On September 29 and 30 1941 more than 33,000 Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in Babyn Yar, a gorge near Kiev. This event constituted the largest single massacre perpetrated by German troops against Jews during World War II.
In commemoration, a synagogue designed in the shape of a book will open on the same site in 2021. When opened, the book building’s inner space and its furnishings unfold. This impressive movable structure was designed by Manuel Herz, whose studio runs offices in Basel and Cologne. This book for the first time shows the Babyn Yar synagogue captured in photographs by celebrated architectural photographer Iwan Baan, as well as through plans and model photos.
Yet the core part of the book tells the story of the Jewish people and of Judaism through the medium of space: the Jewish concept of space from biblical times to the present. Space as a leitmotif is understood in broad terms here: territorially, architecturally, psychologically, theologically, intellectually, as well as pertaining to the persecution of the Jewish people. Rather than in an abstract treatise, this story is told through 135 brief and engaging texts by Robert Jan van Pelt, a leading Holocaust researcher and professor of architecture. Each of these reflections is illustrated with drawings and watercolours by New York-based artist Mark Podwal, who is known for his illustration of Elie Wiesel’s works.
Haute Couture Architecture: The Art of Living Without Walls by Anneke van Waesberghe is so much more than a book about tented green building architecture. The book is part design manifesto, part personal diary, and part manual for future sustainable living. One in which rampant consumerism has been replaced by a more thoughtful design from the excesses of modern times to a new state of being for living sustainably and in harmony with the rhythms of the planet. It is the tale of one woman’s odyssey living alone in the jungle finding true meaning in life and manifesting its beauty into a way of sustainable living that may set a blueprint for our future existence on Earth. The author leads readers to encounter a new paradigm by showing the luxury of simplicity and the beauty of small things.
With our consumer way of living and doing things and how the world is evolving, the pace we follow as consumers rather than humans has become outdated and is not the way to go forward. We cannot solve new problems that follow our destructive actions; we have to shift our thinking from ‘me’ to ‘we’. Haute Couture architecture respects artisans, hand-made goods, self-sufficiency, and caring for nature. Being close to nature is a lifestyle of forward-thinking outside the box and is a natural means to discovering ourselves.
Ultimately Haute Couture Architecture: The Art of Living Without Walls bridges the gap between nature and architecture.
Official catalogue of the eponymous exhibition curated by Bovenbouw Architectuur.
How do city and architecture flourish together? This question is central to the three‐dimensional capriccio that displays a fictional Flemish urban environment. Over time, the informal city in Flanders and Brussels has developed a unique relationship with its architecture. This staged urban landscape reveals how historical layers, morphological peculiarities and unforeseen collisions are an endless source of energy for contemporary architectural production. Published on the occasion of the exhibition Composite Presence curated by Bovenbouw Architectuur in the Belgian Pavilion at the Biennale di Architettura 2021 in Venice, Italy. The exhibition and publication are a production of the Flanders Architecture Institute on behalf of the Flemish Minister for Culture, Jan Jambon.
With texts by Sofie De Caigny, Irina Davidovici, Maarten Van Den Driessche, André Loeckx, Leo Van Broeck, Christian Rapp, Kristiaan Borret, Peter Vanden Abeele, Stefan Devoldere, Edith Wouters, Katrien Embrechts, Paul Vermeulen.
Photographer Jeffrey Van Daele is an internationally renowned nature and animal photographer. This striking and intimate duotone report on African wildlife not only shows us wild animals in their habitat, but also warns that they need this place to survive.
Text in English, French and Dutch.
Supercars is a celebration of the world’s most beautiful and iconic motorcars, ranging from icons like the Ferrari F40 to modern classics such as the Bugatti Veyron. Belgian photographer Rudolf van der Ven captures the essence of each car in this stunning 224-page coffee table book through his photography and unique stories. Foreword by Tim ‘Shmee150’ Burton.
Change management without clichés. Whether you are running a multinational or just running a family, change is not like a game of Monopoly, where your piece saunters sedately around the board from start to finish. Instead, it is much more like a game of Ludo, where you can have a number of pieces on the board at the same time, some of which are moving and some of which are not! This is just like in real life, because not moving is also a form of change management. With many years of worldwide experience, Yves Van Durme demonstrates how change can be much easier if you do not automatically regard it as a problem, but see it more as a question of the right mindset. In addition, you will learn more about his highly individualist views on leadership, in which the world of games is never far off. Whether you peruse the book from cover to cover or whether you just dip into it at random, by the end of your reading you will know exactly what kind of leader you are. You will also discover that change is really no more than child’s play.
