Modern House 2 (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is an illustrated study of the world's most interesting and innovative contemporary houses. Organized into thematic sections, it features detailed appraisals of 30 contemporary houses by the world's leading architects, including Glenn Murcutt, Rem Koolhaas/OMA, Foster and Partners, Herzog and de Meuron, Williams and Tsien, Gunther Behnisch, Kazuyo Sejima, Marcos Acayaba and Gabriel Poole. The book examines issues such as ecological concerns, changing patterns of living, building with sensitivity in ever-increasingly populated cities, and respecting the environment when building in isolated rural areas.

About the Author

Clare Melhuish is an architectural critic and anthropologist working in the field of modern architecture and cultural identity. She is the author of the Phaidon monograph Odile Decq: Benoit Cornette (1996), and editor of Architecture and Anthropology (AD Profile 124, Academy Editions 1996). She has written extensively for the architectural press and other publications since the mid-1980s. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714839876
• ISBN-13: 978-0714839875
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #350,770 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars worthy successor to the first book, October 9, 2001

By	Ping Lim (Christchurch) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book appropriately divides into 5 categories: environmental awareness, changing patterns of living, urban interaction, the rural retreat, concept houses of the future. With that, we are bombarded with ideas, many of them innovative ideas that are willing to be embraced by the architects' clients & in some instances, by the architects themselves. Some houses here blend in with their surroundings, & some stand out from the crowd, some that look & work more like a machine, some that facilitate the lifestyle of the occupants, some are meant to be poetic, & so forth, but overall, they all convey the thinkings & the personalities of the people who are willing to embrace the ideas behind the buildings. As St. Patrick of Assisi said before that stones don't build a city, but people do, & ultimately, the erection of spectacular buildings conveyed in this book is all done to serve the people, which in turn are fabricated into a bigger urban picture of where they are living in. Highly enjoyable to read & browse thru, & a well presented coffee book it is. We don't expect a lesser quality book from Phaidon, to put it simply. The book is finished by relevant chapters such as credits, further reading, index, & acknowledgments. One downside of this book, however is the usage of works of architects already covered in the first offering such as Thom Craig of Christchurch, Mathias Klotz of Chile, & others that I wouldn't remember. Then, there is the usage of small grey fonts over the white background, & in many instances, the statements are simply too vague to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Photography, May 15, 2001

By	"zanga7" (Australia) - See all my reviews

I think the photography of this book is its greatest strength it shows the architecture in it best form! You can get a real feel of the buildings and the surroundings. GREAT BOOK WITH GREAT ARCHITECTURE! If you liked 10 x 10 or 40 under 40 you will like this!

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Photography, May 14, 2001

By	"zanga7" (Australia) - See all my reviews

I think the photography of this book is its greatest strength it shows the architecture in it best form! You can get a real feel of the buildings and the surroundings. GREAT BOOK WITH GREAT ARCHITECTURE!