Architecture: public and commercial Books

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Book SynopsisMost of us can recall a childhood visit to a planetarium: the sense of anticipation, the room darkening, the stars coming up, the voice of the astronomer. In the planetarium, the wondrous complexity of the cosmos combines with entertainment in a theatre of the night. But how and where did the planetarium originate? What kind of simulation of the solar system and the universe does the planetarium produce? How does the planetarium mix theatre with science? And how has it changed with developments in astronomy? Star Theatre explores the history of this unique building, designed to reveal the universe around us on an ever-expanding scale. It traces its historical origins, from the early precedents for the planetarium, to its invention in Germany in the 1920s, its developments in the USSR and the United States, its expansion across the globe at the time of the space race and the evolution of the contemporary planetarium in the recent period of startling astronomical and cosmological discoveries. This concise, well-illustrated history will appeal to planetarium lovers as well as those interested in astronomy, architecture, theatre and cinema.

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Book SynopsisAs mass air transport shrinks the world and requires airport complexes large enough to be regarded as self-contained cities. This book argues that airspace - that transitional area stretching from terminal to terminal, across time zones or between the check-in desk and the baggage carousel - must be regarded as a discrete destination on any map.

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Book SynopsisFronted by one of the world's most iconic doors, 10 Downing Street is the home and office of the British Prime Minister and the heart of British politics. This is the story of the intimately entwined relationships between the house and its post-war residents, telling how each occupant's use and modification of the building reveals their own values and approaches to the office of Prime Minister. Number 10 was designed in the late seventeenth century as little more than a place of residence, with no foresight of its current purpose, meaning that constant adaptation has been necessary to accommodate the changing role and requirements of the premiership. Written by Number 10's first ever `Researcher in Residence', with unprecedented access to people and papers, 10 Downing Street: The Geography of Power sheds new light on unexplored corners of Prime Ministers' lives. The book reveals how and why Prime Ministers have stamped their personalities and philosophies upon Number 10, and how the building has constrained the ability of some Prime Ministers to perform the role. Both fascinating and extremely revealing, this is an intimate account of power and the building at its core. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the nature of British politics.

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Book SynopsisAt the turn of the twentieth century, West Virginia was in the throes of its formative years as a state. After more than two decades of alternating its government seat between Wheeling and Charleston and the destruction of the Gothic Revival Capitol in Charleston by fire in 1921, a building commission was formed to create a permanent Capitol that would display the young state's pride, wealth, and sophistication to the entire nation. To achieve these goals, the legislature approved a budget of more than $6.5 million for the design and construction of this statehouse and the Commission appointed by the Governor hired internationally renowned Cass Gilbert as its architect. After much debate, an impressive site along the shore of the Kanawha River in Charleston was selected as its location.As one of the most influential architects of the early twentieth century, Cass Gilbert is known for structures such as the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, and the Minnesota State Capitol. He believed architecture should reflect historic tradition and established social order, and this conservative philosophy is evinced within the classic form and proportions of the West Virginia State Capitol. As one of his final commissions, the West Virginia Capitol, with its golden ""dome of majestic proportion,"" marble interiors, ornamental reliefs, and rich woodwork, remains a distinguished example of noble simplicity in American architecture.Cass Gilbert's West Virginia State Capitol narrates the intricate story behind this architectural feat. Its close examination of the design, construction, and execution of this commission not only reveals the social, political, and financial climate of West Virginia during this period but also provides insight into the cultural importance of this public building. As Cass Gilbert's design process is traced through unpublished documentation, drawings, and letters from several archives, the over one hundred accompanying photographs - many historical and others newly commissioned for this book - divulge the subtle beauty of the Capitol complex. At the same time, an extensive analysis of historical and contemporary illustrations and primary sources further elucidates the architectural value of this structure.With welcomes by West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and State Senator Brooks F. McCabe, Jr., a prologue by art historians Bernard Schultz and Mary L. Soldo Schultz, and an epilogue by Chad Proudfoot, this revealing and comprehensive study examines the importance of this often overlooked architectural accomplishment, solidifying its significance as a socio-political symbol as well as its place within the history of American public architecture.

