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 New and notable books on architecture, culture, and design.
Edited and designed by Pat Schleger Princeton Architectural Press, 272 pp., $45.00 Known by his pseudonym Zero, the Modernist graphic designer Hans Schleger was one of the pioneers of corporate identity. This book, which includes a foreword by the legendary Paul Rand, is the first comprehensive survey of Schleger's work and includes drawings, paintings, and photos as well as examples of the work for which he is best known: posters, symbols, advertising and corporate design, and packaging.
Edited by John Zukowsky Harry N. Abrams, 192 pp., $39.95 A profusely illustrated study of the role played by architects, civil engineers, and industrial and graphic designers in the implementation of the U.S. and Soviet space programs. Individual essays by scholars, scientists, architects, and others treat topics such as our perceptions of space, the conquest of space, and the idea of space travel as "wilderness exploration," with attention to both science fiction and science fact.
By Brent C. Brolin W. W. Norton & Co., 304 pp., $26.95 When Modernist architects stripped their buildings of ornamentation, they did so based on a fundamental design principle: a structure's form must be an honest expression of its function, materials, site, and the spirit of the times. Brolin points out that these same principles have been used to rationalize every style from Gothic Revival to postmodernism and maintains that the rejection of traditional ornamentation has resulted in a rift between architecture and the people it serves.
By Anuradha Mathur and Dilip da Cunha Designed by Henk van Assen Yale University Press, 178 pp., $45.00 In this timely book, landscape architect Mathur and architect-planner da Cunha use maps, cross sections, hydrographs, working models, drawings, photographs, reports, paintings, and folklore to remind us that the Mississippi river, particularly in the alluvial valley, is a landscape that shifts. They argue that understanding this process is essential to achieving balance between our need to contain and control the river and to protect its ecology.
By George H. Marcus Monacelli Press, 184 pp., $50.00 Le Corbusier's contributions to architectural theory and practice are so well known that they often overshadow his other work. This book addresses that oversight with a thorough examination of Corbu's designs for furnishings and interior decoration, with special attention to problems of production and his extensive use of color, often forgotten because of the many black-and-white photos of his buildings. |
