Архитектура

Twisted Mind. The graphic pattern genius of M.C. Escher

From impossible staircases to tesselated birds, Dutch artist M.C. Escher (1898–1972) crafted a unique graphic language of patterns, puzzles, and mathematics. Dense, complex, and structured by intricate principles, his work is at the same time decorative and playful, toying constantly with optic illusions and the limitations of sensory perception. For mathematicians and scientists, Escher is a mastermind. For hippies, he was the pioneer of psychedelic art.

Born in Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands in 1898, Escher’s early works focused on nature and landscapes, with regular exhibitions in Holland, and some international recognition. It was on a trip to the Alhambra Palace in Spain in the 1920s, however, that Escher found his niche. Sketching the patterns of the palace’s Moorish architecture, Escher became captivated by the codependency of forms within and next to each other.

Working mainly with lithographs and woodcuts, Escher went on to explore the relationships among shapes, figures, and space with a near-obsessive delight. He revelled in quirky vantage points, multiple perspectives, the transition from paper flatness to illusory volume, and intricate mathematical puzzles such as the Möbius strip, a seemingly infinite loop which twists and recoils on itself in a contortion of apparent physical impossibility.

This introductory book from TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 taps into Escher’s brilliant mind with key works from his restless investigation of image and perception. Along the way, you’ll find fish morphing into birds, lizards crawling off the page, masterful reflections, infinite mazes, and some of the most mind-bending images of 20th-century art.

About the series

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:

 - a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
 - a concise biography
 - approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

The author deals with one powerful motif in Escher's work - the puzzlelike interlocking of birds, fish and other natural forms in continuous patterns. His methods are examined through a meticulous analysis of his notebooks and an epilogue reveals new information about Escher's inspiration.

Glasgow Style: The life and work of Glasgow School pioneer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Scottish architect, designer, and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 - 1928) was one of the earliest pioneers of modern architecture and design. While he never received major recognition in his hometown of Glasgow, his bold new blend of simplicity and poetic details inspired modernists across Europe.

Mackintosh s avant-garde approach embraced a variety of media as well as fresh stylistic devices. His multi-faceted oeuvre incorporated architecture, furniture, graphic design, landscapes, and flower studies. He embraced strong lines, elegant proportions, and natural motifs, combining a healthy dose of japonisme with a modernist sensibility for function. He preferred bold black typography, restrained shapes, and tall, generous windows suffusing rooms with light.

Mackintosh's projects in Glasgow include the famous Willow Tearooms, the private residences Windyhill and The Hill House, and the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art, widely considered his masterwork. Much of his work was collaborative practice with his wife, fellow artist Margaret Macdonald. The couple made up half of the loose Glasgow collective known as The Four; the other two were Margaret's sister, Frances, and her husband, Herbert MacNair.

On the continent, this Glasgow Style was met with delight. In Italy, Germany, and, in particular, Austria, artists of the Viennese Secession and Art Nouveau drew much from its rectilinear, yet lyrical, forms. In this introductory book, we take in Mackintosh's practice across art, architecture, and design to explore his particular combination of the statuesque and sensual and its vital influence on modernist expression across Europe.

About the series:

Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:

- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography

"Mackintosh" is a celebration of the extraordinary career of one of the most intriguing and influential artists of his time, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The book reveals a selection of some of his most important and popular works, from stained glass pieces and furniture through to architecture, at the same time giving an overview of his life and career. Secondary images draw on connections and echoes with each main entry to give depth and fuller understanding to create a beautifully rich and enjoyable tribute to the father of the 'Glasgow Style'.

MAD DINNER is the first book by MAD office, Beijing-based architectural office.

Organized around the metaphor of dinner table conversation, the book is a collection of ideas and opinions about topics ranging from politics to ecology to fame to the future.

The dinner's "guests" include people from all levels of Chinese society: a government official, hairdresser, migrant laborers, a doctor, a taxi driver, and a developer are all brought together to offer their views in an atmosphere of openness and exchange. MAD's work is embedded in a series of extended conversations with international advisors, including the Swiss curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, British writer Ian Buruma, filmmakers Zhang Yimou and Jia Zhangke, and the artist Ai Weiwei.

The conversations work in tandem with MAD's proposals to reveal their essential account of the architect's practice and experience inside of China, the fastest urbanization in world history

The trendsetting designer known for her effortless style shares the secrets of the art of layering: arranging all your disparate things so that they work together.

