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Art

Art

DOKK1 is the World’s Best Public Library

DOKK1 is the World’s Best Public Library – DOKK1 in Aarhus has won the international ‘Systematic – Public Library of the Year 2016’ award as the best new public library in the world. This is the first time a Danish library has received this honour. The prize was awarded at the annual meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in Columbus, Ohio. The library was designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, and the selection was made by an international jury of professionals, including architects and library experts, from a total of four nominated libraries from Australia, the US, and Denmark. Minister for Culture Berfel Haarder: ”Dokk1 is an unusually successful encounter between two beautiful Danish traditions: On one hand, our cultural ambitions to open up all branches of knowledge to every generation and social class and, on the other hand, our sense of functional and beautiful design. Dokk1 is an excellent example of how you create visionary and modern architecture that takes into account the library’s many, diverse tasks and digital opportunities. I am very happy about the prize, which is a huge credit to Aarhus.” Alderman for the Municipality of Aarhus Rabih Azad-Ahmad: ”I am proud and happy that Aarhus’ new public library is garnering international recognition…

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Art

New Book Releases: Reflections By Matt Black

New Book Releases: Reflections By Matt Black – When filmmaker Matt Black interviews current artists, it’s personal. His perceptive queries prompt these creatives to reveal intriguing pieces of their journeys. Jeff Koons explains the childhood experiences that made his art possible; Damien Hirst shares the motivation behind his spot paintings. These twenty-one conversations are casual, comfortable, and insightful. Illustrated with the artists’ work, artists in their studios, and shots from Black’s video interviews, Reflections is a unique foray from the printed page into the world of the cinematic, and a work of art in itself. See also: Book Review: Decorate your Home Like a Parisienne with Sarah Lavoine Born and raised in Paris, Matt Black moved to New York City in 1998. He has established himself as a creative mind much called upon in the field of art, and his many projects have led him through filmmaking, curation, design, and photography. In 2011, Black launched REFLECTIONS, a series of films focusing on art world luminaries produced for the award-winning cultural website NOWNESS. The series captures the vision and inspiration of each globally renowned creative and immerses us in their singular world. See also: Book Review: Scandinavia Dreaming – Nordic Homes Keep following Best…

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Book Review Farfetch Curates Art
Art

Book Review: Farfetch Curates Art

Book Review: Farfetch Curates Art – Farfetch is an innovative online boutique curator that gives shoppers access to over 300 high-end luxury boutiques worldwide. There is no need to go to New York City to shop in Kirna Zabête or to Paris to visit L’Eclaireur; they are accessible any time online through Farfetch.com, changing the way the world perceives boutique shopping. See also: 10 Free Ebooks with Interior Design Trends Farfetch is not only a trailblazer in fashion, it also curates a lifestyle. Farfetch Curates Art is the final installment of the three-part series showcasing expert curators’ recommendations for the hottest trends within each subject. A tightly edited perspective on the current intersection of art and fashion globally—from Los Angeles to São Paulo to Beijing to Istanbul—this volume offers perspectives on contemporary art from Farfetch boutique owners and world-renowned art writers, while retaining a distinctive, fashion-trained viewpoint. You may also like: Book Review: Farfetch Curates Design London-based, Swedish-born Johanna Agerman Ross is the founder and editor in chief of the biannual design magazine and website Disegno. In her career Johanna has edited Icon magazine, contributed to Wallpaper and Wired and consulted for the Design Museum in London. She studied Design History at…

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Santiago Calatrava Special Edition by Assouline
Art

Santiago Calatrava Special Edition by Assouline

Santiago Calatrava Special Edition by Assouline – One of the world’s most sought-after architects, Spanish-born Santiago Calatrava is the mastermind behind some of the most magnificent structures around the globe. Inspired by the human body and natural world, his works mimic the shapes and motions of organic entities, at times suggesting flight or spiritual uplift. This exquisite volume not only presents the architect’s most breathtaking masterpieces in architecture and engineering, drawing, and sculpture, but for the first time reveals his humanist spirit and eclectic intellectual curiosity, and allows us to discover his references, influences, and inspirations. From an opera house in his hometown of Valencia, Spain, to the Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, or the famous Turning Torso skyscraper in Sweden, Calatrava’s legacy as one of the foremost figures in contemporary architecture is undeniable. This book includes a catalogue raisonné of all the architectural creations of Santiago Calatrava. This book comes with an exclusive and complimentary Assouline canvas tote bag. See also: 10 Free Ebooks with Interior Design Trends Spanish-born Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz Fisac is an independent art curator and critic as well as an author. Her work has also been featured in publications including The Art Newspaper, The European,…

