Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture
December 18th 2008 02:03
:
Review | PHAIDON
The PHAIDON Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture
Hardback
310 x 450 mm, 12 1/8 x 17 5/8 in
800 pp
4600 colour illustrations
ISBN 9780714848747
0714848743
We are already coming up the garden path and any second now we will be knocking on the door of 2010. Although science fiction has told us for decades that life in 2010 will be vastly different (and certainly 2008 compared to 1908 is different) there are only so many things that can impress us enough to make us feel like we have really stepped up into a new age. One great marker of distinction is the world we literally build around us; back in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was a significant example of the forward (onward and upward) thrust of the Industrial Age. The Sydney Opera House marked another great moment in construction and architecture, but it is already so familiar to us all that the impact of it has waned somewhat. I have (like many others) worked back stage many times at the Sydney Opera House, and for all it is worth the building is a wonder to behold on the outside and a massive rabbit hutch on the inside with vast corridors and poky little rooms.
So on the one hand it is a great example of progress, sitting opposite that mighty construction the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and on the other hand it is a typically cluttered 1970's realization of right angles and exposed brick.
For examples of progress since these days now long past one only has to take a look at what promises to be one of the most exciting books on architecture to come along in decades: The PHAIDON Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture.
Containing over a thousand images and descriptions of brave new architecture (in fact 2500 images) this is a richly stimulating collection of the world as we are seeing it emerge now, post 2000 and if this is what 2010 and beyond is going to look like we are all in for some brilliant changes. Not only do these new works of architectural art display vast improvements on how buildings can look, the internal functions have been well thought through; perhaps no better than the Australian Wildlife Health Centre.
What a magnificently constructed concept this is. Australia, or Oceania which actually includes New Zealand provides over 50 of the awesome buildings that make up this extraordinary book.
Melbourne has the stunning Southern Cross Station; a truly beautiful undulating roof that suggests a circus tent in mid-construction or a picnic blanket as it is being shaken and spread out on the ground.
Also in Victoria is the beautiful Earth House a building that does not really look like a building at all and yet contains everything needed for sophisticated living. Earth House is built with location very much in mind, which is a great indicator of the future. The uses of materials to assist the building remain warm and sheltered while harvesting the beauty of the surrounding landscape is a clear priority. Likewise in South Africa there is the magnificent Hose Steenkamp, an architectural masterpiece along the same lines as the Earth House.
We have recently seen the National Stadium built for the Beijing Olympics, and we know it is quite a beautiful sight to behold, particularly when it has been lit up with bright colorful lights; similarly the National Aquatics Center glowed like a jewelery box in the background of many a sportscast, so is this the caliber of work to be sourced in the Atlas? Most certainly it is.
Although it represents what the future may eventually look like, it also describes in some detail the value added to these new wonders of the world based on how we feel about dwellings these days. No longer is it adequate to put something up that looks interesting from the postcard view, it must be functional, it must be environmentally intelligent and it certainly must have merit, otherwise why bother putting the vast amount of money, time and effort into it?
This is definitely a book for specialists, however there is a great deal for the layman to learn from reading through it - and it is likely to appear in various libraries - why not suggest your local library purchase a copy?
Home builders trying to articulate to an architect the elements they want in their home will be inspired; design students, interior designers, young architects, drafts people, teachers and students will all find this an exciting and informative work.
Visit the extensive preview website and check it out yourself. Probably one of the most stimulating and exciting books about buildings to come out in a decade - and it is likely to remain a classic for decades to come. Sensibly the architects of the Atlas have thought about how readers may like to stroll through the book as though it were an exhibition, as well as find what they are looking for without messing about, so it is color coded for region and sub-region, the architect details are included as are costing and price of each building along with clear descriptive passages about them.
I find it incredibly stimulating and I would be very surprised if this magnificent Atlas does not pick up a raft of awards for excellence. I certainly give it the highest score possible, then some.
David Jobling
Hardback
310 x 450 mm, 12 1/8 x 17 5/8 in
800 pp
4600 colour illustrations
ISBN 9780714848747
0714848743
We are already coming up the garden path and any second now we will be knocking on the door of 2010. Although science fiction has told us for decades that life in 2010 will be vastly different (and certainly 2008 compared to 1908 is different) there are only so many things that can impress us enough to make us feel like we have really stepped up into a new age. One great marker of distinction is the world we literally build around us; back in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was a significant example of the forward (onward and upward) thrust of the Industrial Age. The Sydney Opera House marked another great moment in construction and architecture, but it is already so familiar to us all that the impact of it has waned somewhat. I have (like many others) worked back stage many times at the Sydney Opera House, and for all it is worth the building is a wonder to behold on the outside and a massive rabbit hutch on the inside with vast corridors and poky little rooms.
So on the one hand it is a great example of progress, sitting opposite that mighty construction the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and on the other hand it is a typically cluttered 1970's realization of right angles and exposed brick.
For examples of progress since these days now long past one only has to take a look at what promises to be one of the most exciting books on architecture to come along in decades: The PHAIDON Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture.
Containing over a thousand images and descriptions of brave new architecture (in fact 2500 images) this is a richly stimulating collection of the world as we are seeing it emerge now, post 2000 and if this is what 2010 and beyond is going to look like we are all in for some brilliant changes. Not only do these new works of architectural art display vast improvements on how buildings can look, the internal functions have been well thought through; perhaps no better than the Australian Wildlife Health Centre.
What a magnificently constructed concept this is. Australia, or Oceania which actually includes New Zealand provides over 50 of the awesome buildings that make up this extraordinary book.
Melbourne has the stunning Southern Cross Station; a truly beautiful undulating roof that suggests a circus tent in mid-construction or a picnic blanket as it is being shaken and spread out on the ground.
Also in Victoria is the beautiful Earth House a building that does not really look like a building at all and yet contains everything needed for sophisticated living. Earth House is built with location very much in mind, which is a great indicator of the future. The uses of materials to assist the building remain warm and sheltered while harvesting the beauty of the surrounding landscape is a clear priority. Likewise in South Africa there is the magnificent Hose Steenkamp, an architectural masterpiece along the same lines as the Earth House.
We have recently seen the National Stadium built for the Beijing Olympics, and we know it is quite a beautiful sight to behold, particularly when it has been lit up with bright colorful lights; similarly the National Aquatics Center glowed like a jewelery box in the background of many a sportscast, so is this the caliber of work to be sourced in the Atlas? Most certainly it is.
Although it represents what the future may eventually look like, it also describes in some detail the value added to these new wonders of the world based on how we feel about dwellings these days. No longer is it adequate to put something up that looks interesting from the postcard view, it must be functional, it must be environmentally intelligent and it certainly must have merit, otherwise why bother putting the vast amount of money, time and effort into it?
This is definitely a book for specialists, however there is a great deal for the layman to learn from reading through it - and it is likely to appear in various libraries - why not suggest your local library purchase a copy?
Home builders trying to articulate to an architect the elements they want in their home will be inspired; design students, interior designers, young architects, drafts people, teachers and students will all find this an exciting and informative work.
Visit the extensive preview website and check it out yourself. Probably one of the most stimulating and exciting books about buildings to come out in a decade - and it is likely to remain a classic for decades to come. Sensibly the architects of the Atlas have thought about how readers may like to stroll through the book as though it were an exhibition, as well as find what they are looking for without messing about, so it is color coded for region and sub-region, the architect details are included as are costing and price of each building along with clear descriptive passages about them.
I find it incredibly stimulating and I would be very surprised if this magnificent Atlas does not pick up a raft of awards for excellence. I certainly give it the highest score possible, then some.
David Jobling
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David Jobling
