Manhattan Lofts [Paperback]

Ivor Richards (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471623636 | ISBN-13: 978-0471623632 | Publication Date: July 14, 2000 | Edition: 1

The New York City loft has become a tradition. It is possible to look back at the evolution of the loft as an architectural type that has influenced the whole concept of the New York apartment dwelling, particularly the nature of its space. Large areas of urban blocks containing a huge variety of warehousing have been transformed by innovative design, providing the pattern for the architectural Manhattan loft. The central discipline of the Manhattan loft lies in the handling of space and material elements, the common theme being openness This book presents a critical review of ten architects' work. The lofts reveal a developing modernity - based on a flexible spatial content - which is not about fashion, but is instead concerned with a sense of rooted settlement and the restorative values of ordered space and light within the basic structure of a personal retreat. At first sight these lofts are all very different; some are minimalist, others more opulent and sophisticated. But what is common throughout is that they have been conceived within the pluralistic framework of the modern architectural tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book presents a critical survey of the Manhattan loft, revealing a definitive architectural typology whose central discipline lies in the mutation of pure space and materiality as realised in the architectural landscape of the interior, the common theme of which is openness.
Assembling this work not only brings together some of the finest examples of loft architecture from over more than a decade, but also defines the distinguished output of ten New York architects, who collectively evidence the nature of a developing modernity in their projects. All the architects included are also engaged in the teaching of architecture or in the exhibition of their work, thereby extending the influence of their thought and conceptual process.
The extensive illustrations include original concept drawings, renderings and plans, some prepared specifically for this publication. The photographs are selected to reveal more than just impressions of the interior, conveying and encapsulating the dual sense of both space and materiality, and the presence of fine detail.
Overall, what is established is a deep sense of rooted settlement and the restorative values of ordered space and light within the structure of a personal retreat - a peaceful sanctuary withdrawn from the external life of the city.
The ten New York architects and architectural teams included in this collection are: Thomas Hanrahan & Victoria Meyers; Frank Lupo & Daniel Rowen; Bernard Tschumi; Richard Gluckman; Henry Smith Miller & Laurie Hawkinson; Tod Williams & Billie Tsien; Gisue & Mojgan Hariri; Scott Marble & Karen Fairbanks; Sulan Kolatan and William MacDonald; and George Ranalli.

About the Author

Ivor Richards is Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, University of Newcastle, UK, as well as a practising architect and member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He has written extensively on the work of American master architect Richard Meier, and on a series of other contemporary architects who have extended the modern tradition in architecture across the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Academy Press; 1 edition (July 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471623636
• ISBN-13: 978-0471623632
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,936,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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