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...

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...

Out on a Limb
The sky s the limit with 50 ingenious tree houses around the world

The idea of climbing a tree for shelter, or just to see the earth from another perspective, is as old as humanity. In this neat TASCHEN edition, take a tour of some of our finest arboreal adventures with 50 of the most beautiful, inventive, and enchanting tree houses around the world.

From romantic to contemporary, from famed architects to little-known craftsmen, you ll scale the heights to visit all manner of treetop structures,...

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.

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...