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Art

Get inspired by Venice Synagogues

Get inspired by Venice Synagogues  – Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Venice Ghetto, this magnificent hand-bound Ultimate Collection volume introduces readers to the beauty and historical and spiritual significance of the five principal synagogues in Venice, the most important markers of Jewish faith and culture in the Most Serene Republic. Behind the walls of the Ghetto, Venetian Jews expressed strong ties to the traditions of their forefathers in constructing these beautiful places of worship. The architecture, furnishings, and decorations blended the memory of their different countries of origin with traditions of Venetian artistic culture, bequeathing the City on the Lagoon enduring monuments of unparalleled eminence that remain sites of reverence and admiration. Umberto Fortis, former professor of Jewish-Italian literature at the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), University of Rome, and curator of the Jewish Museum of Venice, has published prolifically in the field of Jewish studies, includingLa parlata del ghetto di Venezia e le parlate giudeo-italiane(Florence, 2006) and La vita quotidiana nel Ghetto: Storia e società nella rappresentazione letteraria (Leghorn, 2012). He has also edited L’antisemitismo antico (Turin, 2004) andL’antisemitismo moderno e contemporaneo (Turin, 2004), among many others.   See also: Made to Measure by Meyer…

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Art

Book Review: The Architect’s Home

Book Review: The Architect’s Home – The greatest challenge in designing homes is negotiating the delicate balance between aesthetics and the personal desires of the occupants. While it’s important for the structure to reflect the vision and style of the architect, the client must ultimately feel at home beneath the roof. It is particularly interesting, therefore, to examine the homes that architects create for themselves. If houses reflect their owners’ personalities, then architects’ own homes are like autobiographies. Location, layout, style, lighting, artwork, furnishings—every detail adds color to the story. Each of these dwellings, presented A-Z by architect, speaks more about its designer than any other building possibly could. See also: Interior Design Books: Kaleidoscope, Living in Color and Patterns The editor and author Gennaro Postiglione studied architecture and completed post-doctoral studies in industrial design in Naples. He has been a visiting lecturer and professor in other countries and since 1998 has been teaching design in the department of Interior Design at Milan Politecnico. His research work focuses on interior design and on the relationship between architecture, culture and current events. Gennaro Postiglione is editor of Area magazine. See also: Hotel Libraries Around the World “This is an idea book, best used…

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Art

Hotel Libraries Around the World

Are you a big fan of books and reading in general? You carry books, or iPads, Kindles, and Nooks everywhere? Get ready to travel choosing one of these wonderful Hotel Libraries Around the World! Located in Hyderabad, India, the Taj Falaknuma Palace was built in a restored 19th-century palace. The hotel library is a splendid blend of Italian and Tudor architecture and offers a collection of rare books. The Carlisle Bay Antigua on St. John’s island is a lovely beachfront resort with a funky library that, via fiber-optic lighting, changes color throughout the evening. The white walls and modern furnishings, including Lucite tables, create a striking atmosphere. See also: Interior Design Books: 100 Interiors Around the World Amsterdam’s Ambassade Hotel consists of ten 17th-century townhouses, and the library maintains the historic feel with dark brown shelves and Empire-style chairs. Many acclaimed writers have stayed at the Ambassade, among them Salman Rushdie, V. S. Naipaul, Toni Morrison, and Jonathan Safran Foer, and the hotel’s 3,000-book collection includes quite a few signed works. Situated in northwest Florence, Italy, the Il Salviatino is set in a revived 15th-century villa. After a $20 million renovation in 2008, led by hotelier Marcello Pigozzo and architect Luciano…

