In "Never Modern," Irenee Scalbert explores the role of narrative, history, and appropriation in the works of the London-based firm 6a Architects, whose recent projects include the South London Gallery, Raven Row, and the new fashion galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Scalbert examines the unique approach of the members of 6a, wherein they avoid style and signature in favor of what Scalbert calls a premodern sense of "metis," or "flair, wisdom, forethought, subtlety of mind, deception, resourcefulness, vigilance, opportunism, varied skills, and experience." Scalbert's analysis is accompanied by a striking visual essay of archival photographs, artworks, film stills, and recent projects by the firm. In the end, Scalbert argues that like contemporary society in general, the architecture of 6a Architects is fundamentally a work of bricolage, creating art composed of various objects on hand, drawing from history and the everyday to create something new and vital.

Contemporary architectural criticism tends to focus on the theories and concepts behind buildings. Yet there is much to be learned by venturing beyond the library walls to contemplate the real buildings - the things themselves. This urge for 'real living contact' is the impetus behind this new and exhilarating collection of essays by renowned British architectural critic and scholar Irénée Scalbert. This new book selects nine essays written throughout Scalbert's career from the early 1990s to the present. They comprise detailed studies of major buildings and pieces that represent broader studies of historical movements and ideas. All texts are based on direct experience, whether through quiet contemplation or candid interviews with architects, builders, or inhabitants. An architect by training, Scalbert writes with the purpose of illuminating the design efforts made and enriching the form of the architecture he describes, and his essays thus contribute to many key moments in the architectural history of the past three decades. Scalbert's incisive and boldly original criticism - together with a wealth of illustrations - make this a book an enlightening read for architects and architectural students or anyone with an appreciation of this important voice in architectural criticism.