Whether you're decorating your first home or refreshing your space, Amber Lewis teaches you how to layer the things you own for a cohesive, beautifully designed home. Delivering tips on refreshing a room with new paint (including finding the perfect white), mixing textiles and pillows, and blending neutrals, Amber's beautiful, California cool will help you transform your home into one that's elegant and timeless -- a look you'll want to keep for the long run.

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The trendsetting designer known for her effortless style shares the secrets of the art of layering, with more than 250 gorgeous photographs of her signature interiors. 

“Livability is my true north. The materials I use time and again all change with age and wear. Not only is that okay, it’s how you achieve more than a re-creation of what you’ve already seen, or what somebody else has done. You can do this, too — I promise.” — from the introduction

Designing a room with all the vibes comes down to how you layer your décor. The more you can mix the elements of your room — your pillows, objects, patterns, and lighting — the more finished it’ll feel: not too new, not too old, but just right.

Known for her eclectic approach that stems from her California cool, Amber Lewis trains your eye in Made for Living, offering friendly advice on everything from nailing that perfect shade of paint to mismatching patterns with wild abandon to choosing a stone finish for new countertops.  These pages will help you design a home that’s made to be lived in.

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Пролистать книгу Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles

Here is a critical and original portrait of the exciting diversity to be found in contemporary architecture in and from Germany. A high-calibre jury, composed of specialist journalists and seasoned observer of the global architectural scene, have selected and appraised a range of outstanding buildings that are presented by means of text, photographs, floor plans and architectural drawings.

"Made in Germany - Best of Contemporary Architecture" also profiles the best architects working in and from Germany, and includes interviews and essays on a variety of subjects, among them a special feauture on concrete as Building Material of the Year. As such, this publication represents a fresh new voice in contemporary architecture criticism.

Norwegian architecture has received a lot of international attention in recent years. This is the first publication that presents a selection of the best of these projects in one book, demonstrating Norwegian architects responses to a variety of different situations, both natural and urban. The natural landscape is a strong influence in many of these building projects, and elegant and sensitive proposals drawing on a close relationship with nature has been one of the hallmarks of Norwegian architecture. But the increasing urbanisation of the country has also required a similar sensitivity in the response to urban situations, as demonstrated by projects like the Oslo Opera by Snøhetta or the recent urban projects of Sverre Fehn. The book is based on building presentations from Arkitektur N, the Norwegian Review of Architecture, but also contains unpublished material, such as interviews with some of todays central practitioners including Snøhetta and the late Sverre Fehn, and essays discussing some of the main challenges of Norwegian architecture today.

Made of Wood is a celebration of recycled pieces, age-old crafting techniques, clean modern lines, and global influences as well as art and tableware with a handmade feel.

Explore the modern craft movement and maker culture with Made of Wood, the latest book from award-winning retailers Mark and Sally Bailey of destination concept store Baileys Home.

The first half of the book explores the many ways in which we can use wood in our homes – sculpted, left in its natural state, roughly sawn or smoothly planed, recycled, or painted. The second half of the book, Wooden Stories, contains 12 case studies, each one offering a glimpse into the homes of people who have used this most ancient and versatile of materials in creative and inspiring ways.

Living with wood brings tactile comfort to every day, warms any interior, and will give your home a sense of soul that is so often lacking in this age of mass production.

A detailed guide to innovative materials and their applications in today’s architecture and design.

Today’s innovative architecture would be inconceivable and unbuildable without the rapid development of new building materials and technologies. Against this background Made of… not only presents a comprehensive overview of unconventional approaches to the use of materials in architecture and design but also describes the current state of research and rediscovered technologies.

Made Of… shows possibilities for using new building materials for sophisticated building concepts. The content of the chapters reflects practice-oriented architectural themes – for example structurally efficient building materials, free form or ornamental surfaces, protective building layers, energy generating and luminous surfaces, or renewable and recycled resources. Made Of… not only collects a broad spectrum of fascinating materials and examples of international projects, it also provides in-depth explanations of relevant technologies and applications including technical details.

Today, the demands on planning a building in terms of its structural, functional and energy efficiency are constantly rising. With them, the demands on building materials and on the architects who use them are rising as well. Made Of… gives architects both valuable insight and practical advice as to how they can work with innovative building materials today in a way that is also viable for the future. The book is an inspirational reference for all architects, designers, and artists who are looking for a specific material, who would like to expand their design palettes with further cutting-edge possibilities, or who can use an overview of current developments in this area.

