Armed with a rare combination of talents, and a clear understanding of the ability of the retail programme, Jon Jerde has established himself not only as a hugely successful shopping and entertainment centre architect but also as a veritable alchemist of the urban condition. The Jerde Partnership International is hired by developers and city managers to analyse sites and improve the life of a designated street, neighbourhood or city. The firm devises site-specific, large-scale projects in order to stimulate social and economic regeneration.
This is the first monograph to examine thoroughly the Jerde phenomenon. Twenty-five of the Jerde Partnership's most significant built and unbuilt projects illustrate how Jerde synthesizes commerce and public life in a way that will revolutionize the design of twenty-first-century cities. Richly illustrated, and punctuated with Jerde's sketches and his personal philosophy, the book reflects the complexity and exuberance of this influential body of work.
