28 books and book covers in architectural theory meeting... · 2019. 6. 13. · this project puts...
TRANSCRIPT
75 History/Theory
28 Books and Book Covers in Architectural Theory
REGIN SCHWAENNorth Dakota State University
This project puts architectural theory into practice by asking second year architecture students to make a book cover for a contemporary theory book. The idea is to visualize written essays and architectural thought by having architecture stu-dents design, plan and build a book cover selected from a list of sixty books. From a pedagogical point of view it was important to create a seminar where each student has the opportunity to explore, express, and conclude by physical means while read-ing and learning. Connecting reason and knowledge with formal expression is the fundamental challenge for this assignment.
Reading an architectural theory and making a book cover that reflects on the content of the book engages and inspires archi-tecture students that often become a passive listener or obser-vant in theory seminars. The instructor gave only ten lectures throughout the semester. This allows more time for other assign-ments, such as the book cover project, making it possible to fos-ter a deeper exploration of knowledge and critical thinking for the emerging architect.
More than a decade ago I discovered a book cover assignment created by associate professor Margarita McGrath. She devel-oped this idea while teaching a professional practice seminar at the School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech. In the last four years I have slightly altered the pedagogical principles of her concept. The assignment was in part influenced by three books reflecting on a similar didactic approach. In the book ‘The Thinking Hand’ Juhani Pallasmaa has written extensively about haptic and tactile properties. Those are the primary pedagogical objectives for the book cover assignment, but the assignment was also influenced by questioning how to visualize fundamental observations in science such as the theory of quantum mechan-ics as discussed by Tor Nørretranders in the book ‘Indivisibility’. Furthermore, I was inspired by Marco Frascari referencing Robin Evans and his observation that “architects do not build, but merely draw” in the book ‘Eleven Exercises in the art of archi-tectural drawing’ with the excellent subtitle ‘Slow food for the architect’s imagination’.
The field of architectural theory is challenged by new emerging technologies and research itself has shifted. Libraries are physi-cal rooms with knowledge being accessible horizontally. Books are ordered by categories and therefore presented in a cer-tain order. When doing research online, architecture students embrace a world that is vertical. The order of knowledge is by subject and accessible one at a time, presented similar to a deck of cards or to stacked newspapers. There is no taxonomy. This limits research when one seeks to compare knowledge. From a scholarly point of view the online knowledge can be extremely powerful when one knows what subject to seek out, but how does the 2nd year architecture students navigate this approach? It would be interesting to completely redevelop a seminar like architectural theory and embrace the horizontal and vertical approach at the same time. The book cover assignment could be developed towards a more virtual approach if technology could make computers more haptic. We need architects that are integrative thinkers when designing - that embrace knowledge, skills, and craftsmanship at the same time.