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Art

Book Review: Tropical Interiors and ­Architecture – Living Under the Sun

The tropics are not only an address, but also a way of life. Living Under the Sun is a stunning showcase of modern tropical interiors and architecture that meld local design tradition and bold innovation in compelling ways. More than anywhere else on earth, the tropics demand an architecture that can bridge the gap between what is outside—sea, sand, sky, and sun—and what lies within. The villas, family homes, artists’ ateliers, beach shacks, and urban pieds-à-terre featured in the book embrace their outdoor surroundings to offer fresh, often surprising indoor possibilities that are ideally suited to their climates. The elegantly easy-going work featured in Living Under the Sun exemplifies how to create tranquil settings to soothe our hectic lives, regardless of our geographical location. Where is paradise: at the end of the earth or at home on the sofa? For many, the word paradise conjures up images of a sunny beach with palm trees. For others, it might mean pristine nature, a lively city with much to see and do, lazing in a hammock, or relaxing anywhere with a cool sea breeze. All of these versions of paradise can be found in the tropics. Tropical regions around the globe have…

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Art

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton – Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was an icon in the fashion industry. This book is a fine tribute to one of the best fashion designer and conceptual artist who died far too young but whose contributions to contemporary fashion and art will live on. This book is likely to become a collector’s item, so handsomely designed and present as it is. The artist was the most influential, imaginative, and provocative designer of his generation- The artist both challenged and expanded fashion conventions to express ideas about race, class, sexuality, religion, and the environment. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty examines the full breadth of the designer’s career, from the start of his fledgling label to the triumphs of his own world-renowned London house.   It features his most iconic and radical designs, revealing how McQueen adapted and combined the fundamentals of Savile Row tailoring, the specialized techniques of haute couture, and technological innovation to achieve his distinctive aesthetic. It also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures underpinning his collections and extravagant runway presentations, with their echoes of avant-garde installation and performance art. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty celebrates the astounding creativity and originality of a…

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Art

Design News:  Robert A. M. Stern Architects Buildings and Projects

History is the lens through which Robert A.M. Stern and his fifteen design partners envision an architecture for today. Robert A.M. Stern Architects: Buildings and Projects 2010–2014 is the seventh volume in a series that encompasses the breadth of the firm’s work since Stern’s earliest projects in the mid-1960s. Emphasizing the output of the office over the past five years, this volume covers the most globalized period of practice so far. Featuring profiles of well over 100 designs built domestically and abroad, Robert A.M. Stern Architects: Buildings and Projects 2010–2014 includes significant projects in Asia, from China to India. In the United States the firm’s educational, cultural, commercial, religious, and residential work continues to broaden its exploration of traditional and contemporary architectural expression. This volume presents the firm’s continued influence on campuses across the United States, reflecting the position that education holds in its ethic, with new additions to Drexel University in Philadelphia, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and University of Colorado Boulder. The office also remains key to the ongoing development of its home in New York City, with new residential towers on the High Line and in Greenwich Village. Keep following Best Design Books for the latest design news!

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Book Review A Sense of Place - Houses on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod (1)
Art

Book Review: A Sense of Place – Houses on Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod

Thirteen exquisite houses create a portrait of life in one of America’s most exclusive coastal destinations, along the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. Hutker Architects, led by founding principal Mark A. Hutker, has designed more than three hundred houses along the New England shore. A member of the close community on Martha’s Vineyard since his arrival in 1985, Hutker has become an expert at interpreting the ideal lifestyles of his clients within the respected traditions and restrictive codes of the beautiful but fragile environment. In their design and construction, these houses honor the vernacular traditions of craft and indigenous materials, are deeply respectful of the cherished landscape, and demonstrate a lively range of solutions to building on the bluffs and dunes that line the shores of the Vineyard and Cape Cod. A working organic farm fulfills a family’s dream of simpler values; a luxurious renovation saves the best of an antique shingle cottage while transforming it for contemporary family life and a raised structure clad in naturally weathered boards combines the legacy of midcentury regional modern architecture with Cape Cod’s maritime tradition. The firm is committed to the principle “Build once, well,” looking to the historic architecture of…

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Hospitality Interior Design Ideas