The Canary Islands are a hotspot for hikers, sunbathers, culture lovers and road trippers. This book shows the paradisiacal islands in all their variety and beauty while offering the best tips for eating, staying and visiting. Author and ultra runner Charles Van Haverbeke traversed each island on foot and came home with a wealth of (photo) material that formed the basis of this book. Each island gets its own chapter, complete with handy maps and infographics. Canary Islands is halfway between travel guide and photo book and immediately makes you dream of a holiday on one (or more) of the islands, near the most popular attractions or just ‘off the beaten path’.
The new French art movement known as ‘impressionism’ blew through Europe like ‘a breath of fresh air’. This publication focuses on artists from Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, including important representatives of the movement such as Anna Ancher, Lovis Corinth, Isaac Israels, Johan Barthold Jongkind, Peder Severin Krøyer, Max Liebermann and Max Slevogt. A selection of highlights from the collections of three museums showcases the individual varieties of ‘Northern Impressionism’. The catalogue accompanies the touring exhibition of the same name, a cooperation between the Museum Singer Laren, the Museum Kunst der Westküste, Alkersum/Föhr, and the Landesmuseum Hannover.
Text in English and Dutch.
Hypercars have been a source of dreams since the 1980s: exotic, blazing fast and priceless, extravagant and iconic. They have left an indelible impression on the retinas of a new generation of collectors, willing to pay a high price to get their hands on them. Photographer Kevin van Campenhout is one of the few who has been able to see all the models of this automotive elite up close, after a hunt that took him all over the world. The graphic quality of his photographs, which have a simple but unique signature, highlights their spectacular lines and vibrant colours in the world’s most beautiful landscapes or urban settings. He manages to be one of the few to gain access to track down and capture the rarest gems on four wheels. In this book, you will discover the secrets of the 25 most extraordinary and rare car-unicorns, iconic cars, photographed down to the smallest detail.
“Truus Schröder. I love you, Rietveld.” In 1924, Truus Schröder asked well-known Utrecht furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld to design a new house for her. Never before Rietveld had been asked to design an entire house. Truus Schröder knew exactly what she wanted: simplicity and a space that freed rather than constrained her. It was a match made in heaven. This book highlights the dynamic partnership between Rietveld and Schröder, portraying them as an architect-duo. Schröder’s significant contributions to the design process are illuminated, emphasising her indispensable role in shaping their collaborative vision. It draws its essence from newly unpublished correspondences between Gerrit Rietveld and Truus Schröder, shedding fresh light on her life and legacy.
Image © Rietveld Schröder House
Monnikenheide in Zoersel is a residential care centre for people with mental disabilities. A special place for special people, it is examined from an architectural perspective for the first time in this book.
In the fifty-year building history of Monnikenheide, different architects have gone in search of new spatial possibilities, with inclusion as leitmotif. This has created a unique landscape that transcends the boundaries of care architecture. Monnikenheide is a powerful architectural statement about the place of people in society who depend on care.
Almost, Not: The Architecture of Atelier Nishikata is the story of a remarkable architecture practice in Tokyo. Partners Reiko Nishio and Hirohito Ono have built just four residential works, until now remaining little-known outside of Japan. But the extraordinary, almost-ordinary quality of their work warrants the spotlight. It has much to teach students of architecture and experienced architects alike.
This book is a hybrid between an architectural monograph and a magic instruction book. Author Leslie Van Duzer, a former magician’s assistant and author of four monographs on 20th-century architecture, draws parallels between the effects and methods of architects and magicians.
The introductory essay, “Almost, Not,” presents an overview of Atelier Nishikata’s approach, describing the effects engendered by their architecture and the methods behind the them. The essay is followed by four detailed project descriptions that elaborate on the strategies behind the work. These texts are richly illustrated with process work, diagrams, detailed drawings, and photographs, including before and after views of the renovated spaces, and views post-inhabitation. The volume closes with a lengthy interview with the architects to help flesh out the methods behind their madness.
The VW Bus is not just a car. It is sentimental, a part of the family. A way of life on wheels. That’s why most of them have names. And almost everyone has some sort of connection to the VW Bus. This book offers fascinating stories about one of the most popular automobiles of all time and the most successful camper van in the world – a kaleidoscope from the world of VW Buses. In 111 chapters, you will learn interesting, funny, surprising and emotional things about a vehicle that was originally intended as a simple delivery van and then made history as a multifunctional vehicle concept.
