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MANY FUTURES FOR ARCHITECTURE PUBLISHING |
What is the future of the architecture book? That was the question broadly posed at Van Alen’s Architecture Publishing Summit on October 26, and answered in the plural—many futures were debated during a wide-ranging conversation about architecture and design publishing. We offer here snapshots from the day’s dialogue, and thank all who participated in this event, hosted as part of the Institute’s ongoing investigation into the role of the architecture book in civic life. Carving out new niches of readers was a key concern for our panel on support for architecture scholarship. Panelist Craig Buckley, GSAPP director of publications, described the school’s effort to test the limits of traditional publishing through pocket-book formats, print-on-demand, and blogging platforms established as part of an expansive GSAPP Books. W.W. Norton senior editor Nancy Green discussed publishing in the field of architectural history, observing that sales have diminished to traditional print venues—universities, libraries, bookstores—putting history books in an especially fragile position. That is where a strong role from the philanthropic community is essential, added Joan K. Davidson, president of the Furthermore program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund. Just as significant philanthropic support is devoted to public television and radio, so too should books be considered a prime form of public information. |
D-Crit chair Alice Twemlow moderated a panel exploring how—amid growing interest in social engagement and participation—the book increasingly operates along a continuum of editorial, research, design, and curatorial activities. This was the approach of the online magazine Triple Canopy, which editorial and program director Peter Russo characterized as a “place for gathering publics," also expanding into print and into the streets as a mobile editorial unit through residencies around the world. Finding new readers through revived print formats, Project Projects co-founder Adam Michaels launched Inventory Books in part to celebrate the mass-market paperback and its usability, while other participants—including Geoff Han and Todd Rouhe of experimental architecture practice common room—showed how an imprint like common books can use publishing as a means to communicate, discuss, and occupy the built environment. As architecture and design fields become more outward-focused and socially engaged, added Metropolis Books’ co-publisher Diana Murphy, so too has publishing. Projects such as the imprint’s recent volume Thanks for the View, Mr. Mies are examples of how books can translate particular communities of readers into larger audiences for ideas. |
In a panel moderated by Michael Kubo, loud paper founder Mimi Zeiger discussed the use of open-source, open-platform tools—as in her collaboration with Neil Donnelly on D-Crit’s Platform Project, where students took to Twitter to produce an inspired, collective design criticism later gathered into a book of its own. In developing the digital-first publisher Strelka Press, director Justin McGuirk recounted how he sought to create a series of long-form essays published individually as e-books: “I found myself thinking, what would Walter Benjamin do today if he wanted to publish his essays on Berlin or Moscow—where would he put that?” Offering an overview of the rapid adoption of digital publishing, Sharon Helgason Gallagher, president and publisher of ARTBOOK/D.A.P., concluded with a series of questions asking how the book will remain relevant in a virtual world. To that point, Julius Wiedemann, executive editor and director for digital publications at TASCHEN, highlighted an increasing divergence between printed books as objects and digital books as content delivery systems. This theme was further explored by senior editor Dung Ngo of Rizzoli and designer Glen Cummings of MTWTF, who joined Anyone Corporation director Cynthia Davidson in conversation. Amid widely available online information, the editorial and design process for print publications becomes an essential form of content in itself. |
The last word went to designer Irma Boom, who affirmed the vitality of print during a keynote conversation with Michael Bierut, Massimo Vignelli, Lorraine Wild, and Barry Bergdoll at the Designers & Books Fair. Digital media have made print all the more essential in the world of architecture and design, she declared, and the printed book “feels more outspoken than ever before.” We thank the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts for supporting the Publishing Summit, and look forward to continuing the conversation—in print, in person, and online—at Van Alen Books. |
NEW TITLES AND HOLIDAY EVENINGS AT VAN ALEN BOOKS Since Van Alen Books opened its doors in 2011, our yellow steps have become a New York City destination for the design-minded. We want to thank our friends and customers for your continued support this year, and for making our bookstore such a vibrant space for dialogue, celebration, and discovery. This holiday season, we’ve gathered a lineup of new titles—and we invite you to join us this December on Thursday evenings from 5-9 p.m., to enjoy a glass of prosecco while browsing our selection. Visit our website to read up on featured titles and launch events, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates throughout the holiday season. Don’t forget, gift cards are available—we’ll see you in the store! |
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Lincoln Center Inside Out A cross between art book, scholarly record, and architectural diary, this volume from Damiani and distributed by ARTBOOK/D.A.P. is the first to consider the Lincoln Center redevelopment in its entirety. Composed almost entirely of double gatefolds, Lincoln Center Inside Out reveals the process and strategies behind this civic project through drawings, renderings, texts and photographs from Iwan Baan and Matthew Monteith. |
