haven't been able to reverse. This isn't to say that saving Rudolph's buildings and others like it was Rohan's goal, but as Alexandra Lange points out in her 2014 review of The Architecture of Paul Rudolph, "it's a timely publication." That time seems to have slid by rapidly, but given that 2018 is the centennial of Rudolph's birth, we might just see a renewed appreciation in his work. If so, Rohan's thorough, well-researched book will surely play a part. ChatGPT: "'The Architecture of Paul Rudolph' by Timothy M. Rohan is a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the influential architect's work. Rohan delves into Rudolph's distinctive design language, innovative use of materials, and his significant contributions to modern architecture. Through detailed analysis and stunning visuals, the book captures the complexity and dynamism of Rudolph's buildings, showcasing his mastery of space, form, and light. This book serves as an invaluable resource for architects, students, and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of Rudolph's architectural legacy and his lasting impact on the field." Brodsky & Utkin by Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2015 (Amazon) Blurb: "From 1978 to 1993, the renowned Soviet 'paper architects' Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin created an incredible collection of elaborate etchings depicting outlandish, often impossible, buildings and cityscapes. Funny, cerebral, and deeply human, their obsessively detailed work layers elements borrowed from Egyptian tombs, Ledoux's visionary architecture, Le Corbusier's urban master plans, and other historical precedents in etchings of breathtaking complexity and beauty. Back by popular demand following the sold-out original 1991 edition and 2003 reprint, Brodsky & Utkin presents the sum of the architects' collaborative prints and adds new material, including an updated preface by the artists' gallery representative, Ron Feldman, a new introductory essay by architect Aleksandr Mergold, visual documentation of the duo's installation work, and rare personal photographs." JohnHILL: I'm not certain when I first learned about Russian Architects Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin. Maybe it was in a 2005 blog post at Pruned. For sure it was well after the title Princeton Architectural Press put out on the duo in the early 1990s, as well as the 2003 first edition they put out and then printed again (with new preface) in 2015. The duo's intricate etchings are more art than architecture (they're represented by Feldman Gallery, after all), though many were submissions for architectural competitions hosted by Shinkenchiku and others in the 1980s. At 9x12 inches, the book isn't small, but with so many layers of information in their images it could easily be twice as large. ChatGPT: "'Brodsky & Utkin' by Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, published by Princeton Architectural Press, is a captivating and visually stunning retrospective of the renowned Russian architectural duo. The book showcases the imaginative and whimsical architectural drawings and etchings that Brodsky and Utkin are known for. With their unique blend of historical references, surrealism, and social commentary, their works transport readers to a dreamlike world of fantastical structures. This publication serves as a valuable tribute to their distinctive artistic vision and is a must-have for architecture enthusiasts, artists, and anyone captivated by the power of architectural illustration." Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres by M. Christine Boyer, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2010 (Amazon) Blurb (excerpt): "On his French identity card, legendary architect Le Corbusier listed his profession as 'Homme de Lettres' (Man of Letters). Celebrated for his architecture, which numbers fewer than sixty buildings, Le Corbusier also wrote more than fifty books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of letters. Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres is the first in-depth study of Le Corbusier as a writer as well as an architect. [...] In Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres author M. Christine Boyer focuses on the development of his writing style as it morphed from romantic prose to aphorisms and telegraphic bulletins. [...] Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres shows for the first time how his voluminous output — books, diaries, letters, sketchbooks, travel notebooks, lecture transcriptions, exposition catalogs, journal articles — reflects not just a compulsion to write, but a passion for advancing his ideas about the relationship between architecture, urbanism, and society in a new machine age." JohnHILL: When I received this book way back in 2010, I had every intention of reading the whole thing — all 702 pages (780 pages with notes and index). Well, life got in the way and I only got through two of the book's twelve chapters before putting it down and, unfortunately, not returning to it again. I recall those hundred or so pages being, though not an easy read, certainly an enjoyable one. Boyer managed to mine Le Corbusier's original documents and discuss them in a way that pulls the reader along. A strong interest in Le Corbusier and his writings (the book focuses on 1907-1947) helps greatly; though there are plenty of architects out there meeting that criteria. ChatGPT: "'Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres' by M. Christine Boyer is a compelling exploration of Le Corbusier's lesser-known role as a man of letters. Boyer sheds light on the prolific writings of the renowned architect, showcasing his literary talents and intellectual pursuits. Through a meticulous examination of his letters, essays, and manifestos, the book reveals the breadth and depth of Le Corbusier's ideas on architecture, urbanism, and society. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of Le Corbusier's multifaceted contributions to the fields of architecture and literature." As an expansion of my partial revisiting of Book Briefs #35, below are catalogs of two exhibitions I wrote about for World-Architects back in 2022 (MoMA's The Project of Independence in February of that year, The Met's Bernd & Hilla Becher in July) but never got around to reviewing here. These are books I consulted after my initial visits and while writing my exhibition reviews, so I have some familiarity with them, albeit now from a distance of roughly a year or more. But given that I'd yet to articulate my thoughts on them, I decided to write "briefs" on them after inputting the same prompt into ChatGPT — a reverse of the reviews above. Will the AI-generated affect how I write about them? Should I adopt the style of ChatGPT in my one-paragraph reviews? Read on to see... The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 edited by Martino Stierli, Anoma Pieris and Sean Anderson, published by the Museum of Modern Art in March 2022 (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb (excerpt): "Anchored by a newly commissioned portfolio of images from architectural photographer Randhir Singh, this richly illustrated and meticulously researched catalogue features essays by the curators and leading scholars in the field on subjects such as the politics of concrete, institution-building, higher education, housing, infrastructure and industry, landscape, and design, as well as presentations of seventeen transformative projects from around the subcontinent. While several of the architects appearing in these pages have in recent years received monographic exhibitions, The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 marks the first attempt to consider their work within the ideological frameworks of its creation and the political context of the region as a whole." ChatGPT: "'The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985' edited by Martino Stierli, Anoma Pieris, and Sean Anderson is a thought-provoking and enlightening anthology that explores the architectural landscape of South Asia during the post-independence era. Through a collection of essays, case studies, and visual documentation, the book examines the complex interplay between politics, identity, and architectural production in the region. It sheds light on the diverse range of architectural projects that emerged during this transformative period, offering valuable insights into the decolonization process and its impact on the built environment. This book is an essential resource for architects, historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, history, and postcolonial studies." JohnHILL: Museum of Modern Art curator Martino Stierli, in an interview at World-Architects that I edited ahead of the opening of The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985, described that exhibition as "a continuation of the 2018 exhibition, Toward A Concrete Utopia," subtitled Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980 and notably his first major show at MoMA. Stierli actually proposed the exhibition on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in his 2014 interview for the MoMA post, a clear sign that he sees the contemporary importance in "destabilizing the Western-centric canon of modern architectural history," one notably fostered by MoMA for decades. The catalog is as good as the exhibition was, with a portfolio of contemporary photographs by Randhir Singh, essays by architects and scholars (on cities, housing, infrastructure, education, and other subjects), and case studies on more than a dozen buildings, from Antonin Raymond' s Golconde dormitory in Pondicherry, India, to Yasmeen Lari's Anguri Bagh Housing in Lahore, Pakistan. As befits Stierli, an architectural historian, the catalog is more thorough and