A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Recently I was watching a news program, most likely PBS Newshour or an MSNBC show, and was struck by one of the talking heads speaking via Skype or Zoom being described as "a writer working on turning her blog into a book." I don't remember her name or even the subject, as the news story was not one I was interested in, but this factoid stayed with me for a couple of reasons: I'm a blogger, and I have a hard time envisioning this blog, the one I'm most familiar with, making the leap into book form. Blogs are personal creations, so they vary widely, even as their formats — based as they are on Blogger, WordPress and other systems — are fairly consistent, with chronological posts made up of of words and images.  I could see some writers tailoring their blogs to potential books, with posts written as chapters or posts combined to become chapters in a book, but for me the blog — both generally and mine specifically — is an informal means of sharing ideas and viewpoint...

Evergreen Architecture: Overgrown Buildings and Greener Living Robert Klanten, Elli Stuhler (Editors) Gestalten , July 2021 Hardcover | 9-1/2 x 11-3/4 inches | 288 pages | English | ISBN: 9783967040104 | $60.00 PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION : As more of the earth’s surface is swallowed up by the built environment, architects are increasingly advised to integrate urban flora and fauna into their designs. Whether developing green roofs, living walls, abundant indoor courtyards, or balconies that connect interior and exterior spaces, the urge to intertwine nature and architecture has never been more apparent. Embracing this ubiquitous trend, Evergreen Architecture surveys a broad spectrum of residential, institutional, urban, and rural spaces. But as change occurs and solutions to the climate crisis are being integrated on the ground, many new questions are posed. How do residents keep moss-covered walls alive? How can a skyscraper uphold the weight of hundreds of trees? Evergreen Arch...

Ricardo Bofill: Visions of Architecture Edited by Gestalten wtih Ricardo Bofill Gestalten , May 2019 Hardcover | 9-3/4 x 13 inches | 300 pages | English | ISBN: 978-3899559408 | $69.00 Publisher Description : Ricardo Bofill is one of the 20th century’s most unique architects and radical visionaries. His visions for urban and communal life challenged preconceived notions of shared space and proposed alternative styles of living. This monograph explores his revolutionary approach by profiling his greatest projects like La Fábrica, Walden 7, La Muralla Roja or Abraxas. Spectacular new photography by Salva López, texts by experts like Nacho Alegre and Douglas Murphy as well as by Bofill himself are complemented with sketches and floor plans. Bofill’s fantastic creations satisfy a longing for originality, personality and progressive ideals. dDAB Commentary : Instagram saved Ricardo Bofill. The Catalan architect, known (to me, at least) for some oversize and aesthetically questi...

Around the World: The Atlas for Today edited by Andrew Losowsky, Sven Ehmann and Robert Klanten, published by  Gestalten , 2013. Hardcover, 272 pages. ( Amazon ) One thing I lament with the digital information shift is the loss of reference books, such as encyclopedias, visual dictionaries, or the kind that focus on one particular subject, be it birds, home repair, or even megaliths in Europe. While searching for knowledge via Google has not completely replaced browsing through books, it is changing the way we absorb information in sometimes negative ways. I'd argue that the knowledge gained via Google, while it may lead to certain discoveries, is not as wondrous as looking through books, which can help retain the knowledge gained. So I'm pleased to see this collection of illustrated knowledge (ironically much of it culled from Internet sources) that presents us with the status of our world and some (often dire) glimpses into the future. The atlas-sized Around the Worl...

The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture edited by Robert Klanten, Sven Ehmann and Sofia Borges, published by  Gestalten , 2012. Hardcover, 288 pages. ( Amazon ) What is the state of architectural icons in the 21st century, post-2008? Frank Gehry's design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain is the marker for icons in the decade leading up to the economic collapse of 2008, but do later attention-getting pieces of architecture offer something different? Sofia Borges asks as much in her introduction to this collection of "radical architecture." Pointing out that icons date back to ancient civilizations, the only thing separating today's crop from historical icons is the sources of power. No longer directed by governments or other public figures, corporations and other private institutions lead the way, fighting for attention in cities that are more than open to being host to the latest and greatest. Yet Borges argues that the glut...

Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture edited by by H. Slawik, J. Bergmann, M. Buchmeier and S. Tinney, published by  Gestalten , 2010. Hardcover, 256 pages. ( Amazon )   Anybody paying attention to contemporary architecture knows containers are quite popular, especially the reuse of industrial shipping containers for everything from installations and showrooms to residences and offices. But like any material or system used in architecture, there is a learning curve to its application, so in many cases one container project begets another. Firms like LOT-EK have made a career from their use, exploiting the potential of the inexpensive, standardized components. In Europe, Han Slawik has created a number of container buildings, and his monograph on them expanded into Container Atlas , a great collection of container architecture around the globe. But instead of just collecting some experimental architecture, Slawik ...

Build-On: Converted Architecture and Transformed Buildings edited by Robert Klanten and Luke Feireiss, published by  Gestalten , 2009. Hardcover, 240 pages. ( Amazon ) History for architects often presents a paradoxical situation: old buildings preserved are respected yet contrasted by new interventions. History has stopped becoming a model, in effect becoming canvases for anything-goes designs layered upon the existing. This is hardly a negative situation, though the variety of responses to different scenarios illustrate a gradient of respect between the past and present. That variety can be found throughout the pages of Build-On , a collection of primarily European projects where new buildings confront old ones in many creative ways. They range from barely apparent interventions like feld72's Million Donkey Hotel ( this week's dose ) to the strikingly oppositional, like Coop Himmelb(l)au 's Akron Art Museum . Th...

Architecture of Change 2: Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment edited by Kristin Feireiss and Lukas Feireiss, published by  Gestalten , 2009. Hardcover, 240 pages. ( Amazon ) Collections of contemporary architecture in book form are still relatively common these days, even though blogs are quicker than publishing and able to include more photos and drawings. Good contemporary collections, therefore, need to offers something to the reader beyond imagery. Typically this is a thematic grouping of projects and editorial content of more depth than blogs. A good example of such are the two books by Kristin Feireiss and Lukas Feireiss based on the Zumtobel Group Award for Sustainability and Humanity in the Built ...