NOTES
1. Juhani Pallasmaa, The Thinking Hand, Wiley, 2009.
2. Tor Nørretranders, Indivisibility, Gyldendal, 1985.
3. Marco Frascari, Eleven Exercises, Routledge, 2011.
The Ethical Imperative 76
Regin Schwaen, Associate Professor of ArchitectureShane Hawley, Teaching AssistantDepartment of Architecture & Landscape Architecture
of 39 books &book covers in the Klai Hall library NDSU / ALA 11.27.17 / 12.07.17
exhibitionA
ldo Rossi [The A
rchitecture of the City]
Herzog and de M
euron [Natural H
istory]Peter Zum
thor [Thinking Architecture + A
tmospheres]
Gottfried Sem
per [Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts or, Practical A
esthetics]K
enneth Frampton [M
odern Architecture + Studies in Tectonic C
ulture]Jam
es Corner [Taking M
easures Across the A
merican Landscape]
Daniel Libeskind [Line of Fire + Jew
ish Museum
]O
swald M
athias Ungers [M
orphologie: City M
etaphors]C
hristian Norberg-Schulz [G
enius Loci: Towards a Phenom
enology of Architecture]
�eter Eisenman �H
ouse � � Fin �’�
� T H
��
S�Le C
orbusier [Towards a N
ew A
rchitecture]R
obert Venturi [Com
plexity & C
ontradiction in Architecture + Learning from
Las Vegas]G
iuseppe Terragni [Danteum
by Thomas L. Schum
acher]M
ies van der Rohe [M
ies in Am
erica + Mies in B
erlin]C
arlo Scarpa [The Com
plete Works by Francesco D
al Co and G
iuseppe Mazzariol]
Giovanni B
attista Piranesi [The Com
plete Etchings collected by John Wilton-Ely]
Marcus Vitruvius [The Ten B
ooks of Architecture]
Leon Battista A
lberti [On the A
rt of Building]
Andrea Palladio [The Four B
ooks of Architecture]
Étienne-Louis Boullée [B
oullée and Visionary Architecture by H
elen Rosenau]
Claude-N
icolas Ledoux [Claude-N
icolas Ledoux by Anthony Vidler]
Louis Kahn [Essential Texts by Louis K
ahn edited by Robert Tw
ombly]
Juhani Pallasmaa [The Eyes of the Skin: A
rchitecture & the Senses + The Thinking H
and]R
ay and Charles Eam
es [Powers of 10]
John Hejduk [Education of A
n Architect + Victim
s]M
arco Frascari [Monsters of A
rchitecture + Eleven Exercises in the Art of A
rchitectural Draw
ing]R
em K
oolhaas [Delirious N
ew York + SM
LXL + Elements]
Leon Krier [H
ouses, Palaces, Cities]
Rodrigo Perez de A
rche [Urban Transform
ations and the Architecture of A
dditions]Paul Virilio [B
unker Archaeology]
Michel Serres [Parasite + G
enesis]Italo C
alvino [Invisible Cities]
Jan Gehl [Life betw
een buildings]Jam
es Turrell [The Other H
orizon by Michael R
otondi, Daniel B
irnbaum, &
Paul Virilio]R
obert Smithson [The C
ollected Writings edited by Jack Flam
]G
ordon Matta-C
lark [Works and C
ollected Writings edited by G
loria Moure]
Richard Serra [W
ritings/Interviews]
Adolf Loos [O
rnament and C
rime]
Alberto Pérez-G
ómez [A
rchitecture and the Crisis of M
odern Science]Lebbeus W
oods [Origins]
Peter Cook [A
rchigram + A
rchitecture: Action and Plan]
Witold R
ybczynski [How
architecture works]
Steen Eiler Rasm
ussen [Experiencing Architecture]
Carsten Juel-C
hristiansen [Monum
ent & niche]
Reyner B
anham [Los A
ngeles, The Architecture of Four Ecologies]
Alixandra Hermanso - Macy MillerAmanda Hill - Mary Biegert
Amy Luschen - Bailey CochraneAnna Greenlee Phetsomphou - Samantha Ochs
Anne ArgenzianoBen Gutowski
Blaze Irwin - Troy BrownCooper Johnson - Conner Riley
Devin Crowe - Mitch MeierEthan McCullough - Keegan Hovel
Halima ShittuJenny Nagel - Kai Erickson
Josh TrojanJustin Todd - Beau Nørby
Linda Boateng - Benjamin DjerfAndrew Ulrich - Grant Willert
Augustina TeuberBrandon Hyatt - Chandler Dick
Chance BrochuDouglas Brown - Alex Mason
Grace Sundberg - Nicholas ShircliffKelsey Darwin - George Smith
Matt KohlMcKenna Vetter - Nate WannerMusab Ataelmanan - Oleg Harb
Olivia Whipple - Johnny SidmorePhilip Reim
Sam Goodman - Matt LeakeSamantha Schrader - Karlie Matejcek
Savanna Ridgway - Hajime ShibyuaSean Meyer - Luke Sanders
Sijia LiSophia LaMere - Heather Boeger
Taylor Best - Amber PliscottTaylor Ford - Rozalind Vanden Bosch
Thomas DavyTiara Mathiason - Oliva Reimer
Valentina Contrares - Courtney SkareZak Kuntz
Reg
in S
chw
aen,
Ass
ocia
te P
rofe
ssor
Car
i Rob
erts
, Tea
chin
g A
ssis
tant
Dep
artm
ent o
f Arc
hite
ctur
e &
Lan
dsca
pe A
rchi
tect
ure
of 25
books &
book
cov
ers
in th
e m
ain
libra
ry
ND
SU
cam
pus
10.2
5.16
/ 11
.08.
