i4design Magazine

» From the the most talked-about architect in our decade to the up and coming rising talents in Asia; these two books give us a glimpse into the world of architecture that are shaping our world today.

FRANK GEHRY: THE HOUSES

by Mildred Friedman with introduction by Sylvia Lavin
(Rizzoli New York, 2009)

FRANK GEHRY: THE HOUSES is the first book on the seminal residential works of Frank Gehry, from his earliest architectural ideas to today. One of the great architects of our time, Frank Gehry has made revolutionary use of unconventional building materials and redefined how architects use computers as a design tool to advance form-making as we know it. Gehry has achieved worldwide fame for such large-scale public projects as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California, but it was in residential design that Gehry first radically redefined the principles of modern architecture. In these houses-most notably his own in Santa Monica, California-Gehry dis- torted, expanded, and colapsed the modernist box; explored the of use everyday materials (corrugated metal, unfinished plywood, and chain link);experimented with color; and challenged accepted notions about geometry and structure. More recently, Gehry’s work has taken on sculptural forms, aided by the new structural and geometric potential of digital design, as seen in the near-legendary Lewis House in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Client interviews were conducted to help illuminate the distinctive features of the houses, and are complimented with color photographs, sketches, and plans, creating a vibrant visual record of some of the most groundbreaking, seminal projects of Gehry’s oeuvre.

View of The Gehry House kitchen / dining area, 1978
© Gehry Partners, LLP, reprinted from Frank Gehry: The Houses, Rizzoli, 2009

INSTANT ASIA: EMERGING ASIAN ARCHITECTS FROM INDIA TO JAPAN AND THE PHILLIPPINES

by Joseph Grima (Rizzoli New York, 2008)

Asia is Growong quickly. So quickly, in fact, that it has surpassed all other areas of the world in the speed of its development. Explosive expansion in both population and economies have caused massive changes to Asia’s urban landscape, challenging the area’s architects to make the most of the opportunities to create innovative and functional designs. A survey of up-and-coming Asian architects, Instant Asia explores the completed contemporary projects of this emerging generation of designers that are shaping the architectural identity of the region. The book focuses on the heavily urbanised region of Southeast Asia to investigate novel forms of urbanism, offering a mix of theoretical perspectives, and a panoramic view in vivid color photographs, of the cultures, societies, and politics of Asian cities.