wide-ranging than the exhibition it accompanied. Bernd & Hilla Becher by Jeff L. Rosenheim, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in August 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Blurb: "For more than five decades, Bernd (1931–2007) and Hilla (1934–2015) Becher collaborated on photographs of industrial architecture in Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Great Britain, and the United States. This sweeping monograph features the Bechers’ quintessential pictures, which present water towers, gas tanks, blast furnaces, and more as sculptural objects. Beyond the Bechers’ iconic Typologies, the book includes Bernd’s early drawings, Hilla’s independent photographs, and excerpts from their notes, sketchbooks, and journals. The book’s authors offer new insights into the development of the artists’ process, their work’s conceptual underpinnings, the photographers’ relationship to deindustrialization, and the artists’ legacy. An essay by award-winning cultural historian Lucy Sante and an interview with Max Becher, the artists’ son, make this volume an unrivaled look into the Bechers’ art alongside their career, life, and subjects." ChatGPT: "'Bernd & Hilla Becher' by Jeff L. Rosenheim is a captivating tribute to the renowned German photographic duo known for their systematic documentation of industrial architecture. The book delves into the Bechers' distinctive approach to capturing the beauty and functionality of industrial structures, presenting their work as a unique blend of art and documentary photography. With insightful essays, stunning reproductions of their iconic images, and a comprehensive overview of their artistic journey, this book is an essential resource for photography enthusiasts, art historians, and anyone fascinated by the power of visual storytelling." JohnHILL: In the last of six numbered galleries of the Bernd & Hilla Becher exhibition at The Met last year, a glass vitrine displayed a selection of books published by the photographers in their lifetime. I wrote in my review of the exhibition that "books [were] an integral part of their career — the primary means of making their work accessible to artists, architects, historians, and the general public." Their books, furthermore, are highly prized — expensive even as reprints, and somewhat scarce — so any book on the Bechers, in my mind, is welcome, especially this one by Met curator Jeff L. Rosenheim. Highlights of the beautifully produced catalog include Gabrielle Conrath-Scholl's essay on the Bechers' documentation of Zeche Concordia between 1967 and 1970; Rosenheim's interview with Max, the Bechers' son; and 120 pages of plates that include a couple gatefolds. The plates may not be a substitute for seeing the Bechers' photographs — larger — in a gallery setting, but their accompaniments make them that as valuable here.

Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects. Like other writers outside of Europe, the interim edition, though delayed from 2020 to 2021 due the pandemic, still opened at a time when international travel was difficult. I passed on it, as many others did. My 2018 trip yielded a pair of "book briefs" on this blog with two handfuls of catalogs from the main exhibition, some from the national pavilions, and some on collateral events. Although a similar number of books from the current Biennale is featured below, it felt this year that print catalogs were slimmer than in years past. For instance, the national pavilions were focused more on digital than print publications, making them available via QR codes and offering to ship print versions later. And only one pavilion, Bahrain, had a large stack of books that whittled down over the course of the two-day vernissage. The FOODSCAPES book in the Spanish Pavilion I have a hard time passing up any printed catalog, but I could only carry so much with me, so the below list is limited to the ones I felt were important enough to bring home with me. What's missing? The most exceptional printed catalog I came across was for the Spanish Pavilion, FOODSCAPES, whose website indicates part of the exhibition includes "an archive in the form of a recipe book." The book I flipped through on the large table in the middle of the venue (photo above) was large, the size of an atlas; its large pages were full of essays, images, architectural projects, and other content related to the theme. But only a newsprint was distributed during the vernissage and, while the Biennale bookshop was selling catalogs to other pavilions, Spain was not one of them. For now, this book remains a mystery. The days leading up to the opening of the Biennale on May 20 were also packed with book launches, some that I signed up for ahead of time but, for one reason or another, didn't make it to, and others that I happened upon as I trekked the Biennale grounds or ventured around Venice. These books I missed include: Sketches