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Book SynopsisOver 157 years ago—before there was a Reno, Nevada; before there was a state of Nevada; and even before there was a Nevada Territory—there was a bridge over the Truckee River at a narrow, deeply rutted cattle and wagon trail that would one day become Virginia Street. There was also a small rustic inn and tavern occupying a plot of ground at the southern end of the log-and-timber bridge, catering to thirsty cowboys, drovers, and miners. The inn and the bridge were the first two structures in what would one day be a bustling metropolitan area, and to this day they still form the nucleus of the city. The Genesis of Reno, traces their history up to the present day. The 111-year-old concrete bridge that was replaced in 2016 by a magnificent new structure was honored for its longevity and unique character with placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

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Book SynopsisA Tale of Two Bridges is a history of two versions of the San Francisco—Oakland Bay Bridge: the original bridge built in 1936 and a replacement for the eastern half of the bridge finished in 2013. The 1936 bridge revolutionized transportation in the Bay Area and profoundly influenced settlement patterns in the region. It was also a remarkable feat of engineering. In the 1950s the American Society of Civil Engineers adopted a list of the “Seven Engineering Wonders” of the United States. The 1936 structure was the only bridge on the list, besting even the more famous Golden Gate Bridge. One of its greatest achievements was that it was built on time (in less than three years) and came in under budget. Mikesell explores in fascinating detail how the bridge was designed by a collection of the best-known engineers in the country as well as the heroic story of its construction by largely unskilled laborers from California, joined by highly skilled steel workers. By contrast, the East Span replacement, which was planned between 1989 and 1998, and built between 1998 and 2013, fell victim to cost overruns in the billions of dollars, was a decade behind schedule, and suffered from structural problems that has made it a perpetual maintenance nightmare. This is narrative history in its purest form. Mikesell excels at explaining highly technical engineering issues in language that can be understood and appreciated by general readers. Here is the story of two very important bridges, which provides a fair but uncompromising analysis of why one bridge succeeded and the other did not.Trade ReviewThis is an engaging and well-written account of the design and construction of two radically different bridges. Stephen Mikesell is excellent at telling a hugely complex and technical story in an approachable and engaging way. The propulsive narrative is unfailingly entertaining and takes us behind the scenes of two defining and contrasting projects in the history of California."" - Luis G. Hoyos RA, Professor of Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona""Stephen Mikesell is one of the most prominent professional historians working in the state of California today. During his long and distinguished career, Mikesell has developed a special expertise in the history of bridge design, engineering, and construction. Today he is widely recognized as the leading authority on the history of bridges in California. Consequently, there is no one better qualified to write a history of the spectacular and controversial San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges."" - Michael Magliari, Professor of History, California State University, Chico

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Book SynopsisOn 29 September 1979, 250,000 filled the seats of Chile's National Stadium in Santiago. The event that was meant to transform the attendants from mere dwellers into proprietors. Prior to it, a booklet circulated that featured a plan of the stadium showing the space of its stands subdivided into boroughs and shanty towns. The peopled summoned were mostly beneficiaries from a national self-help housing programme responding to a severe housing crisis by offering people a plot of land within the city. Stadium: A Building that Renders the Image of a City tells a double story of that 1979 event in Santiago de Chile: that of a building, with its dissimilar and even contradictory past uses, and that of a city, with its atomised housing underpinning an unequal development. Both parts are overlaid here, where the stadium's floorplan, rather than delineating the stands, visualises another city marginalised from its centre and arresting different scales in a spatial and temporal panorama. Arranged in four chapters, the book features short essays as well as rich visual material. Text in English and Spanish.

