The recent works of the acclaimed Swiss architect are presented in this monograph on his world-renowned work and previously unpublished plans. Mario Botta's buildings are characterized by simple, geometric shapes that juxtapose lightness and weight. This richly illustrated monograph examines Botta's most recent examples on this theme, as seen in the Kyobo Tower in Seoul, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Jean Tinguely Museum in Basel, and the Cymbalista Synagogue in Tel Aviv. Hundreds of photographs, sketches, and plans illustrate the architect's desire to create structures that adhere to and complement their locations, and show how his choice of materials emphasizes craftsmanship and geometric order. Botta's finished buildings are examined alongside plans which never saw completion, demonstrating the extraordinary creative process of this modern visionary.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Since he started out in 1965, Botta has designed more than 300 buildings and has become known for creating spaces that not only relate seamlessly to their environment, but are particularly successful at reflecting, projecting and encouraging the uninterrupted flow of light into a space. This book highlights his most notable projects-populist victories like the Municipal Library in Dortmund, Germany; personal gems like two weekend houses in the mountains of Locarno-Cardada, Switzerland; the highly acclaimed Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MART) in Rovereto, Italy; and breathtakingly dramatic modernist designs like the Kyobo Tower in Seoul, Korea. Though the book does a first-rate job of representing each work, using fine photography and descriptive summaries, the essays in the front are far from illuminating. Botta's escapes criticism, as it's merely a brief overview of his work and philosophy, but the other three are generally vague and fawning. Of the MART, for instance, Giuliano Gresleri writes: "The building's perfect incorporation within its surroundings occurs with a naturalness that is both explanatory and monumental, confirming a capacity for interpretation that has reached the clearest point of its comprehensibility." Passages like this make one yearn for less analysis and more description. Still, the book succeeds as a representation of Botta's achievements, and is a worthwhile read for architecture buffs and anyone who appreciates the elegance of modern design.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"...the book is lavishly illustrated with photographs, measured drawings, diagrams, and Botta’s famous design sketches and explorations." -- Choice, May 2005
"The subtitle Light and Gravity is the perfect leitmotif for Botta’s buildings." -- Architectural Record, May 2005
"The subtitle Light and Gravity is the perfect leitmotif for Botta’s buildings." -- Architectural Record, May 2005
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A handsome monograph documenting his most recent project in the past decade,
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This review is from: Mario Botta: Light and Gravity: Architecture 1993-2003 (Hardcover)
Prestel's new monograph of renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta is aptly titled "Light and Gravity" and it is a collection of his select projects from 1993-2003. The title of this book refers to a recurring theme in his architecture where he designs volumes with compressive elements in masonry yet punctuates them skillfully so that light enters these volumes causing them to balance themselves out. This theme has been his signature theme for over the thirty years he has been in practice and is still timelessly beautiful today as it was back then. This monograph features some of his largest built projects such as the Kyobo Tower in Seoul, Korea as well as the simpler Central Bus Terminal in Lugano, Switzerland. Each projects are documented with well framed photos, project description and a composition of pencil sketches that capture the preliminary design phase. Over the thirty plus years he's been in practice. his strict modernist approach is still evident and despite the different masonry cladding he incorporates, it is still relevant to his theme of light and gravity.
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