Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926) is one of the most admired architects of the twentieth century. Even today, some seventy-five years after Gaudi's death, his fanciful, exuberant buildings define Barcelona's cityscape and continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps best known for the dynamic, sculptural facades, found on such buildings as the church of the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, Gaudi is as much respected as a technological innovator as a daring stylist.
In this enlightening volume, a concise, knowledgeable text by the director of the Royal Gaudi Chair at the Polytechnical University of Catalonia (Barcelona) combines with striking images by a well-known architectural photographer to provide a new perspective on Gaudi's remarkable career. The text covers the full range of his oeuvre, describing early assignments in the 1870s as a draftsman for leading architects in Barcelona, the innovative buildings he created for the Guell Palace and Estate, daring new structural solutions at Bellesguard, architecture inspired by nature at the Casa Calvet and in the Park Guell, and the construction of his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death. The author traces all the influences that led to his definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and neogothicism to his affinity for naturalism and specific geometric forms.
Brilliantly illustrated, this incisive overview of Gaudí's visionary work is ideal for those who delight in his architecture as well as those who look forward to traveling to Spain to see his monumental legacy.

This book discusses architectural excellence in Islamic societies drawing on textual and visual materials, from the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT, developed over more than three decades. At the core of the discussion are the efforts, processes, and outcomes of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA). The AKAA recognises excellence in architectural and urban interventions within cities and settlements in the Islamic world which are continuously challenged by dramatic changes in economies, societies, political systems, decision-making, and environmental requirements. Architectural Excellence in Islamic Societies responds to the recurring question about the need for architectural awards, arguing that they are critical to validating the achievements of professional architects while making their contributions more widely acknowledged by the public. Through analysis and critique of over sixty awarded and shortlisted projects from over thirty-five countries, this book provides an expansive look at the history of the AKAA through a series of narratives on the enduring values of architecture, architectural and urban conservation, built environment sustainability, and architectural pluralism and multiple modernities. Architectural Excellence in Islamic Societies will appeal to professionals and academics, researchers, and upper-level students in architectural history and theory and built environment related fields.

Louis I. Kahn was one of the most influential architects, thinkers and teachers of his time. This book examines the important relationship between his work and the city of Rome, whose ancient ruins inspired in him a new design methodology. Structured into two main parts, the first includes personal essays and contributions from the architect's children, writers and other designers on the experience and impact of his work. The second part takes a detailed look at Kahn's residency in Rome, its effects on his thinking, and how his influence spread throughout Italy. It analyses themes directly linked to his architecture, through interviews with teachers and designers such as Franco Purini, Paolo Portoghesi, Giorgio Ciucci, Lucio Valerio Barbera and the architects of the Rome Group of Architects and City Planners (GRAU). Rome and the Legacy of Louis I. Kahn expands the current discourse on this celebrated twentieth-century architect, ideal for students and researchers interested in Kahn's work, architectural history, theory and criticism.

Architectural solutions & designs to optimize the spaces in your home without spending a fortune. Architect Laura Jane Clark, from the BBC and Netflix smash-hit series Your Home Made Perfect, has spent over 15 years designing, remodelling, and building homes with budgets that range from modest to enormous. THE HANDBOOK OF HOME DESIGN distils Laura's wealth of experience and enthusiasm giving you an accessible yet detailed guide to design, empowering you with the tools and knowledge to shape your home how you want. Throughout your home design journey, whether large or small, Laura takes you each step of the way from understanding your home, reading a plan and writing a brief, right through to sketching your own design and having the confidence to get what you want on the building site. Packed full of tips and tricks, inspiration and technical know-how, THE HANDBOOK OF HOME DESIGN is like having Laura by your side, showing you how to design practical yet beautiful spaces, get more storage into your life and create the home of your dreams. Laura Jane Clark wants to democratize the whole concept of residential architectural design and empower you to redesign your spaces by giving you the language and ability to confidently communicate your vision, get the most out of your design and ultimately love your finished home. Whether you are a long-term homeowner, first-time buyer or simply visualising your dream space, no matter what your budget is, this unique insight into Laura's process allows you to achieve both the design you want and the home you need. www.lamparchitects.co.uk Instagram: @laurajaneclark_

