Tropical Modern [Paperback]

Raul A. Barreneche (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2003

In many countries, modern houses have evolved from European-influenced International Style modernism to "regional modernist" variations on local materials and building techniques. This is a survey of new tropical houses that embrace open floor plans, exterior courtyards, sunny patios and cool stucco surfaces - all within a regionally inflected modern architectural vocabulary.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this showcase of designs that reach beyond the soaring ceilings and infinity pools of modern home architecture, Barreneche offers a lively study of 21 projects in various tropical surroundings: seaside bluffs, arid yellow deserts and lush, verdant forests. Far away from the cities of its birth, modern architecture, with its attention to climate and dialogue between indoor and outdoor spaces, now thrives in the sun-scored tropics, and Barreneche contextualizes the tradition and samples current trends. Although most of the homes exhibited are in the Western Hemisphere, from Baja to Caracas to Miami, he includes notable examples of "modern tropical" style from Australia, Singapore and Sri Lanka as well. The brightly pigmented cement walls of the Studio MORSA architects' three houses in Nevis, West Indies, contrasts with the steely cool Bitter Residence by Isay Weinfield in Tijucopava, Brazil, whose whitewashed minimalist façade and immense glass doors on the house's posterior afford its residents a private, breathtaking audience with an azure sea. The book's sole disappointment is its cursory review of mid-century modern architectural luminaries, like Gio Ponti, who receives a passing reference and one photograph (of his Villa Planchart in Caracas). Also lamentable (but understandable given the long-standing U.S. embargo on Cuba) is the painfully brief discussion of the residence Richard Neutra designed for Alfred de Schulthess in Havana. Still, the book's luxuriant, full-bleed color photographs beautifully capture the serene settings of these tropical oases, providing both architectural inspiration and escapism.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Raul A. Barreneche is a New York-based design editor and writer who has worked at Architecture magazine as a contributing editor and is the founding editor of House.
He is a contributing editor to Metropolitan Home and Travel + Leisure and also writes for House Beautiful, One, Dwell, Interiors, and the New York Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825795
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825790
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tropical Modern 100%, March 30, 2007

By 

D. Fernandez "FL, USA" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tropical Modern (Paperback)

Beutiful Book!

This is one of the few books that could be judged by its cover. It's 100% Tropical Modern. Good pictures, fair enough text. My only cons is not with the book but with the fact that despite that I love Modern Architecture it might not be the best approach for all tropical areas because of the accelerated deterioration and high-maintenance caused by the weather at this latitudes.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clean lines + beautiful shapes + tropicalia = Bliss, April 2, 2010

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropical Modern (Hardcover)

Apparently, the entire world has fallen in love again with Mid-Century Modernism. With good reason!

This handsome book from Rizolli embraces an offshoot of modernist architecture and decor -- the tropical. Don Draper never had it this good.

20 different homes are profiled with a text that considers materials, site, texture, and local building traditions. Obviously though, as with any Rizzoli book, the primary focus is on the photographs.

Architects include Isay Weinfeld, Keenan/Riley, Studio MORSA, John Hix, Walter James Alcock.

Hardcover in dustjacket: cloth over board with a sewn binding, 224 pp, color illustrations throughout with a couple floorplans.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite, December 8, 2010

By 

Martijn Dijkstra (breda, Noord Brabant, NL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tropical Modern (Paperback)

Great book, I read it many times a year. It gives great inspiration. The book has great pictures and shows a good variety of different homes in different countries. I also have the other one, pacific modern, also great , but this one is better.

If you like this kind of style, although you get to see many unreachable houses, you must surly get it!