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Art

Art

Book Review: New Approach of Architecture and Design by Josef Hoffmann

Book Review: New Approach of Architecture and Design by Josef Hoffmann  – Before aesthete, designer, and architect Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) came along, Austrian architecture and design was suffocating under a surfeit of opulent ornamentation and bombastic flourish. With his radical new approach and a band of like-minded figures, Hoffmann was a founding father of the Viennese Secession and Wiener Werkstätte,andrevolutionized Western aesthetics with a brave new minimalism. See also: Book Review: Álvaro Siza Complete Works This essential introduction explores Hoffmann’s key ideas, projects, and designs to understand his radical aesthetics and their continued influence on European architecture and design, from monochrome interior schemes to the cutlery we put on the table. We explore his integral role at the center of both the Vienna Secession in 1897 and the Wiener Werkstätte, and his commitment to stylistic purity, including some of Europe’s first major modernist buildings, such as the Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and the Palais Stoclet (1905–1911). See also: Book Review: Rooftops Design, Islands in the Sky The author August Sarnitz is a practicing architect and professor of history and theory of architecture at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. His many publications include books on R. M. Schindler, Lois Welzenbacher, Ernst Lichtblau,…

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Art

Book Review: Revolutionary Architecture Projects by Renzo Piano

Book Review: Revolutionary Architecture Projects by Renzo Piano – While some architects have a signature style, Renzo Piano seeks to apply coherent ideas to extraordinarily different projects. His buildings impress as much for their individual impact as for their diversity of scale, material, and form. Piano rose to international prominence with his codesign of the Pompidou Center in Paris, described by The New York Times as a building that “turned the architecture world upside down.” Since then, he has continued to craft many high-profile cultural spaces, including the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; the Morgan Library Renovation and Expansion in New York; and, most recently, the Whitney Museum of American Art, an asymmetric nine-story structure in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District with both indoor and outdoor galleries. In New York and London, the Renzo touch has also transformed the skyline with the towers of the New York Times Building and the Shard, the tallest building in the European Union. See also: Book Review: Álvaro Siza Complete Works This essential introduction travels from Osaka, Japan, to Bern, Switzerland, and through many cities, structures, and islands in between, to explore the staggering scope of the Renzo Piano repertoire. From the “inside-out” Pompidou…

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Art

Book Review: Zaha Hadid Complete Works 1979-today

  Book Review: Zaha Hadid Complete Works 1979-today – Zaha Hadid was a revolutionary architect, who for many years achieved critical acclaim and won numerous prizes, while building almost nothing. Some even said her work was unbuildable. During the latter years of her life, Hadid’s daring visions became a reality, bringing a unique new architectural language to cities and structures as the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, the Glasgow Riverside Museum, and the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum in Michigan. See also: Book Review: Álvaro Siza Complete Works At the time of her death in 2016, Hadid was firmly established among the élite of world architecture, working on projects in China, the Middle East, the United States, and Russia. She was the first female architect to win both the Pritzker Prize for architecture and the prestigious RIBA Royal Gold Medal. This massive TASCHEN monograph, now available in an updated and more accessible edition, covers Hadid’s complete works, right through to the new Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London. With abundant photographs, in-depth sketches, and Hadid’s own drawings, the volume traces the detailed evolution of Hadid’s career, comprising not only pioneering buildings but also the furniture and interior designs that…

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Art

Book Review: Álvaro Siza Complete Works

Book Review: Álvaro Siza Complete Works – When Álvaro Siza, one of the great figures of contemporary architecture, won the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1992, the Jury described his forms as “molded by light, [with] a deceptive simplicity about them; they are honest. They solve design problems directly…. That simplicity, upon closer examination however, is revealed as great complexity. There is a subtle mastery underlying what appears to be natural creations.” Born in Matosinhos, Portugal, in 1933, Siza created his own practice in Porto in 1954, and he has been a Professor of Construction at the University of Porto since 1976. The architect can fill shelf afer shelf with his awards and prizes to-date: He received the European Community’s Mies van der Rohe Prize in 1988 and the Praemium Imperiale in Japan in 1997, the 2009 RIBA Gold Medal, and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale. See also: Tips to Decorate and Improve your Bookshelves He has built a large number of projects in Portugal, and worked on the restructuring of the Chiado area of Lisbon following a devastating fire in 1988. Siza designed both the Portuguese Pavilion for the 1998 Lisbon World’s Fair and the…

