Tag: architecture-books | ArchDaily

Calibrated Rawness: Studio 1:1 and the Discipline of Making in Hong Kong and Beyond

Jonathan Yeung — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In Hong Kong, where interiors and small buildings are routinely caught between two extremes—high-gloss "luxury" finishes on one end, and budget-cautious industrial roughness on the other—a third attitude has emerged through the calibration of both: a uniquely precise, relevant, and materially honest execution that is not dependent on price point. This is calibrated rawness. Calibrated rawness describes an architecture that retains the directness of matter and materiality—concrete, metal, blockwork, exposed structure, visible services—while subjecting it to rigorous control.

“Users Are the Experts on Themselves”: How People Shape the Spaces They Use

Kiana Buchberger — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:45:00 +0000

Does design guide usage, or does usage guide design? Students struggle to maintain focus, employees flinch under harsh lighting, and occupants withdraw from rigid spaces, often in response to environmental conditions that only become visible once a space is occupied. Light falling across a room, the resonance of sound, the texture of surfaces, or the rhythm of circulation can support focus, calm, or inspire creativity, but each can also inadvertently heighten stress and distraction. Architects and designers are exploring and questioning: how are design decisions informed, and whose knowledge is considered essential in shaping space?

The Architect as Writer: Expanding the Discipline Beyond Buildings

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Architecture has always been more than bricks and mortar. It is equally constructed through words, ideas, and narratives. From ancient treatises to radical manifestos, from technical manuals to poetic essays, the written word has served as a spatial, pedagogical, and political tool within the field. Writing shapes how architecture is conceptualized, communicated, and critiqued — often long before, or even in the absence of, physical construction.

"We Were Always Critiquing, We Were Always Throwing Grenades at Things:" In Conversation with Elizabeth Diller

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I love putting together lists of original manifesto-like statements by architects perpetually searching for breaking new ground. They provoke us to imagine possibilities we haven't dared to consider before. Questioning conventions should be a critic's primary objective to engage in a conversation with a creative. Otherwise, what is there to discuss, really? That's why speaking with Elizabeth Diller about her studio's work and intentions is like a breath of fresh air, especially nowadays when so many architects are happy to align themselves in pursuing what's expected. In one of our previous conversations, Diller put it bluntly: "We don't take professional boundaries seriously. Every time we are handed a program, we tear it apart and continuously ask new questions. Nothing is fixed." This time, we spoke about Diller Scofidio + Renfro's new monograph, "Architecture, Not Architecture." The book, a project in itself, aims to rethink the very limits of architecture. It reinvents what a book can be in the process. During our 1-1/2-hour discussion over Zoom, which I prefer for its frontal dual recording, she said eagerly, "We were always critiquing; we were always throwing grenades at things."

Art, Activism, and the City: Illuminating Social Change

Thomas Schielke — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The creative fusion of art and activism in urban spaces has propelled the British collective Led by Donkeys into the spotlight, garnering millions of views for their interventions on social media. Their critical visual occupations - whether billboard messages during the day or large-scale projections at night - raise a compelling question: which medium holds the greater persuasive power? The book "Led by Donkeys: Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability" offers a deep dive into their conceptual approach, charting their rapid evolution over six years. What began as a London-based response to Brexit has expanded into a global critique of political hypocrisy, addressing issues in Europe, the Middle East, and America. For Peter Weibel, former director of the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, the innovative fusion of activism and art—or "Artivism"—represents the first new art form of the 21st century. Years of experience in environmental activism provided the group with crucial insights into the mechanics of political communication, the organization of public interventions, and the challenges of achieving meaningful societal change.

A Compact Yet Fundamental Survey of the Modern Movement: In Conversation with Kenneth Frampton

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 07:30:00 +0000

If there is one book every architecture student must have on their shelf, it must be an architectural history. There is no more comprehensive yet compact alternative than Kenneth Frampton's Modern Architecture: A Critical History, originally published in 1980 by Thames & Hudson. Its much-expanded latest fifth 734-page, 813-illustration edition came out in 2020. In 2023, I discussed the book at length with the author in a video interview, now available on YouTube.

Exploring the Intersection of Architecture and Art: "Not Vital" by Alma Zevi

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Alma Zevi has developed a book offering an intimate and definitive account following the career of Swiss sculptor, painter, and architect Not Vital. This comprehensive book delves into Vital's pomading life, seeking and building homes in various cities, from Paris, New York, Beijing, and Rio de Janeiro. The book explores the artist's seminal sculpture practice and architectural projects, featuring a catalog of over 450 sculptures and related works. Drawing on archival material and personal interviews with the artist, Zevi seeks to provide a portrait of his career to date.

