Workspheres: Design and Contemporary Work Styles (Museum of Modern Art Books) [Paperback]

Paola Antonelli (Editor), Museum of Modern Art (Corporate Author)

Book Description

Series: Museum of Modern Art Books | Publication Date: March 2001

In the past, work has shaped the way we live. In the near future, the way we live may shape the way we work. Workspheres creatively confronts the design demands of the ever-evolving contemporary work environment. Featuring design products, prototypes, and models, as well as previewing a groundbreaking exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, this exciting book introduces work concepts originated by internationally recognized designers who address the unique needs of specific work scenarios, including the nomadic office of a business traveler; the domestic office; the virtual office; and more traditional offices in settings configured for group interaction.

Essays and commentaries by an international group of design experts explore such themes as individuality within a corporation; the impact of digital technology on the organization of time and schedule; and the economic significance of flexible work configurations. Copiously illustrated, this sourcebook will be of wide popular interest.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Based on an exhibition of the same name currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, this book examines the role of design in the imagined workplace of the future and features work by an international selection of design teams. Five brief essays precede more than 100 pages of enticements for acquisitive workers, from Prada sport jackets to collapsible keyboards. The editor occasionally indulges in frivolity, as with Laurence Sarrazin's puzzlingly impractical banana-shaped zip-up tool cases. The essays focus on the effects of electronic technology and the promise of telecommuting, but also included here are Larry Keely's able review of workplace predictions since the 17th century and Christopher Budd's look at the office from 1950 to the present, an excellent exploration of how the ethos of a particular workplace is expressed in its design. The volume's chief asset is its numerous color illustrations, which serve as a catalog of the best of contemporary office furnishings and products. Though Workspheres lacks the freshness and spirited idealism of the museum's earlier and more compelling Italy: The New Domestic Landscape (1972 o.p.), it is still recommended for all design collections. Paul Glassman, New York Sch. of Interior Design
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Paola Antonelli is curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Museum of Modern Art (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810962179
• ISBN-13: 978-0810962170
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,471,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Ideas for Interior Design, March 26, 2001

By 

Michael S. Cole (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workspheres: Design and Contemporary Work Styles (Museum of Modern Art Books) (Paperback)

This book is the companion piece to the current show on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I just got back from seeing it last week and had to buy the book before i forgot everything from the exhibit. The show focuses on the future of work environments, particularly alternative officing solutions. The future of office work stations is growing more to the specific needs of the end user and how productivity can be increased by making the work environment ever more user friendly. the actual designs and concepts are really futuristic with lots of new technology, high-tech materials and psychedelic colors. The new designs aim at mimicking the shape and patterns of the human mind, supposedly making the interaction between end user and work station more compatible and comfortable. This book demonstrates the importance of designing around the personal needs and psyche of the people who spend the majority of there days working in an office.