In this book, Tsiambaos redefines the ground-breaking theory of Greek architect and town planner Constantinos A. Doxiadis (The Form of Space in Ancient Greece) and moves his thesis away from antiquity and ancient architecture, instead arguing that it can only be understood as a theory founded in modernity. In light of this, the author explores Doxiadis' theory in relation to the work of the controversial Greek architect Dimitris Pikionis. This parallel investigation of the philosophical content of Doxiadis' theory and the design principles of Pikionis' work establishes a new frame of reference and creates a valuable and original interpretation of their work. Using innovative cross-disciplinary tools and methods which expand the historical boundaries of interwar modernism, the book restructures the ground of an alternative modernity that looks towards the future through a mirror that reflects the ancient past. From Doxiadis' Theory to Pikionis' Work: Reflections of Antiquity in Modern Architecture is fascinating reading for all scholars and students with an interest in modernism and antiquity, the history and theory of architecture, the history of ideas and aesthetics or town planning theory and design.

Architectures of Transversality investigates the relationship between modernity, space, power, and culture in Iran. Focusing on Paul Klee's Persian-inspired miniature series and Louis Kahn's unbuilt blueprint for a democratic public space in Tehran, it traces the architectonics of the present as a way of moving beyond universalist and nationalist accounts of modernism. Transversality is a form of spatial production and practice that addresses the three important questions of the self, objects, and power. Using Deleuzian and Heideggerian theory, the book introduces the practices of Klee and Kahn as transversal spatial responses to the dialectical tension between existential and political territories and, in doing so, situates the history of the silent, unrepresented and the unbuilt - constructed from the works of Klee and Kahn - as a possible solution to the crisis of modernity and identity-based politics in Iran.

The story of Frank Lloyd Wright's life is no less astounding than his greatest architectural works. He enmeshed himself eagerly in myth and hearsay, and revelled in the extravagance of his creative persona. Throughout his long career, Wright strongly resisted the suggestion that his accomplishments owed anything to earthly influences. As much as he wanted his achievements to be recognised, he wanted them to be unaccountable - but they are not. This book reveals for the first time how his unbreakable self-belief and startling creative defiance both originated in the liberal religious and philosophical attitudes woven into his personality during his childhood - deliberately so by his mother and by his many aunts and uncles, to honour the fierce Welsh radicalism of their ancestors.

Architecture as Civil Commitment analyses the many ways in which Lucio Costa shaped the discourse of Brazilian modern architecture, tracing the roots, developments, and counter-marches of a singular form of engagement that programmatically chose to act by cultural means rather than by political ones. Split into five chapters, the book addresses specific case-studies of Costa's professional activity, pointing towards his multiple roles in the Brazilian federal government and focusing on passages of his work that are much less known outside of Brazil, such as his role inside Estado Novo bureaucracy, his leadership at SPHAN, and his participation in UNESCO's headquarters project, all the way to the design of Brasilia. Digging deep into the original documents, the book crafts a powerful historical reconstruction that gives the international readership a detailed picture of one of the most fascinating architects of the 20th century, in all his contradictory geniality. It is an ideal read for those interested in Brazilian modernism, students and scholars of architectural and urban planning history, socio-cultural and political history, and visual arts.

Probably the most popular building of the last century, Sydney Opera House is the icon of modern Australia. It has repaid its Au$100 million cost many times over, both as a tourist attraction and as a cultural center; as a brand, it is priceless. The story of its creation is one of both triumph and tragedy: universally loved these days, it was attacked by press and public when under construction. It is a masterpiece of modern architecture, yet Jorn Utzon, its designer, walked out before completion. Opinions are still divided over who was at fault when he resigned after a row with the client in 1966, and the story continues to rouse powerful passions to this day. Now, nearly 40 years later, Utzon has been invited back to oversee the building's refurbishment.
Peter Murray's compelling and highly readable biography of the building presents both sides of the story. Using previously unpublished files and papers; Murray has managed to unravel one of the most intriguing architectural controversies of recent times - what really happened when they built Sydney Opera House?