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Book SynopsisMonuments represent power: explicitly and simply, but not universally. In Estonia, the classical notion of a monument is a strange one. Its presence is marginal, its tradition non-existent and its form tormented by an apparent cultural displacement. The statue on a square never claimed the central position so common in Western Europe. This semantic void directs attention to other, less exceptional pieces of architecture. Sometimes a stairway marks a politically charged location, or a pavement becomes symbolic. Instead of explicit meanings inscribed in marble and bronze, an implicit charge is revealed that might be weaker yet more relevant, for what is only implicit cannot be openly questioned. Weak Monument explores the blurred line between a monument's explicitly political form and the architecture of everyday. It juxtaposes classical monuments with seemingly insignificant architectural objects and public space in a collection of images and drawings, archival as well as newly commissioned ones, alongside essays and brief texts. Contributors include such eminent guests as Tom Avermaete, Professor of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology; Margrethe Troensegaard from Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford; Eik Hermann, Estonian theorist and philosopher; and Toomas Paaver, Estonian architect and political activist. Text in English and Estonian.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe book embodies a bridge between the dimensions of music, architecture and landscape: the music of Arvo Pärt with the architecture of Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano in the surrounding pine forest landscape in Laulasmaa, Estonia, to form one infused entity. This book is many books. The first takes the reader on a journey throughout the spaces within the Arvo Pärt Centre. The second is a book of words. It reveals quotations from Arvo Pärt’s musical diaries. The third book embraces us with score elements turning into architecture elements. The fourth book is an architecture sketchbook. It contains a graphical description of the whole project from an architectural view. Plans, sections, elevations, structural schemes of the landscape project, the main building, and the tower and the chapel show technical details and proportions of the spaces. Finally, the fifth book provides a deeper view on the synthesis of the arts through the words of five authors: Michael Pärt, Fuensanta Nieto & Enrique Sobejano, Kristina Kõrver, Nikita Andrejev and Covadonga Blasco Veganzones. It’s beautiful and minimalistic design, specially finished with the architectural drawings on integrated transparent paper, make this book a truly unique object both in terms of content and manufactured book production.Trade ReviewThe ideal audience would have already visited the Arvo Part Centre, but for me, who has never set foot on Estonian soil, the book is a strong invitation to see the building in person, hear Part's music fill its spaces, and take in the beautiful landscape beyond the roofscape.--John Hill One of the project categories -- or filters -- on the website of Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos is roofscape (the others are light, material, landscape, geometry, and history). One of the eight projects in that category is the Arvo Part Centre in Laulasmaa, Estonia, the subject of a new book. The building shares formal similarities with some of the other roofscapes, namely the piercing lightwells of the earlier Joanneumsviertel in Graz, Austria, and the Contemporary Art Center in Cordoba, Spain. As depicted in the aerial on the cover of the new book-length case study, the cuts in the roof are the Arvo Part Centre's most striking aspect, at least outside of the heavily wooded site near Lahepere Bay. No building is just its form, its architecture. Accordingly, this book is presented as five books in one: a book of photographs, a book of draft and scores of composer Arvo Part's In Principio, a book of quotes, a book of architectural drawings, and a book of essays. Of course, A Common Denominator is a single bound book (only a booklet with German and Spanish translations of the text is separate), but the design and layout of its 212 large-format pages draws attention to the multiplicity of its contents and gives the five-book book a noticeable rhythm, as in the spreads below. The book starts simply with a quote from Part: I could compare my music to white light which contains all colors. Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener. Empty musical staffs are on the following page, next to four sheets of vellum with dots, lines, and other drawings that start to express the building devoted to the Estonian composer. The drawings on these sheets, as visible in the first spread below, overlay the staffs and express an interaction of music and architecture. These two books -- of In Principio and of architectural drawings -- are found six more times in the book, situated between the photographs, quotes, and essays of the other books. Just as the initial quote by Part puts great weight on the spirit of the listener, the short essays, un-captioned photos, and layering of drawings across musical notation do the same, but for the reader. This is not a building monograph that tries to explain everything. Rather it leisurely presents the building in words and images, inviting the reader to get from it what they put into it. The ideal audience would have already visited the Arvo Part Centre, but for me, who has never set foot on Estonian soil, the book is a strong invitation to see the building in person, hear Part's music fill its spaces, and take in the beautiful landscape beyond the roofscape.--John Hill "https: //archidose.blogspot.com/2021/02/arvo-part-centre-nieto-sobejano.html"