16
exhi
bitio
n
stud
ents
book
s
Tayl
or S
chlo
emer
+ Z
ach
Mat
teso
n
Ald
o R
ossi
[The
Arc
hite
ctur
e of
the
City
]
Her
zog
and
de M
euro
n [N
atur
al H
isto
ry]
Shan
e H
awle
y +
Mitc
h M
usel
+ N
oor A
bdel
ham
id +
Mic
hael
a Sm
ieja
Pe
ter Z
umth
or [T
hink
ing
Arc
hite
ctur
e +
Atm
osph
eres
]
Got
tfrie
d Se
mpe
r [St
yle
in th
e Te
chni
cal a
nd T
ecto
nic
Art
s or
, Pra
ctic
al A
esth
etic
s]H
elen
Joh
nson
+ S
ydne
y Sc
haef
er +
Bra
d N
elso
n +
Mat
t Huc
kenp
oehl
er
Ken
neth
Fra
mpt
on [M
oder
n A
rchi
tect
ure
+ St
udie
s in
Tec
toni
c C
ultu
re]
Kris
Koh
lgra
f + P
aige
Mat
tfeld
Ja
mes
Cor
ner [
Taki
ng M
easu
res
Acr
oss
the
Am
eric
an L
ands
cape
]A
lyss
a Yo
ung
+ liv
ia M
ack
D
anie
l Lib
eski
nd [L
ine
of F
ire +
Jew
ish
Mus
eum
]
Osw
ald
Mat
hias
Ung
ers
[Mor
phol
ogie
: City
Met
apho
rs]
C
hris
tian
Nor
berg
-Sch
ulz
[Gen
ius
Loci
: Tow
ards
a P
heno
men
olog
y of
Arc
hite
ctur
e]
Rya
n W
ilson
+ D
an M
arso
Le C
orbu
sier
[Tow
ards
a N
ew A
rchi
tect
ure]
Jare
d K
ram
er +
Jes
sica
Har
ter +
Noa
h Th
omps
on +
Ale
x Li
nz
R
ober
t Ven
turi
[Com
plex
ity &
Con
trad
ictio
n in
Arc
hite
ctur
e +
Lear
ning
from
Las
Veg
as]
Dan
Bad
illa
+ A
ustin
Lee
Bra
ndrie
t
Giu
sepp
e Te
rrag
ni [D
ante
um b
y Th
omas
L. S
chum
ache
r]Ju
stin
Sch
wat
zend
er +
Jos
h Se
gner
i
Mie
s va
n de
r Roh
e [M
ies
in A
mer
ica
+ M
ies
in B
erlin
]
Car
lo S
carp
a [T
he C
ompl
ete
Wor
ks b
y Fr
ance
sco
Dal
Co
and
Giu
sepp
e M
azza
riol]
G
iova
nni B
attis
ta P
irane
si [T
he C
ompl
ete
Etch
ings
col
lect
ed b
y Jo
hn W
ilton
-Ely
]M
itch
Schu
lzet
enbe
rg +
Ale
x O
rmsb
y
Mar
cus
Vitr
uviu
s [T
he T
en B
ooks
of A
rchi
tect
ure]
Jare
d Za
un
Le
on B
attis
ta A
lber
ti [O
n th
e A
rt o
f Bui
ldin
g]
Jaco
b Sa
unde
rs +
Nic
k Sh
irclif
f
A
ndre
a Pa
lladi
o [T
he F
our B
ooks
of A
rchi
tect
ure]
Ét
ienn
e-Lo
uis
Bou
llée
[Bou
llée
and
Visi
onar
y A
rchi
tect
ure
by H
elen
Ros
enau
]
Cla
ude-
Nic
olas
Led
oux
[Cla
ude-
Nic
olas
Led
oux
by A
ntho
ny V
idle
r]Tr
avis
Bre
n +
Thom
as A
spel
und
Loui
s K
ahn
[Ess
