A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

The Architecture of Light: Recent Approaches to Designing with Natural Light by Mary Ann Steane, published by  Routledge , 2011. Paperback/Hardcover, 246 pages. ( Amazon ) Gracing the cover of Mary Ann Steane 's examination of a number of 20th-century projects "whose architects have a particular interest in light and window design" is the Music Room in the Open City in Rotique, Chile. This project is not as well known as a number of other case studies that Steane presents -- Le Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp, Carlo Scarpa's Quirini Foundation, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, Herzog and de Meuron's Tate Modern -- but it dramatically encompasses the ideas on natural light that she attempts to convey in this book. First and foremost is how designers respond to natural light in the ways they shape space, yet this is always questioned in relation to meaning. It is not enough that light be considered in architecture, it must convey something s...

Pabellon en el Bosque in Valle de Bravo, Mexico by Parque Humano, 2011 Photographs are by Paul Rivera, ArchPhoto; courtesy Parque Humano. For many architects a pavilion is a dream commission. Approaching pure sculpture, the broad typology departs from the stringent functions that define buildings like houses, schools, offices, and the rest. To be sure a pavilion has a goal, a purpose of some sort, but it is rooted in the hazy area between idea and experience rather than meeting particular functional requirements. Jorge Covarrubias and Benjamín González Henze of Parque Humano , the architects of this Pavilion in the Woods, hit upon this condition when they describe their project as "an inducement to participate in specific acts of memory, contemplation, and philosophical speculation." Sited in an opening on a large plot of land, this small (80sm / 860sf) pavilion is aligned with the path of an existing pine tree alley. A glass wall with sliding panels greets p...

Pamphlet Architecture 11-20 by Steven Holl, published by  Princeton Architectural Press , 2011. Hardcover, 604 pages. ( Amazon ) Pamphlet Architecture 31: New Haiti Villages , the most recent volume since the publication's founding in 1977, seems to return to its origins. Both the first and the most recent are by Steven Holl , who started Pamphlet Architecture with William Stout , and each delves into a particular project by the architect, allowing some depth of exploration. This is not to say that the publication has not changed or it does not represent change; if anything, the small size and relatively low cost (as well as Princeton Architectural Press's yearly competition and stipend these days) mean that Pamphlet Architecture is a good barometer for what is on the edge of architecture when it's released. For me, the most impressionable volumes came when I entered undergraduate architecture school in the early 1990s. Even though I could find early ones in the sch...

Earlier today I added another title to my growing list (architect, blogger, author, adjunct professor) of vocations swirling around my interest in architecture: tour guide. As part of this year's OHNY I led a tour with about 30 folks from Van Alen Books near Madison Square Park down to Union Square, winding our way by Gramercy Park, down 2nd Avenue, and along 13th Street. Being my first tour I was a bit nervous, but overall I think it went well, enough that I'd like to do it again. So stay tuned for information on future tours, be it this one or other parts of Manhattan and hopefully the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. In the meantime below is the flyer I handed out as part of the tour, tracing the route on a couple maps copied almost verbatim from my book. [Click to enlarge]

One of my favorite publishers, Princeton Architectural Press , seeks: a full-time designer (mid- to senior-level) to start immediately. Working directly with the Design Director and staff editors, this designer will craft print and digital editions that encompass a range of illustrated content (architecture, photography, art, theory, and visual culture). The applicant should have some prior book experience designing both interiors and covers, ideally within the illustrated trade or art book field. Check out PAPress's job and career page for more information on the position.

Here are some photos of Ken Iwata Mother and Child Museum in Imabari City, Ehime, Japan by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects . Photographs are by Ken Lee 2010 . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

The Architecture and Design Film Festival is coming soon: October 19-23 at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. How this festival works: 31 Films - ranging in length from a three minutes to 93 minutes. Each of the individual films have been curated into 15 programs. Tickets are sold by program; each program presents 1-4 films of varying lengths. Programs have a total running time of approximately 90 minutes. To purchase tickets or see the full schedule click here.