This book explores the role of silence in how we design, present and experi-ence architecture. Grounded in phenomenological theory, the book builds on historical, theoretical and practical approaches to examine silence as a methodological tool of architectural research and unravel the experiential qualities of the design process. Distinct from an entirely soundless experience, silence is proposed as a material condition organically incorporated into the built and natural landscape. Kakalis argues that, either human or atmospheric, silence is a condition of waiting for a sound to be born or a new spatio-temporal event to emerge. In silence, therefore, we are attentive and attuned to the atmos-phere of a place. The book unpacks a series of stories of silence in religious topographies, urban landscapes, film and theatre productions and architec-tural education with contributed chapters and interviews with Jeff Malpas and Alberto Perez-Gomez. Aimed at postgraduate students, scholars and researchers in architectural theory, it shows how performative and atmospheric qualities of silence can build a new understanding of architectural experience.

Peter Murray's compelling and highly readable biography of the building presents both sides of the story. Using previously unpublished files and papers, Murray has managed to unravel one of the most intriguing architectural controversies of recent times - what really happened when they built Sydney Opera House...

Alberto Ponis, born 1933 in Genoa, was educated at Florence University, where he qualified as an architect in 1960. He worked in London with Erno Goldfinger and Denys Lasdun in 1960-64, under the strong - and lasting - influence of the movements of modernism and new brutalism then dominant in British architecture. He established his studio in 1964 in Palau on the island of Sardinia. Ponis has studied the natural conditions and social history of Sardinia and has also done extensive research on the "stazzo", Sardinia's typical rural building type. On this thorough knowledge of conditions, traditions and requirements, an oeuvre of more than 300 residential buildings is founded. Each house is deeply rooted in its environment and connected with the land and other dwellings by the "sentiero", the path leading to and from it. They show a natural modesty and simplicity and express the architect's great formal skills and sensitivity. Alberto Ponis - Sardinia is the first comprehensive monograph on this highly interesting and original architect.Lavishly illustrated, it documents his life and work and presents in detail eight selected buildings between 1965-98 that make traceable the evolution of Ponis's work and philosophy.

Tony Hunt's Sketchbook illustrates the connection between brain and hand in conceiving structural concepts and details as possible solutions to structures in architecture. This new edition features 100 previously unpublished sketches. These sketches illustrate alternative structural concepts, ideas and details developed by Tony Hunt for over one hundred projects throughout his professional life. They relate directly to projects built and unbuilt in the field of structural engineering and were either produced at the time of relevant design meetings or as a response to a problem posed by an architect and are, therefore, a record of ideas proposed at the particular time. They are a source of design inspiration and an insight into the work of this well respected engineer. Sketches of over 100 of Tony Hunt's projects provide an excellent source of design inspiration Allows the reader to visualise the design process through from start to finish Gain an insight into the lifetime's work of this influential structural engineer

Originally published in 1986 Holford is not just a biography of a major architect, planner and civic designer. In describing the life and times of the man, the authors provide a fascinating analysis of the developments in British architecture and planning from the 1930s to the 1970s. The book explains the story of a wartime policies for post-war reconstruction and examines policies which have had a major influence on the shaping of modern towns and cities. Holford's involvement in planning in the post-war period shows how gradually the concept of 'civic design' has been discarded to the detriment of the urban landscape. His position in the thick of development conflicts, such as that of Piccadilly, have much to tell us about the workings of developers and planning authorities, and the failings of the planning system in the pressures for growth in the 1960s. In this key period of British architectural and planning history, Holford was a leading actor, and describing his role the book provides a very readable account of a little explored area.

This book is a unique comparative study of two of the greatest figures in modern architecture - Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto. By assessing the historical, personal and intellectual influences of their attitudes to nature and the creative direction of their work, this study offers a new understanding about the diversity at the heart of modernism. Through an analysis of the architects' own writing about their ideas and philosophies, a better understanding is gained of their ideas for urban living and by looking at their most widely known work, the authors analyse the architects' intentions to build nature into the heart of their architecture. The authors argue that there are many similarities between the attitudes towards nature held by Le Corbusier and Aalto, and that these similarities had an important place in the generation of their architecture.

Chronicling forty years of luxury architecture and design by Steve Leung, founder of one of Asia's most successful design studios. This major design monograph represents a comprehensive overview of 35 years of architectural, interior- and product-design work by Steve Leung, founder of Hong Kong-based Steve Leung Design Group (SLD). Spanning luxury residential developments and hotels to high-end restaurants and resorts, SLD's work extends from Hong Kong to China and across Asia. This book - organized by themes that reflect periods in Leung's life and work - captures the essence of one of Asia's most successful and entrepreneurial practices. Introductory texts frame projects presented in each chapter, based on interviews with Steve and other influential creative and cultural figures, and are followed by illustrated project spreads that place each theme in context.