entia
l Tex
ts b
y Lo
uis
Kah
n ed
ited
by R
ober
t Tw
ombl
y]Ty
ler G
efro
h +
Zoe
Ran
dazz
o +
Bai
ley
Bus
chke
+ J
enna
Bor
dwel
l
Juha
ni P
alla
smaa
[The
Eye
s of
the
Skin
: Arc
hite
ctur
e &
the
Sens
es +
The
Thi
nkin
g H
and]
R
ay a
nd C
harle
s Ea
mes
[Pow
ers
of 1
0]Jo
hn D
iGio
rno
+ Iv
an G
onza
laes
Jo
hn H
ejdu
k [E
duca
tion
of A
n A
rchi
tect
+ V
ictim
s]
Mar
co F
rasc
ari [
Mon
ster
s of
Arc
hite
ctur
e +
Elev
en E
xerc
ises
in th
e A
rt o
f Arc
hite
ctur
al D
raw
ing]
Ash
ley
Hie
nen
+ La
ura
Salm
ela
Rem
Koo
lhaa
s [D
eliri
ous
New
Yor
k +
SMLX
L +
Elem
ents
]Ty
ler M
cNut
t + G
rant
Men
den
Leon
Krie
r [H
ouse
s, P
alac
es, C
ities
]
Rod
rigo
Pere
z de
Arc
he [U
rban
Tra
nsfo
rmat
ions
and
the
Arc
hite
ctur
e of
Add
ition
s]
Paul
Viri
lio [B
unke
r Arc
haeo
logy
]
Mic
hel S
erre
s [P
aras
ite +
Gen
esis
]La
ura
Cra
goe
+ H
aley
Hol
zwar
th
Italo
Cal
vino
[Inv
isib
le C
ities
]A
nna
Dan
iels
on +
Kie
ra R
acha
c
Ja
n G
ehl [
Life
bet
wee
n bu
ildin
gs]
Ja
mes
Tur
rell
[The
Oth
er H
oriz
on b
y M
icha
el R
oton
di, D
anie
l Birn
baum
, & P
aul V
irilio
]
Rob
ert S
mith
son
[The
Col
lect
ed W
ritin
gs e
dite
d by
Jac
k Fl
am]
G
ordo
n M
atta
-Cla
rk [W
orks
and
Col
lect
ed W
ritin
gs e
dite
d by
Glo
ria M
oure
]
Ric
hard
Ser
ra [W
ritin
gs/In
terv
iew
s]
Ado
lf Lo
os [O
rnam
ent a
nd C
rime]
A
lber
to P
érez
-Góm
ez [A
rchi
tect
ure
and
the
Cris
is o
f Mod
ern
Scie
nce]
Cas
ey M
cken
zie
+ B
renn
a La
nhar
Lebb
eus
Woo
ds [O
rigin
s]C
hris
tina
Mey
er +
Ver
onic
a K
ings
ton
+ Ja
ck K
oolm
o
Pete
r Coo
k [A
rchi
gram
+ A
rchi
tect
ure:
Act
ion
and
Plan
]Sa
rah
Haz
elet
t + B
en D
alto
n
W
itold
Ryb
czyn
ski [
How
arc
hite
ctur
e w
orks
]
Stee
n Ei
ler R
asm
usse
n [E
xper
ienc
ing
Arc
hite
ctur
e]
Car
sten
Jue
l-Chr
istia
nsen
[Mon
umen
t & n
iche
]
Rey
ner B
anha
m [L
os A
ngel
es, T
he A
rchi
tect
ure
of F
our E
colo
gies
]
stud
ents
bo
oks
Han
nah
Rum
mel
+ W
hitn
ey L
ee +
Jac
ob S
cott
A
ldo
Ros
si [T
he A
rchi
tect
ure
of th
e C
ity]
Her
zog
and
de M
euro
n [N
atur
al H
isto
ry]
