A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Here is a newspaper ad—no comment necessary— spotted at Dezeen that is worth filing in my " architectural advertising " posts.

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...

As promised when I posted photos of Santiago Calatrava's PATH - West Concourse (2013) in New York City, here are some of my photos of the glass pavilion at Brookfield Place (2013) by Pelli Clarke Pelli . Situated up a flight of escalators at the west end of the PATH concourse, the pavilion makes a transition between the World Trade Center site and Battery Park City's World Financial Center and Winter Garden further west. The approach from the West Concourse: The escalator arrival: The tree-like, bundled columns on either side of the escalators come into view on ascent: The "tree" on the south: The "tree" on the north: Another view of the "tree" on the south: Looking east from under the mezzanine: Looking east again, with the World Trade Center site beyond: A closer look at the east-facing wall: Note the man looking up as he descends the escalator: This is his view (of 1 World Trade Center): Another view of 1WTC,...

On a brick wall near the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery in London's Clerkenwell district, tile and mosaic company Domus has crafted a likeness of Dame Zaha Hadid. But there is a trick to the installation by artist Greg Shapter—it is a three-dimensional, one-point-perspective piece that is best seen from an "X" stenciled onto the sidewalk nearby. As Shapter puts it: "You have to make an effort to find the best place to stand and are rewarded when you have found it." [Photos by Steve Smith , courtesy of Domus . Animation by archidose] " I Am Zaha " can be seen on the corner of Great Sutton Street and Goswell Road until the end of the year.

Back in May I posted about the " odd POPS " at 33 Maiden Lane that formerly housed a branch of the Whitney Museum in the lower level. This Whitney branch was long gone (it closed in 1992) before I ever set foot in New York City, but I was familiar with the space since it was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and played host to their "Domestic Arrangements" show, something I posted about back in 2008 . So I'm bringing up the project once again because I happened upon a digitized brochure of the exhibition's lab report at archive.org . The booklet can be downloaded in PDF and other formats, but since the brochure appears to be made of tri-fold pages, I stitched them together in Photoshop and have posted them here. Click on the images for larger, readable images.

Here are some photos of MLRP 's Woven Bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark, photographed by Ximo Michavila . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos  archidose

Façadomy: A Critique of Capitalism and Its Assault on Mid-Century Modern Architecture by James Cornetet, published by Process Press, 2013. Hardcover or Paperback, 426 pages. ( Amazon ) The intriguing yet slightly naughty title of this self-published book by Orlando-based architect James Cornetet (of Process Architecture ) refers to what happens when mid-century modern buildings are covered with postmodern pastiche to create the perception of value. Yet as Cornetet argues in the first half of the book, value-driven architecture (as he calls it) does not depend on inexpensive details and shallow associations; it achieves the most (for the client) with the most economical of means. Cornetet embraces mid-modern architecture as the ideal of value-driven architecture, the label he gives for the direction architect should be heading if it wishes to remain relevant. It is an appealing argument that is explained in equal parts theory, criticism, and as a guide to the...