Tropical Modern (Paperback)

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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.

Product Description

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825795
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825790
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,843 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 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)

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.