The hip, functional, and versatile furniture and products of Konstantin Grcic-widely recognized as one of the most important designers working today-are transforming the landscape of contemporary design. This book accompanies the first exhibition in North America of Grcic's work, highlighting the innovative archetypes of form and concept that have marked his remarkable output since 2004. Grcic delights in creating fresh takes on familiar industrial objects, whether desks, chairs, benches, stools, a range of kitchen equipment, lamps, a set of salad servers, or Krups coffee makers. In his recent work, he has blended his characteristic simplicity and distinctiveness with the use of new technologies and materials-for example, a cantilevered stacking chair, Myto (2008), is made from a strong, fluid plastic typically used by the automotive industry. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition Schedule: The Art Institute of Chicago (10/17/09 - 1/10/10)

The first in-depth analysis of the stunning designs of one of the world's most captivating and prominent architects Born in Tanzania, David Adjaye (b. 1966) is rapidly emerging as a major international figure in architecture and design-and this stunning catalogue serves only to cement his role as one of the most important architects of our time. His expanding portfolio of important civic architecture, public buildings, and urban planning commissions spans Europe, the United States, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He transforms complex ideas and concepts into approachable and innovative structures that respond to the geographical, ecological, technological, engineering, economic, and cultural systems that shape the practice of global architecture. The publication of this compendium of work and essays coincides with the scheduled opening of Adjaye's National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Adjaye's completed work in the United States includes the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, a pair of public libraries in D.C., and several private residences. He is also known for his collaborations with artists, most recently with the British painter Chris Ofili (b. 1968). Following an introduction by Zoe Ryan, Adjaye writes on his current and future work, with subsequent essays by an extraordinary cadre of architectural scholars on Adjaye's master plans and urban planning, transnational architecture, monuments and memorials, and, finally, the forthcoming museum in D.C. Portfolios of Adjaye's work thread throughout this comprehensive volume. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago and Haus der Kunst Exhibition Schedule: Haus der Kunst, Munich (01/30/15-06/28/15) The Art Institute of Chicago (09/19/15-01/03/16)

Water has been an important topic in architecture and urban planning for years. The revitalization of the waterfront has been a prevalent trend in cities around the world. On the other hand, architecture also had to respond to the threat of floods. The theme of Building with Water is the use of water in architecture. It presents buildings that explicitly refer to water in their design and form. It establishes a typology of building by the water: residential structures, recreation facilities, industry and infrastructure, buildings for culture and art. The various design parameters are explored in four essays. Subsequently, twenty-two international projects are presented, organized according to their locations by a river, a lake or the sea. The authors' concern is not to show luxurious buildings in privileged locations but rather presenting projects that seriously grapple with the main criterion of the location-namely, water-in an ecologically sustainable way and respond to it with their design. Wasser ist seit Jahren ein wichtiges Thema in Architektur und Stadtebau. "Building with Water" thematisiert die Verarbeitung von Wasser im architektonischen Entwurf; es werden Bauten vorgestellt, die sich in ihrer Gestaltung und Form ausdrucklich auf Wasser beziehen. Eine Typologie des Bauens am Wasser wird erstellt: Wohnbauten, Verkehrs- und Industriebauten, Bauten fur Kultur und Freizeit. Ebenso werden einleitend klassische Beispiele des Bauens am/im/auf dem Wasser gezeigt, wie etwa Chateau de Chenonceaux an der Loire, Falling Water in Pennsylvania von Frank Lloyd Wright oder das Salk Institute in La Jolla,Kalifornien, von Louis I. Kahn. Geordnet nach ihren Standorten am Fluss, See oder Meer, werden dann etwa 20 internationale Projekte vorgestellt. Es geht den Autoren nicht darum, luxurioese Bauten an privilegierten Platzen zu zeigen, sondern Projekte darzustellen, deren Entwurf sich ernsthaft und oekologisch vertraglich mit dem Hauptkriterium des Standortes - namlich Wasser - auseinandersetzt und sich gestalterisch darauf bezieht

The newest volume in the Art Institute of Chicago's successful A+D series, Fashioning the Object invites readers to visit three of the most visionary design studios at work today: Bless, Boudicca, and Sandra Backlund. Fiercely independent and far-reaching in their influences, these young designers from Berlin, London, Paris, and Stockholm are producing fashion objects that straddle the line between traditional craft and cutting-edge technique, both in their use of materials and in the promotion of their brands. Zoe Ryan establishes the context for understanding the exciting departures these design houses represent, as the young creators draw inspiration from an array of other disciplines, including architecture, performance, film, and fine art. From Bless's numbered editions, to Boudicca's graffiti-can perfume, to Backlund's ready-to-wear pieces of knitted copper, these designers adapt storied objects to new uses and break old conventions, promulgating their ideas in playful, groundbreaking ways. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition Schedule: The Art Institute of Chicago04/14/12-09/13/12