This timely book seeks to dispel two widely held misconceptions: first, that architects are no longer central to the making of buildings and, second, that design is a linear process which begins with a fully formed architectural vision. Architect Farshid Moussavi argues that the temporality of architecture provides day-to-day practice with the potential to generate change. She proposes that we abandon determinism and embrace chance events and the subjective factors that influence practice in order to ground buildings in the micropolitics of everyday life. Using four buildings designed by FMA, Moussavi's London-based practice, Architecture & Micropolitics shows how the rhizomatic nature of their design process is combined with diligent research and an openness to elements of chance to fuel creativity and bend rules that would generate a merely functional building. A substantial essay by Farshid Moussavi and an afterword by the philosopher Jacques Ranciere are followed by detailed analyses of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland; Lot 19, the first new residential block to be built in the La Defense district of Paris in thirty years; the Folie Divine apartment building in Montpellier; and the Ismaili Center Houston, the first new building in the US which is dedicated to use by the Ismaili community. The book also features contributions by Inaki Abalos, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Irenee Scalbert. Architecture & Micropolitics is recommended for any professional and academic library. It is a surprising book which will be of value to anyone who is interested in the relationship between architecture and society.

WINNER, THE VICTORIAN SOCIETY NEW YORK, 2022 BOOK AWARD How a prolific yet little-known architect changed the face of education in New York City As Superintendent of School Buildings from 1891 to 1922, architect Charles B. J. Snyder elevated the standards of school architecture. Unprecedented immigration and Progressive Era changes in educational philosophy led to his fresh approach to design and architecture, which forever altered the look and feel of twentieth-century classrooms and school buildings. Students rich or poor, immigrant or native New Yorker, went from learning in factory-like schools to attending classes in schools with architectural designs and enhancements that to many made them seem like palaces. Spanning three decades, From Factories to Palaces provides a thought-provoking narrative of Charles Snyder and shows how he integrated his personal experiences and innovative design skills with Progressive Era school reform to improve students’ educational experience in New York City and, by extension, across the nation. During his thirty-one years of service, Snyder oversaw the construction of more than 400 New York City public schools and additions, of which more than half remain in use today. Instead of blending in with the surrounding buildings as earlier schools had, Snyder’s were grand and imposing. “He does that which no other architect before his time ever did or tried: He builds them beautiful,” wrote Jacob Riis. Working with the Building Bureau, Snyder addressed the school situation on three fronts: appearance, construction, and function. He re-designed schools for greater light and air, improved their sanitary facilities, and incorporated quality-of-life features such as heated cloakrooms and water fountains. Author and educator Dr. Jean Arrington chronicles how Snyder worked alongside a group of like-minded, hardworking individuals—Building Bureau draftsmen, builders, engineers, school administrators, teachers, and custodians—to accomplish this feat. This revelatory book offers fascinating glimpses into the nascent world of modern education, from the development of specialty areas, such as the school gymnasium, auditorium, and lunchroom, to the emergence of school desks with backs as opposed to uncomfortable benches, all housed in some of the first fireproofed schools in the nation. Thanks to Snyder, development was always done with the students’ safety, well-being, and learning in mind. Lively historical drawings, architectural layouts, and photographs of school building exteriors and interiors enhance the engaging story. Funding for this book was provided by: Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund

Originally from Chicago, Ryan W. Kennihan has been working in Dublin since 2007 and has taught at various universities. His architecture is reserved, peaceful and elegant. Each building is a little gem, where every detail reflects the architecture. For instance the Vita Family Center in Roscommon assumes the volume and appearance of the surrounding traditional buildings, while varying the details in an astute and subtle way. Text in English and German.