Made Of... is comprised of five chapters:
Light and Strong (Reinforced, Sandwiches, Foams)
Material follows Form (Solidified, Shaped, Digitized)
Coats and Covers (Protective, Insulating, Visual)
Powered Surfaces (Energetic, Illuminated, Responsive)
Re-Materialization (Re-cycled, Re-used, Re-grown)

The architect Christiane Sauer, who has established herself as an international expert in the field of building materials, has written the texts for and edited Made of…. In addition to her practical work, she advises the industry and architecture offices the world over on the subject of new building materials and their application in an architectural context.

394 illustrations

Magic Metal in Architecture – no other material develops so many different facets in the application. Whether in the form of “skin and bones” or as a high-tech façade, brilliant constructions always bring the quality of metal into focus. On the basis of about 70 projects, the publication presents how steel and aluminum have been developed for constructional purpose and how archaic materials such as copper create future potentials.

James Magni's highly sophisticated, modern home design is highly sought after the world over and showcased here for the first time.

'Magni Modernism' displays the designer's sensibilities through 14 private residences found in such diverse locales as Beverly Hills, Mexico City, Jackson Hole, Aspen, and Moscow. With elegant restraint, Magni's interiors complement the architecture of these magnificent homes, reflecting his training as an architect and spotlighting the buildings' dramatic lines, open spaces, and spectacular views. From the limestone walls of a penthouse in Mexico City to the dark wood and concrete of a home in the mountains of Jackson Hole, each residence is beautifully captured in photographs and accompanied by an insightful and engaging text by design writer Marc Kristal.

Originally trained as an architect, James Magni found his calling in residential interior design. He established Magni Design, Inc., in 1988 and launched Magni Home Collection, his furniture design studio, in 1996. Magni has been named to Architectural Digest's prestigious Top 100 Designers list, and his work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Veranda, Robb Report, and numerous other publications. While his frequent travels to international cities and remote locales continually provide inspiration for his designs, Magni lives and works in Los Angeles.

An elegant volume dedicated to the most exclusive villas and homes in southern Sicily's Val di Noto region, perfect for those who love to daydream about traveling to unusual, stunning places.

Val di Noto is a magnificent land of architectural interest, renowned for its beautiful landscapes and recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site since 2002. This book presents a refined selection of the extraordinary mansions of the area, many of which were rebuilt in the late Baroque style in the early decades of the eighteenth century following a devastating earthquake. Country residences, farms, and villas are featured, which have all been restored to their centuries-old magnificence, thanks to a highly successful combination of tradition and innovation.

The book delves into a unique journey through villas and residences that have been revived while sustaining a charming balance between modern comfort and respect for the past. The enchantment of Val di Noto is not only about splendid residences. The area is also rich in natural parks, including the beautiful nature reserve of Vendicari. The volume provides many tips on what to see and visit.

About the Author

Samuele Mazza, curator and fashion designer, gallerist and event organizer, has established himself on the international scene as product designer and interior designer. Founder and creative director of Visionnaire Home Philosophy, he has designed interiors for private and public clients around the world. He designs collections for Paolo Castelli and a line of resort collection fashion that bears his name. He deals with everything that is fashion and finds it as fascinating to create furnishings today as it was to work with fashion in the '80s. Richard Engel is the award-winning chief-foreign correspondent for NBC. He is the author of And Then All Hell Broke Loose, War Journal, and A Fist in the Hornet's Nest.

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Пролистать книгу Magnificent Interiors of Sicily

Italy boasts a rich cultural history that has found its expression in beautiful, powerful architectural forms, at times measured and hidden, at times ostentatious and triumphant.

This volume focuses on about thirty residential villas and palaces, giving the reader the opportunity to visit the magnificent palaces of Venice, Genoa, and Mantua, the elegant villas designed by Palladio and decorated by Tiepolo; the country villas of Tuscany, hidden in olive groves and vineyards; and the austere palaces of Florence-not to mention the Versaces' villa on Lake Como.

The interiors of these palaces are magnificent to behold: splendid tapestries, exquisite paintings and murals, sumptuous furniture and interior decoration of all kinds, from elegant carved molding to magnificently inlaid and tiled floors to beautiful renaissance, baroque, and neoclassical furniture.