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Sweet & Salt: Water and the Dutch As planners and landscape architects confront the challenges of waterfront design in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, this book offers a timely and valuable perspective on the Netherlands’ complex relationship with the water. Taking an unusually broad historical view—from 16th-century Bosch paintings to the most recent developments in soft infrastructure—co-authors Tracy Metz and Maartje van den Heuvel consider how an urban society can live in harmony with the rising tides. |
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Co-authors Robert McCarter and Juhani Pallasmaa have updated the classic architectural primer, exploring iconic and essential projects from around the world and throughout history, from the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House. Organized by themes such as “Space and Time” and “Ritual and Memory," this image-rich volume will appeal to both students and design professionals. |
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This elegant monograph offers an in-depth look at the work of the Chinese architect Wang Shu, winner of the 2012 Pritzker Prize. Lars Müller Publishers has created this volume bound simply with paper and string, featuring the architect’s hand drawings that offer insight into his vision for a contemporary Chinese architecture. |
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What are the relations between the design of a city—its form—and the life engendered by that form? This new book, edited by Mohsen Mostafavi, compiles two dozen responses to this question, with its contributors drawing observations from urban places as disparate as São Paulo, Houston, Paris, Jakarta, and Mumbai. Thoughtful articles are interspersed with photo essays, composing an urbanist’s intellectual joyride across five continents. |
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AWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGNERS Infill Philadelphia: Soak it Up! is an interdisciplinary design competition that invites architects, landscape architects, engineers, and other professionals to submit designs for innovative green stormwater infrastructure. A partnership between the Community Design Collaborative, Philadelphia Water Department, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this competition seeks to use stormwater infrastructure to revitalize urban neighborhoods. Nine finalists will present their designs, and the winner for each of three competition sites will receive a cash prize of $10,000. Register by November 30. Launched as part of the Sustainable Cities Conference, hosted by Washington University and the City of St. Louis, the Sustainable Land Lab Competition will create a living laboratory of two-year demonstration projects that transform vacant land into sustainable assets for the city through remediation, food systems, community engagement, and more. Up to four projects will be chosen to receive a two-year lot lease and $5,000 grant toward implementation. Submit by December 10. Socrates Sculpture Park and the Architectural League invite emerging architects and designers to apply for Folly 2013, an opportunity to build and exhibit a full-scale project around the theme of an architectural folly. This design/build studio residency was established to explore the intersections between architecture and sculpture and the increasing overlaps in references, concepts, and techniques between the two disciplines. Submit by January 7. The Flint Public Art Project, AIA-Flint, and the Downtown Development Authority are seeking submissions for the first annual Flat Lot Competition, a program to design and build a temporary summer pavilion in the central parking lot in downtown Flint. Modeled after the MoMA/PS1 Young Architects Program, the competition will show how contemporary architecture can transform public space and captivate the public imagination. The winner will receive $25,000 to realize their proposal. Register by January 31. |
REIMAGINE THE PUBLIC REALM WITH VAN ALEN MEMBERSHIP As the design of sustainable and equitable public spaces comes to the forefront of the civic agenda, Van Alen’s mission to catalyze design excellence in the public realm has never been more critical. Come be a part of our effort to advance design innovation by joining us today. Your membership provides essential support in sustaining all the work we do to bring the best design ideas to civic life through innovative programs, inclusive dialogue, and visionary public architecture. Find out more about our membership opportunities and how you can join our diverse network of supporters here. |
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Van Alen Institute’s ongoing programs are made possible through the generous assistance of our individual contributors and partners, and are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. We also acknowledge the generous support of Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund and Seed Fund, as well as the following organizations: |
Van Alen Institute promotes innovative thinking about the role of architecture and design in civic life. Our programs engage a broad constituency of people in New York City, the nation, and around the world who participate in shaping the designed environment, from architecture students to emerging and established professionals to the interested public. For more information, please visit www.vanalen.org. |
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