The mechanics of lightness: The wide-ranging career of the Italian virtuoso The array of buildings byRenzo Pianois staggering in scope and comprehensive in the diversity of scale, material, and form. He is truly an architect whose sensibilities represent the widest range of this and earlier centuries. Such was the description of Renzo Piano given by the Pritzker Prize jury citation as they bestowed the prestigious award on him in 1998. Whereas some architects have a signature style, what sets Piano apart is that he seeks simply to apply a coherent set of ideas to new projects in...

Audacious futurism: The forward-thinking work of a singular architect Zaha Hadidis a wildly controversial architect, who for many years built almost nothing, despite her designs winning prizes and critical acclaim. Some even said her work was unbuildable. Yet over the past decade she has completed numerous structures including theRosenthal Center for Contemporary Artin Cincinnati (which the New York Times called the most important new building in America since the Cold War ), theMAXXI Museumin Rome, the Guangzhou Opera House, her first completed project in China, and theLondon Aquatics...

Feats of design and engineering: The work of an unparalleled architectural engineer Santiago Calatravais not only one of the world s most prominent architects, but is also an engineer, sculptor, and painter. His reputation as an unparalleled architectural engineer was cemented with hisnumerous bridges for cities around the world. With more recent projects such as the stadium for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the railway station in Liege, Belgium, he has unarguably made his name in Europe and continues to look further ahead.Calatrava s work is closely related to his own drawings of the...

Let there be light: The work of celebrated American architect Richard MeierAs one of the most important contemporary architects, Richard Meier (b. 1934) is a key figure in TASCHEN s updated Basic Architecture series. His brilliant career ranges from elegant family homes to dazzling institutional buildings like the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. This work gives an insight into the development of his oeuvre starting with the early designs and culminating with his latest buildings, exploring his combination of precisely calculated proportions and high quality materials, resulting in...

Zelte, Musikpavillons und Ausstellungsraume, Orte zum Verweilen, zum Sehen und Gesehen werden Pavillons gibt es in unzahligen Formen und mit ebenso vielen Funktionen. Meist nur auf temporare Nutzung ausgerichtet, bieten sie Architekten und Designern die Moglichkeit, mit Form, Konstruktion, Material und Oberflache zu experimentieren. Als Prototyp fur ein grosseres Bauprojekt gedacht oder rein der gestalterischen Idee folgend prasentiert dieses Buch aktuelle Pavillons aus der ganzen Welt.
Von den wegweisenden Konstruktionen Sou Fujimotos zu Zaha Hadid s Mobile Art Pavillon fur Chanel, von...

Timberland
The wooden structures of the 21st century

Not so very long ago, some might have considered wood a material of the past, long since replaced by more modern components such as concrete and steel. The truth is radically different. Bolstered by new manufacturing techniques and ecological benefits, wood has seen a fabulous resurgence in contemporary construction.

This Bibliotheca Universalis edition explores how architects around the world have created and invented with this elementary material. Featuring...

This book reveals how the Aga Khan Development Network and its Historic Cities Programme transformed an area of Cairo's urban blight into a dynamic public space.

Yearning for rustic simplicity? Open the door to Cabins, a gorgeous showcase of minimal, low-impact, peaceful abodes around the world. From contemplative bliss in an English coastal studio to eco-home huts in the Western Ghats of India, each of these minimal homes exude innovative, ecofriendly, mindful living.

Sprouting with fresh ideas and sunny outlooks, this compact edition brings together the best examples of contemporary green buildings today. Well-known architects like Frank Gehry and Norman Foster sit alongside young, up-and-coming creators. Each entry introduces a key project through plans, photos, and a close reading of the sustainable and...