on Everlasting Plastics, the first iteration of an ongoing editorial intervention around the US Pavilion exhibition Everlasting Plastics; Architecture in Islamic Countries: Selections from the Catalogue for the Second International Exhibition of Architecture Venice 1982/83, the first English translation of the Italian catalog for the second Venice Architecture Biennale, directed by Paolo Portoghesi; and the launch of the first volume of Khōrein: Journal for Architecture and Philosophy. Main Exhibition: Biennale Architettura 2023: The Laboratory of the Future edited by Lesley Lokko, published by Silvana Editoriale (Amazon / Bookshop) As seems to be the norm in Biennales this century, the catalog for the International Architecture Exhibition is published in two sizes (small and large) and, at least in the large size, in two volumes: one volume devoted to the main exhibition and one volume cataloging the dozens of national pavilions. The latter for this year is the slimmer volume (176 pages) and is basically unnecessary, given the numerous standalone catalogs for the national pavilions and the only cursory, preliminary content available for each contribution. The volume basically serves as a reference, with two-page spreads providing a curatorial statement, list of contributors, and an image giving a sense of the theme for each pavilion and collateral event. On the other hand, the longer, 440-page volume devoted to Lesley Lokko's exhibition, The Laboratory of the Future, is more than necessary. Not only does it provide similar statements, team information, and images on the 89 contributors to the exhibition, it helpfully presents them in the multifaceted structure Lokko set up for the exhibition. Within the theme are a handful of sections (Force Majeure, Dangerous Liaisons, Curator's Special Projects, etc.) that are split between the Giardini and Arsenale venues but also intertwined. The catalog presents the contributions within this thematic structure and in alphabetical order; plans of the venues with numbered keys indicate their physical location. Short essays and images inserted between the color-coded sections round out the beautifully produced volume. National Pavilions: Cloud-to-ground edited by Oren Eldar, Edith Kofsky and Hadas Maor, published by Park Books (Amazon / Bookshop) Open for Maintenance – Wegen Umbau geöffnet edited by Anh-Linh Ngo, published by ARCH+ / Spector Books (Amazon / Bookshop) Partecipazione / Beteiligung edited by AKT and Hermann Czech, published by Luftschacht Verlag (Amazon / Bookshop) Walkers in Amazonia: The Calendar Project edited by Alexia León and Lucho Marcial, published by Patronato Cultural del Peru (PDF download) With just two days of the vernissage to take in the large main exhibition, dozens of national pavilions, and even more collateral events and other exhibitions around the city — and with most visitors to the Biennale spending a day or two there anyways — catalogs are valuable for allowing visitors to devote more time to exhibits of interest. They're particularly valuable for the national pavilions, which are major efforts that often treat the catalogs as extensions of the materials on display. A case in point is Israel's pavilion, cloud-to-ground, which is empty this year and just consists of a few models of buildings on stands in the adjacent courtyard. The concrete models depict old telephone exchanges that are, in reality like the Israel Pavilion, closed off, symbols of how technological change leads to a residue of "black boxes" and provoke the obvious question: What will happen to today's server farms tomorrow, when their technology is obsolete? If the pavilion is slim on information, the book is thorough — and lovely, in its own way — overloaded with essays, interviews, a 112-page "telephone exchanges index," an index of data centers, and much more content. Brazil and Great Britain won the jury's awards for national pavilions, but two of my favorites didn't: Austria and Germany. Though markedly different in content, each pavilion is about connecting to the Venetian context; Austria does it through a proposal to physically link its pavilion to the Sant'Elena neighborhood just beyond its walls, and Germany does it by turning its pavilion into a materials depot and workshop for Venetian students and craftspeople to use scrap from the 2022 Venice Art Biennale for school and building projects. Austria's bilingual catalog gives a background on the Biennale's gradual encroachment into Sant'Elena as the reasoning behind the temporary footbridge the curators wanted to build for this year's exhibition; the book also catalogs the expansion of the Biennale this century into the rest of the city via small venues and has essays on the right to the city and other relevant topics. It's a strong, politically charged idea — no wonder the Biennale and other authorities shot down the proposed temporary bridge. The German