We are pleased to let you know that, this season, the architecture and design patch in our garden of books has revealed a rather healthy growth of lovely new blooms. Whether you’re passionate about Bauhaus or Brutalism; obsessed with the hand-made or the industrial; or crazy for modernist graphic design or contemporary interior design — then we have something for you. So, we present you with this wonderful bouquet of fresh, sophisticated books presenting work from Venice to Brisbane, from Vienna to Liverpool, and far beyond. We hope you enjoy…
Craft Becomes Modern: The Bauhaus in the Making >> With all the hammering, planing, sawing, and weaving, the workshops at the Bauhaus Dessau must have been quite loud and dusty. This publication looks at the Bauhaus from the perspective of handcraft — no term was more fiercely disputed there. Produced as part of a series of special exhibitions at Bauhaus Dessau Foundation in the build-up to the Bauhaus Centenary 2019.
The Space Between: Alison and Peter Smithson >> British architects and urbanists Alison and Peter Smithson first rose to prominence in the 1950s and their work is commonly associated with New Brutalism. A summary of their thinking as architects since the beginning of their career, this is an architectural text book, richly illustrated, with drawings and photographs by the Smithsons themselves.
Geiselhart: Architecture Interior design 2006 – 2016 >> Architect and interior designer, Jürgen Geiselhart documents six villa projects that he realized in Düsseldorf, Meerbusch, and Potsdam between 2006 and 2016. This lavish, large-format publication reveals a collection which surely defies categorization.
handiCRAFT: Traditional Skills in the Digital Age >> Exploring the reasons behind the worldwide handicraft hype as well as the current craze for everything handmade, this book also looks at the forces against which craftspeople have to combat in today’s market. Featuring a comparison between historical objects and a selection of contemporary handicraft products, it presents master craftspeople from 16 different European countries.
By Other Means: Notes, Projects, and Ephemera From the Miscellany of Peter Eisenman >> For more than a half century, this internationally renowned architect has profoundly influenced generations of academics and practitioners with his buildings, writing, and teaching. This book traces Eisenman’s evolution from his formative years to his well-known Houses series and beyond. Featuring drawings and ephemera relating to various projects and proposals in the United States and Europe.
Diez Office: Full House >> The practice of German designer Stefan Diez is characterized by innovation through technical expertise, instinct and a passion for experimentation. This comprehensive book portrays his studioʼs distinctive methodology and development processes and delivers first-hand insight into the state of industrial design today, complemented by a collection of essays and interviews.
Ephemera: The Graphic Design of the MAK Library and Works on Paper Collection >> This tome presents the wide-ranging holdings of the MAK Library and Works on Paper Collection (Vienna) in the field of graphic design—or ephemera—from the 18th century to the present day. This includes works of graphic design from decorated paper to book dust jackets, from invitations to bookmarks, and from greeting cards to playing cards.
G. W. Pestorius: Eblin Drive and Beyond >> The first monograph on Australian architect, Geoff Pestorius (1930 – 1968). It focuses on his spatial tour-de-force, the Sweeney House (1966) in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Hamilton, although several other projects are also featured, including his Mt Tamborine House (1965) for the same client.
Stadtarbeit: Ten years of design featuring the city >> Alongside being a selective survey of Vienna Design Week’s 10 years of festival culture, this is intended above all as a design book that retraces the field’s wide-ranging developments during this period in an enjoyable and vividly descriptive way while also placing them in the context of today’s design discourse.
TIME SPACE EXISTENCE: Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 >> In the context of La Biennale di Venezia, the European Cultural Centre presented TIME-SPACE-EXISTENCE in three of its prestigious Venetian Palazzos. This large exhibition catalogue shows an extensive combination of established architects and architects whose practice is less known, as a cross section of what can be seen as architecture today.
Image caption: Jürgen Geiselhart, Villa in the Park (2013-2015)