The 126 Best Architecture Books

ArchDaily Team — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Architecture has deep wells of research, thought, and theory that are unseen on the surface of a structure. For practitioners, citizens interested, and students alike, books on architecture offer invaluable context to the profession, be it practical, inspirational, academic, or otherwise. So, for those of you looking to expand your bookshelf (or confirm your own tastes), ArchDaily has gathered a broad list of architectural books that we consider of interest to those in the field.

Erieta Attali | Kengo Kuma – Mirror in the Mirror

Diego Hernández — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Greek photographer Erieta Attali have been working together for over twenty years. Their joint work is characterized by a shared aesthetic understanding of architecture, space, and visual perception. In both Kuma’s buildings and Attali’s photographs, interior and exterior spaces merge and dissolve into one another. Both are united by the idea that spatial experience is fleeting, shaped by the rhythm of the day and the seasons, making built space a medium that expands into the landscape and encourages people to question their notion of spatial boundaries.

The ArchDaily Guide to Good Architecture

David Basulto — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 03:30:00 +0000

Dear community,

As your trusted companion along the journey of constant learning and inspiration, we are very excited to share a new format by announcing our first book ever: The ArchDaily Guide to Good Architecture.

Women Light Artists Explore the Intersection of Space, Technology and Community

Thomas Schielke — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 03:30:00 +0000

In the world of interior design, light serves as an essential medium, but light can also create immersive public spaces. While James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, and Dan Flavin are celebrated for their transformative mastery of color, reflections, and luminous contrasts, it's crucial to note that the realm of light art isn't exclusively male-dominated. In response to the underrepresentation of female light artists, a refreshing and enlightening perspective emerges from the British lighting designers Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton of Light Collective.

Expanding Architectural Horizons: LGBTQIA+ Perspectives in Space and Design Presented in 20 Books

Victor Delaqua — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

As we explore social practices that challenge the dominant model in architecture, we have come to recognize the significance of addressing issues related to identity, gender, race, and sexual orientation within the realm of spatial design. By considering these dimensions, we aim to highlight how the built environment can foster new ways of envisioning society and shaping our relationship with the world around us. To provide valuable insights, we have curated a bibliography that showcases the perspectives and experiences of individuals who defy the norms dictated by a universalizing approach. This collection of 20 books offers diverse narratives that invite us to perceive, imagine, and experience space through an LGBTQIA+ lens.

“As an Architect You Design for the Present, with an Awareness of the Past, for a Future which Is Essentially Unknown" : On Foster's Body of Work and Evolution

Philip Jodidio — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 03:30:00 +0000

This is an edited excerpt by Philip Jodidio from TASCHEN’s upcoming title Norman Foster.

"Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate" Offers Strategies and Instruments for a Sustainable Transition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 06:30:00 +0000

As the challenges posed by climate change increase in number and intensity, it also heightens the need to find sustainable building practices that connect to ecosystems and livelihoods rather than harm them. While often overlooked in the search for innovation, vernacular architecture can offer answers to contemporary issues. This type of architecture not only relies on readily available locally sourced materials but also on indigenous knowledge of local conditions like sun orientation, wind patterns, ventilation needs, and the behavior of materials in time. Dr. Sandra Piesik, director and architect of 3 ideas, and founder of HABITAT Coalition, explores this potential in her newest book, 'Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate.'

The Story of Cora Kavanagh and her Emblematic Building in Buenos Aires

Agustina Iñiguez — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Perhaps without even looking for it, Cora Kavanagh would leave one of the most emblematic buildings of rationalist architecture in Argentina. Inaugurated in January 1936, with its almost 120 meters of height, the Kavanagh Building stands in front of the ravine of Plaza San Martín, located in the central neighborhood of Retiro in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

77 Best Lighting Design Books

Thomas Schielke — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Light is an essential element to perceive architecture and to live and work in buildings. Therefore architects, lighting designers, teachers, and researchers have written inspirational books about light. They have shared their valuable theories and turned their experience into guidelines to improve daylight design and the art of illumination.

Witold Rybczynski on The Story of Architecture

Martin Pedersen — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 04:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

A New Book Chronicles the Turbulent History of Architectural Complexity

Michael Webb — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 03:30:00 +0000

The marquee-busting title says it all: Joseph Giovannini’s Architecture Unbound is an ambitious attempt to explore the wilder shores of design and explain how and why maverick architects have dared greatly. It’s also a wide-ranging introduction to artists who laid the groundwork for architectural innovation a century ago; to the philosophers and theorists who mapped new ways of thinking, and to the complexities of chaos theory, parametric and software programs that have shaped exceptional buildings over the past few decades.