Pavilion is curated in part by the editors of ARCH+, so logically the catalog to Open for Maintenance – Wegen Umbau geöffnet is published by the German architecture magazine; it has been released in separate German and English issues, the latter done with Spector Books. The 208-page matte-paper issue, number 252, comes with a 24-page glossy insert that explains the premise of the pavilion and documents its realization through color photographs. The various pieces of the pavilion — exterior ramp, material repository, workshop, kitchenette, waterless toilet, and meeting space — are both illustrative and functioning parts of the circular economy promoted by the curators. The numerous contributions to the issue proper address everything from maintenance and care to race and gender, from the politics of disability to squatting and the right to the city. The issue even has built projects, set off from the rest on gray pages, that follow from the pavilion's theme. Last of the national pavilion catalogs I brought home is Walkers in Amazonia: The Calendar Project, Peru's contribution to the Biennale. Housed in a smallish building at the Arsenale alongside a few other nations that don't have their own pavilions in the Giardini, Walkers in Amazonia is structured as an A-frame displaying colorful calendars created by indigenous communities in the Peruvian jungle. The catalog contains all of those calendars on glossy pages, but at a smaller size that means many of the words accompanying the drawings are too small to read (they're all in Spanish, obviously, but still). The calendars clearly express a circular understanding of time that is rooted in natural cycles, of reciprocally living in and caring for the jungle. Coincidentally, I met architect Marta Maccaglia, who was in town to accept the inaugural divia award (see below) for the work she's been doing in Peru for about a decade; she told me how happy she was to see the Peruvian jungle as the subject of the pavilion, especially its expression in the colorful circular calendars. Elsewhere in Venice: divia award 2023: Diversity in Architecture edited by Ursula Schwitalla and Christiane Fath, published by Hatje Cantz (Amazon) Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia Architecture edited by Elena Caldara, published by Dario Cimorelli Editore Quaderns Biennale, 2023: Following the Fish edited by Daniel Cid, Francesc Pla and Eva Serrats, published by Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) Zero Gravity Urbanism: Principles for a New Livability published by NEOM La Biennale di Venezia has a structure that is clear but can be confusing for people visiting Venice during the Biennale — which is about half of every year, when considered between the alternating art and architecture exhibitions. The official exhibitions and events for the Venice Architecture Biennale consist of the International Architecture Exhibition (the one curated by Lesley Lokko this year), the national pavilions (in the Giardini, traditionally, but also in the Arsenale), special projects like V&A's Applied Arts Pavilion, and collateral events that are distributed around the city. But many unofficial exhibitions and events overlap with the Biennale, taking advantage of the people visiting the city to look at architecture exhibitions but also giving the impression that any exhibition in Venice in that time is part of the Biennale. Of these four books, only one is for an official Biennale event. One of the just nine collateral events in this year's Biennale is Catalonia in Venice_ Following the Fish, which is strongly aligned with Lesley Lokko's exhibition. (National pavilions, or in this case a regional collateral event, don't need to follow the theme of the main exhibition, but they have every right to — and often they do.) It looks at the community of vendors ("manters") in Barcelona who traveled there from Senegal for better opportunities, but instead of being able to ply their trades they are left to hustle cheap wares on the sidewalks, always on the lookout for police ready to arrest them. The story is more complicated than this description, but the exhibition bravely addresses the racism the manters confront on a daily basis; and it reveals to visitors the unseen or ignored community that the curators have formed an alliance with, one aimed at much-needed reparations. Architecturally, the pavilion includes some small-scale solutions for community places in Barcelona, but the catalog focuses on texts that contextualize the complex issue. Want an experience that is the near-opposite of Following the Fish? Head to Abbazia di San Gregorio and the over-the-top, non-Biennale exhibition of The Line and other NEOM projects. Zero Gravity Urbanism—Principles for a New Livability is, I wrote, more marketing than culture: numerous models of various scales for The Line, the inane — or it it insane? — proposal for a 170-km-long "city" in