Contemporary Windows [Hardcover]

Amanda Baillieu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

Since the late 19th century when improvements in technology allowed society to explore new aesthetic relationships between windows and buildings, architects have embraced the opportunity to use the window as a prominent architectural statement. In recent years numerous architects of note, including Rem Koolhaas, Shigeru Ban, Jean Nouvel, Richard Rogers and Frank Gehry have experimented with the window and its design potential. Beginning with an introductory history of windows, "Contemporary Windows" surveys over 40 of the finest examples from around the world, exploring the unprecedented range of designs. The context of each window within the specific type of building is examined and the materials, design and construction described. The five chapters - "Blurring the Limits", "Colour and Illusion", "Framed Landscapes", "Public Expression" and "A New Agenda", provide case studies of some of the most inventive domestic, public, commercial and retail architecture from around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It is not a matter of covering versus opening up windows. Instead, architectural magazine editor Baillieu takes to heart all the metaphors a window is known for--and more--to showcase the miracles of aperture design. Amid the glories of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Philip Johnson, the history of windows is probed in both words and illustrations. Five different methods of using windows--avant-garde, as landscape frames, with color and illusion, in public spaces, and in sustainable design--are this book's centerpiece, supported by more than 40 different buildings. Many are breathtaking, such as Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum in Berlin (he's the World Trade Center's new architect). Others are somewhat straightforward, like the Miami Beach home constructed to obey the local laws of turtle protection. Still others, downright odd, as exemplified by Tokyo's naked house. Opening a new world onto design. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

London-based journalist Amanda Baillieu is Editor of the RIBA Journal. She has written widely on architecture, and has contributed regularly to the Independent and Observer, as well as writing for Domus and other UK publications. She was an RIBA Stirling Prize judge in 1999 and 2000.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Mitchell Beazley (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840006382
• ISBN-13: 978-1840006384
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,291,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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