Author Christian Schlueter, himself a passionate fan of the car, tells endearing, detailed and exciting stories about these legendary vans. He presents models with their production history and special features, introduces visionaries and gives an insight into the car industry. He reports on world records and adventure trips, as well as freedom and nostalgia. A wonderful compendium with photos about the world’s fascination with the VW Bus – a must for every fan and lover of this cult car.
Hidden Holland is an alternative travel guide with inspiring stories about approximately 380 different and unexpected places all around the country. This guide entreats you to leave the beaten path, pointing you to locations that many people didn’t even know existed. Such as a forest full of miniature waterworks, a cellar with a mummy in a small Frisian church and secret NATO headquarters.
This guide introduces you to the lesser-known charms of the Netherlands through surprising places presented in original lists, such as: 5 artworks in unexpected locations, the 7 most authentic pubs, 5 cool repurposed industrial heritage sites, 6 local specialities you should try, and much more.
The versatile Anna Boch (1848–1936) was not only a talented artist, but also a highly knowledgeable collector, generous patron, and enthusiastic traveller with a great love of music and architecture. She was the only woman to become a member of the prominent art societies Les XX and La Libre Esthétique, and she was treated as an equal by her fellow artists. Inspired by kindred spirits including Théo van Rysselberghe, Paul Signac and Georges Seurat, Anna Boch set about developing her own personal version of Neo-Impressionism.
Anna Boch’s lucid paintings chart her search for line and colour. Her passion for nature took her to remote destinations and imbued her with dreams of beautiful bucolic landscapes that she wanted to interpret. She loved the sea and succeeded in capturing the light and its reflection upon the coast with unparalleled skill, translating it into intriguing but above all timeless compositions. This book presents her oeuvre with more than 100 works, and resolutely claims a place for Anna Boch in the art history of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Edited by Virginie Devilez, with the cooperation of Stefan Huygebaert and Wendy Van Hoorde.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was a radical inventor: an artist who discarded convention and disrupted hierarchies, overturning the traditional basis of culture while revolutionising the way people perceive and interact with art. Calder’s ‘new line’ was not simply an evolution of forms and styles. From the start, it was quite clear to all who witnessed him at work that – in his way of drawing attention and gaining notoriety – he was doing something radically new. This catalogue shows how Calder’s work emerged from expectations of change in American popular culture. Calder, who was initially attracted by the structure and functions of the circus, looked for alternative models to triumph over respectability, public decorum, and the ambitions of industry. The catalogue, with twelve essays from major contributors, will examine how Calder, among the first college-trained artists, found techniques and inspiration in many disciplines and their development: technology, engineering, architecture, physics, and astronomy, among others. All these contributed to the development of his wire sculptures, mobiles, and stabiles. More than 100 works and comparative illustrations will guide the reader through this innovative and unique path.
The volume is the first publication dedicated exclusively to the theme of Italian perfumery. A real manual, divided into three parts, offering a summary of the perfumes produced in Italy, reviewing the great brands that have made the olfactory taste known throughout the world, through wonderful essences, cutting-edge marketing and bottles with a refined design.
The author, in reminding us how modern perfumery was born in Italy – reaching the much more famous France only in the 16th century, when Caterina de ‘Medici married the Duke of Orleans – retraces in the first part of the book the events that have marked the development of this art, which has become one of the excellences of Made in Italy.
An anthology of 100 famous perfumes follows – selected for the significance of their features – accompanied by extensive descriptive cards and divided by decades starting from the seventies, allowing you to follow the evolution of contemporary perfumery up until current trends. A chapter is then dedicated to the perfume production chain, told in the words of some excellent protagonists.
Rich apparatuses complete the volume: research that covers the approximately 7,000 fragrances produced in Italy in the last 50 years, with an indication of the manufacturer, the genre and year, and a table that visually illustrates the 100 fragrances divided into olfactory groups, and their chronological placement.
After the international success of the Design History Handbook, Silvana Editoriale presents a new tool intended not only for insiders, but also for anyone that uses and loves perfumes.
The book is sponsored by the Accademia del Profumo.