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Book SynopsisArchitecture of Coexistence: Building Pluralism This book investigates how architecture can shape an open-minded and inclusive society, highlighting three internationally renowned projects: the White Mosque in Visoko, Bosnia-Herzegovina (1980); the Islamic Cemetery Altach in Altach, Austria (2012); and the Superkilen public park in Copenhagen, Denmark (2012). Scholarly essays across various disciplines, along with interviews with the architects and users of these projects, provide intriguing insights into architecture’s ability to bridge cultural differences. Soliciting a wide array of questions about migration, transculturalism, visibility, inclusion, and exclusion, the book sheds light on the long-term social processes generated between architectural form and its users. Architecture of Coexistence offers a truly interdisciplinary perspective on a very timely subject: “Building pluralism” means designing for a respectful inclusion of different cultural needs, practices, and traditions. With contributions by Azra Akšamija, Mohammad al-Asad, Ali S. Asani, Simon Burtscher-Matis, Amila Buturović, Farrokh Derakhshani, Robert Fabach, Eva Grabherr, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Tina Gudrun Jensen, Jennifer Mack, Nasser Rabbat, Barbara Steiner, Helen Walasek and Wolfgang Welsch. Photo essays by Velibor Božović, Cemal Emden, Jesper Lambaek, and Nikolaus Walter.Trade ReviewThe approach to this volume has turned out an ambitious, grandiose, polyphonic, clever, and entertaining book." -Florian Heilmeyer, Baunetzmedia