the Saudi Arabian desert that would house 9 million people and somehow be a model for sustainable living. I'll admit that the models on display are impressive, and the architect in me who was educated in the early 1990s liked seeing designs that were almost plucked from the decade ... but this is irresponsible planning, to say the least. Yet, with the country's deep pockets and architects willing to go along with it, at least a portion of it is being realized: The Hidden Marina, clearly catering to the super rich and their vessels. The catalog I was able to get a hold of is "not for sale," per its insides, but like the exhibition it's more marketing than anything else of value. Not far from the NEOM exhibition, at the Berührungspunkte venue along the Grand Canal, the inaugural divia award was celebrated the Friday of the vernissage. The event was not the unveiling of the winner, Marta Maccaglia, which had taken place a couple weeks prior in Berlin, but a celebration of the award taking place during the Biennale and the distribution of a few copies of the book on the award. (World-Architects is a media partner for divia, which is short of Diversity in Architecture, so I was able to get a copy.) The book is slim, at less than 100 pages, but is very well done, from its red cover boards to the color photos with projects of the winner and finalists, and interviews with the same. While the inaugural award created by Ursula Schwitalla and Christiane Fath is focused on women in architecture, future iterations of the award are supposed to branch out to encompass other areas of diversity within the profession. Directly across the Grand Canal from Berührungspunkte is Palazzo Franchetti, a venue for Portugal's national pavilion but also host to an exhibition of cultural projects underway in Qatar (almost as questionable as NEOM) and a sizable monographic exhibition on Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture, which I'll be reviewing for World-Architects in the coming weeks, is a pleasing show, with beautiful models of Kuma's buildings sitting in the palazzo's lushly appointed rooms. The displays are accompanied by two installations: a wooden structure at the entrance to the exhibition on the piano nobile and a larger aluminum piece in the garden overlooking the Grand Canal and the Accademia Bridge. The catalog isn't a particularly deep exploration of Kuma's buildings, but it does a good job of articulating the ideas behind the Japanese architect's "onomatopoeia architecture."

Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF: ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to self-publish rather than work with publishers on these books.

This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book fair and, just days before lockdown, the 2020 book fair. Three hardly makes me an expert, even in my specialization of architecture books, but it does help with gauging the value given to books on the subject and getting a sense of how architecture books are seen within the wider rare books market. Generally, "rare" equates with "old" first editions that have signatures and, in some cases, limited print runs. The last, in the realm of architecture, points to anything pre-capital-M-modern but also, ironically, architecture books in general, since they tend to have limited print runs compared to fiction — compared to anything but artist books, really — and usually just one printing. But the small print runs of architecture books do not equate to high asking prices, as could be grasped by the smattering of architecture books that I came across at the 2023 edition of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair — at the Park Avenue Armory until Sunday. The ones on display are a narrow bunch, tending almost exclusively toward big-name architects from the 20th century (Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Venturi Scott Brown) and old Europeans (Alberti, Palladio, Vitrivius, Piranesi). Along these lines, below are some things I learned while browsing the booths at this year's book fair trying to find some architectural gems. Lesson 1: Corbu is (still) king. If one architect appeared more than any other in my quick scan of the booksellers' offerings yesterday afternoon, it was definitely Le Corbusier; he made roughly fifty books in his lifetime, so that's hardly a surprise. It also helps that it's been a half-century since his death and, even with a lot of criticism of his legacy in recent years, he seems more popular than ever in rare book circles. A few of the Corbu books I came across: Johnson Rare Books & Archives has a first edition of Des Canons, Des Munitions? Merci! Des Logis... S.V.P. from 1937, complete with a typed signed letter by Corbu. It is going for $7,500. Ursus Books is selling an "incredibly rare first edition of Le Corbusier's legendary Farbenklaviatur [Color Keyboards ...] the first of the two collections