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Art

Midcentury Masterpiece: American Architecture and Interior Design

Midcentury Masterpiece: American Architecture and Interior Design – With its pastel green and yellow interior, its dazzling collection of Impressionist paintings, and long, low sofas that look like vintage Cadillac convertibles, Sunnylands was a Versailles for the Space Age. In Palm Springs, the mecca of midcentury modern architecture, this immaculately preserved estate is considered the undisputed masterpiece, envisioned by A. Quincy Jones, one of California’s most important architects, and furnished by California’s great decorator-to-the-stars, William Haines. Built by media moguls, art collectors, and diplomats Walter and Leonore Annenberg, Sunnylands became a seat of power where politicians, movie stars, and corporate leaders could meet, relax, reflect, make deals, and run the world—all with nobody watching. For four decades, an invitation to New Year’s Eve at Sunnylands was the ultimate social prize. Exquisitely illustrated, Sunnylands is a must-have for every fan of midcentury design. See also: Stylish Reading Nooks that will Inspire You “Imagine what treasures await in this history of [Walter Annenberg’s] fabled midcentury modern house in Rancho Mirage, California, which is now restored and open to the public. Completed in 1966 by the architect A. Quincy Jones, with rare preserved interiors by William Haines, the 32,000-square-foot Sunnylands attracted presidents, royalty and Hollywood…

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Art

Book Review: Tate Modern Building a Museum for the 21st Century

Book Review: Tate Modern Building a Museum for the 21st Century – After opening its doors in 2000, Tate Modern quickly became the most popular modern and contemporary art destination in the world, welcoming more than five million visitors a year. Architects Herzog & de Meuron created a gallery of singular power and beauty, whose spaces articulate a rare affinity with contemporary art. See also: Stylish Reading Nooks that will Inspire You With the second major phase of the building now complete, Tate Modern presents a striking combination of the raw and the refined. In magnificent new photography and texts by leading architectural writers, this book describes the ideas behind the Tate Modern’s conception and construction, how it was designed and built, and how it has impacted the world beyond its doors. Conversations between Tate Modern director Chris Dercon and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, as well as landscape architect Gu¨nther Vogt, interior designer Jasper Morrison, and graphic designer Ian Cartlidge, present the philosophy and interchange of ideas that drove this extraordinary project. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris Dercon is director of Tate Modern. Nicholas Serota is director of Tate. See also: Tips to Decorate and Improve your Bookshelves Keep following…

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Book Review: Fernando Botero, Assouline Special Edition

Book Review: Fernando Botero, Assouline Special Edition – Few artists have created a world as distinctive as that of Botero, who enjoys an exceptional position as one of the most successful contemporary artists. This spectacular hand-bound Ultimate Collection volume includes previously unpublished works and was curated in collaboration with the renowned artist himself from among Botero’s most important works from each period of his singular oeuvre. A special numbered limited edition of 100 copies, printed on cotton paper, features a tip-on illustration and hand-signed ex libris plate drawn by Botero especially for this publication. You may also like: Take a Tour of the World’s Most Beautiful Hotels with Chic Stays Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz Fisac is an author, curator, and critic whose work has been featured in publications including Vogue, The Art Newspaper, The European, The Observer, Beaux-Arts, Architectural Digest Spain, and La Reppublica. She has curated exhibitions on Balthus, Fernando Botero, and Frank Stella, and she has written books on Balthus, Botero, Mahatma Gandhi, and Satyajit Ray. In 2012 she curated a retrospective exhibition on Santiago Calatrava at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and she wrote the text for Assouline’s book on the architect in 2013. You…