On Charles II's restoration to the throne in 1660, four of his supporters were provided with plots of land in a leafy suburb of London, on which to build their extravagant town palaces. The only one to survive - built for the poet and courtier Sir John Denham (1615-1669) and now situated in the heart of Piccadilly - became the home of the Royal Academy of Arts, its exhibitions and its Schools. This important study charts the history of the estate through its many owners, including the 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694-1753), who gave the house not only its name but also its distinctive and influential architecture. In his day, the house was host to leading scholars and celebrities, who met within Burlington's cutting-edge creation, which remains an unparalleled example of the Palladian style in England. Nicholas Savage's meticulous research examines 350 years of social and architectural history, as well as revealing the next phase in the life of the estate, as the Royal Academy opens up Burlington House as never before in an exciting redevelopment led by Sir David Chipperfield CBE RA to celebrate the institution's 250th anniversary.

Hollaway is an architectural and interior design practice that embraces the past, the present, and the future; one that places people and feeling at the core of its philosophy of architecture. It is only appropriate, then, that this book reflects on where the practice has evolved from, where it finds itself today, and what the challenges of tomorrow demand of it, told in the words of those who make it what it was, is and will become. The RIBA award-winning practice has built its reputation working on a wide array of projects, including a cutting-edge skate park, the world's first heritage theme park, a bespoke artist's studio in an open field, and a high-end seafood restaurant. They were also one of the first to install a tubular steel slide in an office redesign, and the chosen architects for the replanning of an entire town. The breadth of these projects may be wide, but each one brings the perfect balance of playfulness and sincerity, with a firm focus on placemaking, sustainability and the experience of the individuals who will use the space. From Now On documents Hollaway's inspirational buildings, brought alive by glowing client testimonies. A must for modern architecture lovers or anyone who is interested in seeing creative ideas made possible.

This book seeks, through an examination of the form and content of his texts, to extend our understanding of Adolf Loos and his role in the struggle to define the nature of modernity in Vienna at the turn of the nineteenth century. It makes extensive use of primary sources including archive material and newspaper reports, which serve to shed new light on the way in which Loos's writings are embedded in their socio-cultural context. Drawing on insights from German and Austrian studies, sociology and cultural history, this book offers a genuinely interdisciplinary approach to a figure who himself operated in an interdisciplinary fashion.

This book seeks, through an examination of the form and content of his texts, to extend our understanding of Adolf Loos and his role in the struggle to define the nature of modernity in Vienna at the turn of the nineteenth century. It makes extensive use of primary sources including archive material and newspaper reports, which serve to shed new light on the way in which Loos's writings are embedded in their socio-cultural context. Drawing on insights from German and Austrian studies, sociology and cultural history, this book offers a genuinely interdisciplinary approach to a figure who himself operated in an interdisciplinary fashion.

Spencer Fung is never without a sketchbook or a pencil. Inspiration and ideas can strike at any moment, and often the smallest thing that catches his eye impels him to capture it on paper. Whether it is designing private houses, restaurants, hotels, furniture or lighting, he starts by hand, creating miniature works of art, which he then develops into scale perspective drawings, exploring space, structure and detail.His designs have always drawn their inspiration from nature and the environment, from the rugged mountains of the Pyrenees to the quiet meadows of a country farm; from the beams of a medieval tythe barn to the patterns of a drystone wall. Passionately committed to the organic recycling of natural materials, the book is structured into chapters on wood, stone, metal, glass and organic materials in which over 40 of his projects are showcased. Spencer prefers to commission small artisanal firms who have retained a high degree of skill, as a result many dying and forgotten crafts have been revitalized new forms - the use of drystone walling inside a bathroom, or coppiced ash branches being used as a hanging rail for clothes - are examples that are not just deeply inspiring but sympathetic to the environment as well.This book will appeal to anyone interested in design, recycling, upcycling, the environment, organic and mindful living but in a style conscious and glamorous way.

With his geometric structures perched upon the hillsides, beaches, and deserts of California, John Lautner (1911-1994) was behind some of the most striking and innovative architectural designs in mid-20th-century America. This introductory book brings together the most important of Lautner's projects to explore his his ingenious use of modern building materials and his bold stylistic repertoire of sweeping rooflines, glass-paneled walls, and steel beams. From commercial buildings to such iconic homes as the Chemosphere, we look at Lautner's sensitivity to a building's surroundings and his unique capacity to integrate structures into the Californian landscape. With several of Lautner's houses now labeled Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments, we'll also consider the architect's cultural legacy, as much as his pioneering of a visual paradigm of 1950s optimism, economic growth, and space-age adventure. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)