This book offers a privileged journey through the geography and history of Italian and international figurative culture kept at the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, with works spanning a chronological period from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The Pinacoteca, born within the Enlightenment culture as a testimony to the progress of the human spirit, remains today a dynamic and lively instrument of civilisation. The book reconstructs the patronage and provenance of the paintings and the way in which they were received; it specifies their technical data, as well as introducing comments and in-depth studies.
In addition, the rich illustrative apparatus leads to continuous comparisons and new explorations.
Stories and photography intermingle on the pages of this gorgeous homage to ’70s and ’80s cinema and celebrity. Including rare and never-before-seen images, Through Her Lens is a wonderful collection of images and memoires that capture the spirit of the age. From unexpected late-night calls from Romy Schneider, to a stay at Paul Newman’s home in Connecticut; from working on set with Bernardo Bertolucci, Werner Herzog, Steven Spielberg and Sydney Pollack, to lounging poolside with Raquel Welch; Sereny reveals her favourite moments from working behind the lens. This is the first photographic retrospective of Sereny’s star-studded career, including nearly 100 never-before-seen images complemented by Eva’s own stories.
Jasper Krabbe – 100 Selfportraits includes an impressive number of self-portraits made in the period between the Summer of 2004 and the Summer of 2005. The portraits’ formats have been determined by the measurements of an old bookkeeping book in which Krabbe made his self-portraits – one dating from the nineteen-fifties with squared and blank pages. Even the paint he uses for this project is from the same period. This corresponds with the idea that the self-portrait is a typical nineteenth-century activity. The book has been reproduced as a facsimile, which means that the reader has the feeling of looking at the original sketchbook of the artist. Krabbe wanted to explore what the self-portrait can still be in today’s age. He wanted to gauge changing emotions, capture a moment and find the right tone. The selection in the book shows the diversity of solutions and styles he used. The self-portraits reveal there is no such thing as a fixed identity but maybe rather a ‘core’, a soul that is unchangeable. Text in Dutch and English.
Andrew Holmes is renowned for his hyper-real coloured pencil drawings. His subject matter is the fixed and mobile service infrastructure that sustains the city of Los Angeles. The gleaming trucks, automobiles, and motorcycles that traverse the highways, and the industrial armature of storage tanks, service stations and truck stops to be found beyond the city’s edge are, for Holmes, the greatest artefacts of a society based on oil. Over the past 50 years, he has captured scenes from this uniquely American landscape in painstaking detail. Together they evoke a lost civilisation. Gas Tank City presents 100 of Holmes’s Los Angeles drawings, along with commentaries by art historian, Thomas E Crow, architects Mark Fisher and Cedric Price, and Holmes himself.
Today, well-designed spaces are essential for every company. They have an inside and an outside effect and create interaction between employees and customers. The better they feel, the more emotional the connection to the company and the brand can be. As a result, the importance of corporate interiors as a marketing tool is rapidly increasing. This book on the basics of corporate design shows the most important premises for the conception of interiors and gives a general overview of the topic with more than 100 examples. It contains detailed presentations including plans and projects in the following fields: retail/shop/stores, hotels/gastronomy/leisure/education, office and manufacturing. The book looks at both small and large companies.
Text in English and German.
The publication Two Lakes is the result of a comparative study of two cultural regions – Lake Lucerne in Switzerland and Lake Biwa in Japan. Based on the results of a five-year cooperation entitled The Culture of Water (2018–2023) between the Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture and the Kyoto Institute of Technology, it engages with the architecture of the future. Addressing the core themes of danger, beauty, commons and eternity – and their according relationships to water – it develops hypotheses on both regions with respect to the interdependence between people and the architecture they produce. The book is rounded off by in-depth articles, two photographic essays and archive documents.
Burst! Abstract Painting After 1945 looks at the close, but previously unexplored relationship between Abstract Expressionism and Art Informel. Through texts and close to 100 illustrations, the book describes a vital creative exchange across the Atlantic that would entirely redefine painting. Big, expansive, paint-splattered surfaces; spontaneous actions captured on canvas; new ideas of freedom. A story of post-war recovery and Transatlantic dialogue. On both sides of the ocean, society was reacting to the horrors of the Second World War, the Holocaust and the coming of the atom bomb. The book shows how artists searched for new ways to deal with these shattering events. With works by Jean Dubuffet, Natalia Dumitresco, Helen Frankenthaler, Asger Jorn, Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Sam Francis, Joan Mitchell, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, Barnett Newman, Georges Mathieu, Hedda Sterne and Clyfford Still, and more.