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Book SynopsisAga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 – Inclusive ArchitectureThe release of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture every three years is an enormously important moment for the architecture world. The projects recognized by this Award represent the vanguard of thinking and practice in architecture that goes beyond the regular scope of building, planning and preservation through its strong impact on the needs and aspirations of societies. This publication presents the twenty shortlisted projects, including the six recipients of the 2020–22 cycle of the Award.The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it not only rewards architects but also identifies municipalities, builders, clients, artisans and engineers who have played essential roles in the realization of a project. This publication thus presents the projects from various viewpoints alongside detailed and up-to-date images and descriptions.The acclaimed, interdisciplinary master jury and steering committee of this cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture that determines the projects presented include David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Anna Lacaton, Marina Tabassum, and Sarah M. Whiting, to name but a few. Scholarly essays across various disciplines from members of the master jury and steering committee round out the publication. Contributions include a text on the optimism of humanity by Souleymane Bachir Diagne, director of the Institute of African Studies, Columbia University, and a contextualization of Modern Architecture in the Muslim World by Sibel Bozdoğan of Boston University. Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, director-general of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, writes on the perspective of the dialogical, while Nasser Rabbat, the Aga Khan Professor at MIT, shares notes on architecture as a humanist empire. The texts also include a Salon des Refusés by Nader Teherani, founding principal of Boston-based architecture firm NADAAA.The texts, which come from a wide range of geographies, are informative and descriptive, often striking an emotional note. Together with the project presentations, the publication thereby guides the reader through a contemplation of an architectural question of increasing urgency in our current times of crisis: how to build ethically for our shared global future.With contributions by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, Sibel Bozdoğan, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Farrokh Derakhshani, Nasser Rabbat, Nader Teherani, and Sarah M. Whiting.Table of ContentsAll 20 shortlisted projects are covered in the book.BahrainRehabilitation of Manama Post Office, Manama, Bahrain, by Studio Anne Holtrop: Built in 1937, the Post Office was rehabilitated to its original form and role as a functioning post office, and added a new wing to the existing building.BangladeshCommunity Spaces in Rohingya Refugee Response, Teknaf, Bangladesh, by Rizvi Hassan, Khwaja Fatmi, Saad Ben Mostafa: Sustainably built structures in the world’s largest refugee camps, which occurred collaboratively in the field without drawings or models.Urban River Spaces, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh, by Co.Creation.Architects / Khondaker Hasibul Kabir, Suhailey Farzana: A community-driven project providing public spaces in a riverine city with 250,000 residents, offering walkways, gardens and cultural facilities, as well as environmental efforts to increase biodiversity along the river.Cape VerdeOutros Bairros Rehabilitation Programme, Mindelo, Cape Verde, by OUTROS BAIRROS / Nuno Flores: An urban rehabilitation and redesign of a public space allowed residents to execute works in their own neighbourhoods and enhance their sense of belonging.IndiaLilavati Lalbhai Library at CEPT University, in Ahmedabad, India, by RMA architects / Rahul Mehrotra: The library, a living case study of passive climate mitigation strategies, integrates seamlessly into the existing campus while forging its own distinct identity.IndonesiaBlimbingsari Airport, Banyuwangi, Indonesia, by andramatin: Serving more than 1,100 domestic passengers per day, the airport’s roofs indicate a clear division between departure and arrival halls.Expandable House, Batam, Indonesia, by ETH Zurich / Stephen Cairns with Miya Irawati, Azwan Aziz, Dioguna Putra and Sumiadi Rahman: This new sustainable dwelling prototype is designed to be flexibly configured around its residents’ (often) precarious resources over time.IranAban House, Isfahan, Iran, by USE Studio / Mohammad Arab, Mina Moeineddini: On a narrow rectangular site in Isfahan’s historic centre, the three-storey house is arranged around three open courtyards.Argo Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, Tehran, Iran, by ASA North / Ahmadreza Schricker: Distinct materials differentiate new additions from the brick-built historic fabric in this contemporary art museum housed in an abandoned 100-year-old brewery.Jadgal Elementary School, Seyyed Bar, Iran, by DAAZ Office / Arash Aliabadi: An elementary school, managed by villagers and teachers and funded by tourism and needlework from local women, is a sustainable development centre for surrounding areas.LebanonRenovation of Niemeyer Guest House, Tripoli, Lebanon, by East Architecture Studio: Designed by Oscar Niemeyer but abandoned when civil war erupted in 1975, the guest house has been transformed into a design platform and production facility for the local wood industry.KuwaitWafra Wind Tower, Kuwait City, Kuwait, by AGi Architects: The 13-storey building conceived as a wind tower features a central, vertical courtyard that provides natural ventilation to each apartment unit.MoroccoIssy Valley Improvement, Ait Mansour, Morocco, by Salima Naji: While improving the palm orchards and water reservoirs, trails and facilities for tourists were also upgraded in the first phase of a larger project for the valley.NigerNiamey 2000, Niamey, Niger, by united4design / Yasaman Esmaili, Elizabeth Golden, Mariam Kamara, Philip Straeter: As a response to a housing shortage amid rapid urban expansion, this prototype housing of six family units seeks to increase density while remaining culturally appropriate.PalestineTulkarm Courthouse, Tulkarm, Palestine, by AAU Anastas: Featuring two buildings, one for administration and the other containing 10 courtrooms, the Courthouse is anchored to its urban context by a public space.SenegalCEM Kamanar Secondary School, Thionck Essyl, Senegal, by Dawoffice / David Garcia, Aina Tugores: For this secondary school, volunteers, using local techniques, produced vault modules from clay which (with lattices) act as evaporating coolers.Sri LankaLanka Learning Centre, Parangiyamadu, Sri Lanka, by feat.collective / Noemi Thiele, Felix Lupatsch, Valentin Ott and Felix Yaparsidi: A multifunctional cultural centre and adult school where locals learn craftsmanship creates a multi-ethnic meeting point.TunisiaLe Jardin d'Afrique, Zarzis, Tunisia, by Rachid Koraïchi: An ecumenical cemetery provides a sanctuary and dignified place of final repose for the hundreds of unburied bodies that had been washing ashore.TurkeyRehabilitation of Tarsus Old Ginnery, Tarsus, Turkey, by Sayka Construction Architecture Engineering Consultancy: Adaptive reuse of an abandoned 19th century ginnery allows the operation of a contemporary centre for archaeological research and public engagement.United Arab EmiratesFlying Saucer Rehabilitation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, by SpaceContinuum Design Studio / Mona El Mousfy: The Flying Saucer, a 1978 Brutalist-style building that was fully restored as a community art space, contributes to Sharjah’s collective cultural memory.

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