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Art

Book Review: In Search of Bawa the Master Architect of Sri Lanka

Book Review: In Search of Bawa the Master Architect of Sri Lanka – This book answers some important questions about Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s pre-eminent architect, and his legacy. A sizeable introduction to Bawa’s world, life, education and work is reviewed by eminent Bawa scholar, David Robson. This precedes a site-by-site tour of 45 of his buildings scatterd throughout Sri Lanka. Many are considered “pilgrimage sites” by up-and-coming architects, designers and lay people interested in his extraordinary and enduring talent.             Insightful texts, contemporary and archive photographs and a plethora of drawings illustrate the individual buildings that range from private dwellings to public buildings, schools and hotels. Each is representative of Bawa’s pioneering work on tropical modernism. The book ends with a brief section on buildings that have been transformed, lost or are at risk for one reason or another. David Robson is an architect, academic and writer who had a personal friendship with Geoffrey Bawa. He is Bawa’s official biographer, having published three books – BAWA: The Complete Works (2003), Beyond Bawa (2005) and Bawa: The Sri Lankan Gardens (2009). He is also the author of Anjalendran: An Architect of Sri Lanka (2011) and…

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Portraits Of The New Architecture by Richard Schulman

Portraits Of The New Architecture by Richard Schulman  – Following the first volume’s success, Portraits of the New Architecture 2 introduces thirty-two architects and firms whose projects are shaping the architectural landscape of tomorrow, including David Adjaye, Asymptote, Annabelle Selldorf, Tatiana Bilbao, and Dominique Perrault. This volume features Richard Schulman’s stunning portraits and select photographs of the architects’ projects, as well as sketches and designs, and an introduction by Paul Goldberger. Richard Schulman has photographed unique architectural masterpieces for over thirty years. His first book for Assouline, Portraits of the New Architecture (2004), featured such luminaries as Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, and Zaha Hadid and was a bestseller. Schulman’s work has appeared in The New York Times, the London Times, Vanity Fair, Paris Match, and Der Spiegel. His archives include portraits of leading artists, collectors, and patrons of the arts. He is currently a lecturer on the history of photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Paul Goldberger is a Pulitzer Prize–winning architectural critic and educator who holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City, and was formerly Dean of the Parsons School of Design. Goldberger is…

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Book Reviews: Coloring Books for Design Lovers

Book Reviews: Coloring Books for Design Lovers – If you are a design lover you’ll want these amazing coloring books! Paris Coloring Book by Min Heo The first in our new city series of children’s titles celebrates everyone’s favorite city in the world: Paris, the city of lights. The hardcover story book, memory game, and coloring book are all illustrated in a hand-drawn, colorful, graphic, and vintage style by California-based illustrator Min Heo. All three titles highlight well-loved landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacré-Coeur, the Luxembourg Garden, the Louvre, and more. They also celebrate important cultural aspects of Paris such as art, architecture, fashion, ballet, and epicurean delights. This new series is both educational and visually appealing to little kids and design-savvy adults. All three titles together make a perfect gift for would-be travelers of all ages. See also: Book Review: The Hinterland – Cabins, Love Shacks Fantastic Cities: A Coloring Book of Amazing Places Real and Imagined Paperback by Steve McDonald This unique coloring book features immersive aerial views of real cities from around the world alongside gorgeously illustrated, Inception-like architectural mandalas. Artist Steve McDonald’s beautifully rendered and detailed line work offers bird’s-eye perspectives of visually…

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Stunning University Libraries Selected by Architectural Digest

Stunning University Libraries Slected by Architectural Digest  – From the early-14th-century Reading Room Saint-Jacques in the Library of the Sorbonne to the 21st-century Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago, AD surveys the most stunning university libraries around the world. The Richard J. Klarchek Library, Loyola University Chicago Built in 2007 by local firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the Richard J. Klarchek Library at Loyola University Chicago gives students unparalleled views of Lake Michigan. The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University is arguably the most unique building on a campus of stunning structures. Completed in 1963 by American architect Gordon Bunshaft, the library is lined with marble on the inside to enhance the minimal lighting (which helps keep the rare books from being damaged). Bapst Library, Boston College, Boston Built in 1928 on the campus of Boston College, Bapst Library is a Gothic structure that features beautifully arched windows throughout, bringing in an abundance of natural light. See also: Book Review: The Hinterland – Cabins, Love Shacks Reading Room Saint-Jacques, Library of the Sorbonne, Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris Originally opened in 1328, the Reading Room Saint-Jacques at…

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