Synopses & Reviews
Innovation and inspiration in today's museum architecture
Star architects from Zaha Hadid to Herzog & de Meuron have shaken up the formerly staid world of museum architecture, bringing bravura to new buildings and extensions. But the trend for new museums to opt for bold contemporary architecture goes well beyond the stunning work of Renzo Piano or Tadao Ando. Many less well-known architects have also designed remarkable places to exhibit art and artifacts.
Some have provoked controversy, like Mexican architect Teodoro González de León's University Museum of Contemporary Art on the sprawling UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) campus. Others have been warmly welcomed, like the sweeping, light-filled Art Gallery of Ontario Extension by Toronto-born Frank O. Gehry, his first commission in his native city. Others point out new horizons for reclaiming brownfield sites and reviving derelict industrial structures: Nicholas Grimshaw's conversion of a disused 1960s blast furnace into Horno 3, a welcoming extra gallery space for the Mexican city of Monterrey's Museum of Steel is a case in point. In Cartagena, Spain, Rafael Moneo's decade-long work on the Museum of the Roman Theater culminated in a structure that engages visitors in an archaeological manner, taking them on a tour of history as well as the site itself.
Here then are more than 50 projects by the major talents pushing the limits of contemporary museum design, from established masters to the latest generation of brilliant architects.
Featured architects and practices include:
Hitoshi Abe, Acebo X Alonso Arquitectos, Aires Mateus, Jun Aoki, ARM, Shigeru Ban, Behnisch Architekten, David Chipperfield, Preston Scott Cohen, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, Ellis Williams, Frank O. Gehry, Teodoro González de León, Graft, Nicholas Grimshaw, Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, HOK, Arata Isozaki, KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike, Bruno Mader, Fumihiko Maki, Francisco Mangado, Richard Meier, Paolo Mendes da Rocha, Rafael Moneo, Toshiko Mori, MVRDV, Nieto Sobejano, Ryue Nishizawa, Valerio Olgiati, I.M. Pei, Renzo Piano, Querkraft, SANAA/Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa, Sauerbruch Hutton, Hartwig N. Schneider, Álvaro Siza Vieira and Rudolf Finsterwalder, Snøhetta, Eduardo Souto de Moura, SSM Architekten, Randall Stout, Bernard Tschumi, UNStudio, Urbanus Architecture & Design, Wang Shu, Atelier Zhang Lei
Synopsis
TASCHEN's Architecture Now! 7 features an arching overview of today's architecture, from modern to radically avant-garde. As with previous books in the series, Architecture Now! 7 includes a broad variety of projects from around the world, as well as some works of art that have a direct relation to architecture, from the likes of Giacomo Costa or Shinro Ohtake. It also explores how the recent economic downturn has led to fewer large-scale projects, but has also stimulated creative thinking, as architects find new ways to work imaginatively inside budget constraints. Large-scale works include the futuristic Chinese Central TV Tower in Beijing (OMA) and the Burj Dubai (SOM), the world's tallest tower and centerpiece of the Gulf region's most prestigious urban development to date.
For anyone interested in the zeitgeist and building design in the 21st century, Architecture Now! 7 is an essential work of reference. Easy-to-navigate illustrated A–Z entries include current and recent projects, biographies, contact information, and websites.
Featured architects and practices include:
Alejandro Aravena, Albert France-Lanord, Architektur und Landschaft, Asymptote, Atelier-Den/Inahara Archi-Lab, Barkow Leibinger Architects, Baumschlager Eberle, BIG, Byoung-soo Cho, Cecil Balmond, Charles Barclay, Dominique Perrault, Edouard François, Emiliano López Mónica Rivera, Emilio Ambasz, Eric Owen Moss, Fumihiko Maki, Germán del Sol, Giacomo Costa, Greg Lynn FORM, Gustafson Porter, Herreros Arquitectos, Herzog and de Meuron, HHF, Hiroshi Sambuichi, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Information Based Architecture, International Polar Foundation, IROJE KHM Architects, Isay Weinfeld, James Corner Field Operations / Diller Scofidio + Renfro, architecten de vylder vinck taillieu, Jensen and Skodvin Architects, Junya Ishigami, Kalhöfer-Korschildgen, Kengo Kuma, KHR, LAAC , Made in Sàrl, Masaharu Takasaki, Morphosis, NOX, OMA*AMO/Rem Koolhaas, Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos, Peter Rich, Plasma Studio, Rand Elliott, Renzo Piano, Rotor, Rudy Ricciotti, SANAA, Santiago Calatrava, Shinro Ohtake, Shuhei Endo, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Sou Fujimoto, Splitterwerk, Stefano Boeri, Steven Holl, Supersudaka, Susanne Nobis, Tadashi Kawamata, Terunobu Fujimori, Toyo Ito, Yoshiaki Tokujin, Zaha Hadid
Synopsis
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Architects at the cutting edge
"Some really inspirational buildings from some of the most cutting-edge architects around. Beautifully presented. A joy to read." - IDFX, London
Architecture Now! Volume 4 proves that the best keep getting better, with new names from all over the world and the most exciting and unique buildings and designs. As always, easy-to-navigate illustrated A-Z entries include current and recent projects, biographies, contact information, and website addresses.\n
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Synopsis
Here then are more than 50 projects by the major talents pushing the limits of contemporary museum design, from established masters to the latest generation of brilliant architects.
About the Author
Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard, and edited Connaissance des Arts for over 20 years. His books include TASCHEN's Architecture Now! series, and monographs on Tadao Ando, Norman Foster, Richard Meier, Jean Nouvel, and Zaha Hadid. He is internationally renowned as one of the most popular writers on the subject of architecture