Architecture: Books and Videos

A curated collection of some of the most powerful and awe-inspiring Brutalist architecture ever built
This Brutal World is a global survey of this compelling and much-admired style of architecture. It brings to light virtually unknown Brutalist architectural treasures from across the former eastern bloc and other far flung parts of the world.
It includes works by some of the best contemporary architects including Zaha Hadid and David Chipperfield as well as by some of the master architects of the 20th century including Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolph and Marcel Breuer.

"Sou Fujimoto (born 1971) is a Japanese architect noted for his delicate light structures and permeable enclosures. In 2014, after three years of research, design and construction, Fujimoto's studio, Sou Fujimoto Architects, created Mirrored Gardens, a village-inspired arts complex of platforms and cabins on the outskirts of Guangzhou, China. The locally sourced structure houses a gallery, art studios and visitor facilities. This book reflects the research that inspired the Mirrored Gardens. Touching on Chinese garden and Japanese Zen garden study, permaculture and farming practices, Towards a Non-Intentional Space is an unusual look into innovative architecture oriented toward a quotidian, farming lifestyle." -- Amazon.ca

Serves as an instruction manual for nonlinear processes of generating new solutions to architectural problems and discovering ideal architectural forms. Images of architectural models demonstrate different stages of these unconventional design processes.

"In 2007, the architect and scholar Jana Revedin created the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in collaboration with Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, to recognize architects leading the field in environmentally friendly design and practice. The prize, which now receives the patronage of UNESCO, is awarded each year to five architects who share the principles of sustainable development and who have taken an innovative approach towards maintaining them in the built environment. This publication illustrates the work of Sami Rintala, Studio Mumbaï, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Patrick Bouchain and Loïc Julienne, Thomas Herzog, Junya Ishigami, Steve Bear, Giancarlo Mazzanti, Troppo Architects and Snohetta, all of who won the prize in 2009 or 2010. Sustainable Design assesses the methodology of each architect through essays as well as visual documentation of their most relevant projects." -- Amazon.ca

Presents the basics of architecture in an A-to-Z format--from Asymmetry to Zeal--pairing each entry with drawings that illustrate the concept. Original.

Explains how to decode a structure's style, history, and evolution by recognizing key designs clues, and provides overviews on how geography, history, and religion influenced architecture.

"In How Architecture Works, Witold Rybczynski, one of our best, most stylish critics and winner of the Vincent Scully Prize for his architectural writing, answers our most fundamental questions about how good--and not-so-good--buildings are designed and constructed. Introducing the reader to the rich and varied world of modern architecture, he takes us behind the scenes, revealing how architects as different as Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, and Robert A. M. Stern envision and create their designs. He teaches us how to 'read' plans, how buildings respond to their settings, and how the smallest detail--of a stair balustrade, for instance--can convey an architect's vision. Ranging widely from a war memorial in London to an opera house in St. Petersburg, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., to a famous architect's private retreat in downtown Princeton, How Architecture Works, explains the central elements that make up good building design."-- Amazon.com.

Visionary Cities/Vertiginous Metropolis -- The London Crucible and the Socialist Diaspora -- Donkeypath Urbanism -- Surreptitious Urbanisms -- The Continuous Interior -- Sectional Demographics -- The Synthesized City.

Prestel Publishing
The relationship between architecture and photography is the focus of this book that features the work of eighteen influential artists, from the 1930s to the present day. Arranged chronologically, the book documents the birth of the skyscraper against the backdrop of the Great Depression; the rise of the modernist tradition in America, post-colonial Africa, and India; the effects of industry on 1960s Europe; the increasing suburbanization of America and Europe; and the consequences of today's mass urbanization in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Far-reaching and penetrating, this volume reflects on the ongoing dialogue between photography and architecture.

A visual survey of contemporary artists' photography of architecture, featuring the work of Andreas Gursky, Iwan Baan, Wolfgang Tillmans, Catherine Opie, Thomas Ruff, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and more.
Since the invention of photography, architecture has proved a worthy subject for photographers.Shooting Space: Architecture in Contemporary Photography showcases the relationship between the two practices. The book presents a broad spectrum of work from a diverse roster of renowned and emerging artists: Annie Leibovitz captures the construction of Renzo Piano's New York Times building; James Welling revisits Philip Johnson's iconic Glass House; Walter Niedermayr shifts perspectives on SANAA's sculptural designs.
The book is divided into five chapters, covering collaborations between photographer and architect, global urbanization, alterations to the natural landscape, reappraised Modernist icons, and imagined environments. Presenting a fresh study of outstanding work in contemporary architectural photography, Shooting Space not only provides an engaging display of beautiful photography, but will reward the reader with a considered survey of our built environment.

"Traveling along the west coast of North America from LA to Vancouver, Coast Modern showcases the pioneers of West Coast Modernist Architecture, and the homes that have become their legacies. Step inside the most inspired dwellings on the west coast and feel how the light and space of a classic Modernist home can work together with the natural environment ... This relaxed journey takes us across three generations of Modernist architecture, each finding beauty in their own times, and taking us back to the basics of true living - a sense of place, light, and deep connection to the earth"--DVD container.

A look at the work of visionary, artist, and well-known architect Frank Gehry.

Frank Lloyd Wright discusses his thoughts about American architecture and American life, and his place in both, with reporter Hugh Downs.

The alchemy of building shows how the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron combine traditional artistry with modern technical possibilities and looks at examples of their work. Tate Modern focuses on Herzog & de Meuron's high-profile project to convert a disused London power station into a contemporary art museum.

"This film takes us into the world of Aboriginal architecture in the US and Canada, from traditional igloos and tepees to the work of today's modern Aboriginal architects, who are turning to ancient forms, adapting them in response to changes in the natural and social environment and creating contemporary structures that hearken to the past. Native designers are successfully melding current community needs with tradition. The resulting buildings are testaments to the enduring strength and ingenuity of Aboriginal design. Featuring expert commentary and stunning imagery, Aboriginal Architecture Living Architecture provides a virtual tour of seven Aboriginal communities. Part One focuses on the artistry of the Pueblo, Mohawk, Inuit and Crow communities. Part Two continues with a look at the work from the Navajo, Coast Salish and Haida communities. Both films reveal how these communities are actively reinterpreting and adapting traditional forms for contemporary purposes."