of colors which he designed for the Salubra wallpaper company" in 1931. Birkhäuser did a reproduction about 25 years ago that can be found for a few hundred dollars, but a first edition at Ursus will put you back $22,500. Those offerings pale in comparison to one of the 250 copies of La Poème de l'Angle Droit from 1955; Bernett Penka Rare Books on the Arts and Visual Culture has it, complete with an original case, for $50,000. Lesson 2: Old + European = Rare + Valuable. While walking the aisles of the fair, it felt at times that "architecture" was limited to old treatises, pattern books, etchings, and the like, all coming from Europe centuries ago. Large folios opened to drawings were in many glass cases, standing out as skilled and (once) influential creations but also anachronistic images of what many people think buildings should be: classical. Traditionally, architecture libraries — be they institutional, professional, or private — have been practical: providing guidance and inspiration for architects. Outside of a few architectural historians, that's not the case with books like these, which are prized for their age, scarcity, and beauty, not their practicality to architects. And even if architects still used them, such as those at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, they'd probably use reprints rather than valuable 500-year-old originals. Ursus Books makes another appearance here, this time with a portfolio (ca. 1810) of 24 plates by Antoine Joseph Gaitte of Claude Nicholas Ledoux's 18th-century toll-gates in Paris. Price: $8,500. Books — or, more accurately, scrolls — of Vitruvius's foundational text on architecture, De architectura, don't exist, so later Renaissance versions of it are prized, such as this one edited by Fra Giovanni Tacuino in 1511. Erasmushaus is selling it for $65,000. (The Basel-based bookseller also has a first edition of Palladio's Quattro Libri for $66,000.) The enduring legacy of Giovanni Battista Piranesi is evident in "The Grand Tour" booth of Mayfair Rare Books & Manuscripts, which has a folio with 20 etched plates of Paestum (ca. 1778) going for €25,000. Lesson 3: Architects love certain artists and designers. Audience is always important when it comes to book sales. If we lump architects together as one audience, I'd argue that they purchase books outside of architecture as often as they amass books on architecture. Books on art and design are high among the former, with very particular artists and designers — ones with shared affinities for form, space, texture, etc. — standing out over others. A couple are below, plus one surprise (to me). In his lifetime Massimo Vignelli designed many architecture books, though in NYC he is known for his redesign of the MTA subway map in the 1970s. Never widely implemented, the Vignelli Map made a comeback this century for the MTA's Weekender website, and in recent years I've seen it popping up in stations. Still, seeing an original map from 1978 at Geographicus Rare Antique Maps made me stop in my tracks (no pun intended). How much? $7,500. Architects love artists who trained as architects, and right up top is Gordon Matta-Clark, who sliced and cut open buildings, documenting the transient (de)constructions in photographs. A book of his I'd heard about but hadn't seen in person is Walls Paper, which the artist made from photographs of partially demolished buildings in the Bronx in the early 1970s (he died in 1978 at just 35 years old). He colored the b/w photos and then cut the pages in the middle so juxtapositions are created as one flips through it. Two copies were on display at the fair: at Sims Reed Ltd. ($5,000) and Jeff Hirsch Books ($3,000). Who is this Utopian architectural designer that Vivien Greene supposedly called the "Edgar Allan Poe of Architecture"? I'd never heard of Albert Trachsel before coming across this signed copy of Les Fêtes réelles, an "architectural poem" he made in 1897. Martyan Lan is selling it for $9,500. Lesson 4: Learning from Las Vegas is the architect's "one book." If there is one book today that every architect should have, it's not Le Corbusier's Vers une architecture or Koolhaas and company's S,M,L,XL or even Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language. It's Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. (No explanation needed on its importance and influence, I hope, but here's something I wrote about it five years ago.) Heck, most architects already have the book, but I'm referring to the 1972 first edition, not the 1977 paperback. It's big, expensive (even the facsimile edition put out by MIT Press in 2017 is $100), and rare. I'm lucky enough to have a first edition, but mine is lacking the glassine jacket that Johnson Rare Books & Archives has on display next to Corbusier's Munitions. That's not an original box at right, but inside the book are the authors' signatures, which brings the price to $3,000.