Rya
n G
app
+ N
icho
las
Hol
zer +
Vic
toria
Noe
Pete
r Zum
thor
[Thi
nkin
g A
rchi
tect
ure
+ A
tmos
pher
es]
Got
tfrie
d Se
mpe
r [St
yle
in th
e Te
chni
cal a
nd T
ecto
nic
Art
s or
, Pra
ctic
al A
esth
etic
s]C
aris
sa H
illen
+ H
aley
Hei
ntzm
an +
Mitc
hell
Nag
el
Ken
neth
Fra
mpt
on [M
oder
n A
rchi
tect
ure
+ St
udie
s in
Tec
toni
c C
ultu
re]
Am
y M
uelle
r & R
iley
Qua
lley
+ M
arie
Tuc
ker +
Dan
e Vo
nase
k
Jam
es C
orne
r [Ta
king
Mea
sure
s A
cros
s th
e A
mer
ican
Lan
dsca
pe]
Tyle
r Bas
sett
+ A
shle
y K
ilzer
D
anie
l Lib
eski
nd [L
ine
of F
ire +
Jew
ish
Mus
eum
]
O
swal
d M
athi
as U
nger
s [M
orph
olog
ie: C
ity M
etap
hors
]
C
hris
tian
Nor
berg
-Sch
ulz
[Gen
ius
Loci
: Tow
ards
a P
heno
men
olog
y of
Arc
hite
ctur
e]
�e
ter E
isen
man
�Hou
se �
� F
in �
’��
T H
��
S�
Paig
e Fa
lk +
Joe
Bak
ke +
Con
nor G
rann
+ A
ustin
Sto
kke
Le C
orbu
sier
[Tow
ards
a N
ew A
rchi
tect
ure]
Jose
ph B
akke
+ M
eagh
an H
awle
y +
Zach
ary
Jew
ison
R
ober
t Ven
turi
[Com
plex
ity &
Con
trad
ictio
n in
Arc
hite
ctur
e +
Lear
ning
from
Las
Veg
as]
Giu
sepp
e Te
rrag
ni [D
ante
um b
y Th
omas
L. S
chum
ache
r]
M
ies
van
der R
ohe
[Mie
s in
Am
eric
a +
Mie
s in
Ber
lin]
Car
lo S
carp
a [T
he C
ompl
ete
Wor
ks b
y Fr
ance
sco
Dal
Co
and
Giu
sepp
e M
azza
riol]
Gio
vann
i Bat
tista
Pira
nesi
[The
Com
plet
e Et
chin
gs c
olle
cted
by
John
Wilt
on-E
ly]
Jam
es J
aege
r
Mar
cus
Vitr
uviu
s [T
he T
en B
ooks
of A
rchi
tect
ure]
Leon
Bat
tista
Alb
erti
[On
the
Art
of B
uild
ing]
A
ndre
a Pa
lladi
o [T
he F
our B
ooks
of A
rchi
tect
ure]
Shau
n R
olfe
s
Étie
nne-
Loui
s B
oullé
e [B
oullé
e an
d Vi
sion
ary
Arc
hite
ctur
e by
Hel
en R
osen
au]
Cla
ude-
Nic
olas
Led
oux
[Cla
ude-
Nic
olas
Led
oux
by A
ntho
ny V
idle
r]
Lo
uis
Kah
n [E
ssen
tial T
exts
by
Loui
s K
ahn
edite
d by
Rob
ert T
wom
bly]
Ben
jam
in M
ach
+ R
iley
Qua
lley
+ C
ari R
ober
ts
Ju
hani
Pal
lasm
aa [T
he E
yes
of th
e Sk
in: A
rchi
tect
ure
& th
e Se
nses
+ T
he T
hink
ing
Han
d]
R
ay a
nd C
harle
s Ea
mes
[Pow
ers
of 1
0]
Jo
hn H
ejdu
k [E
duca
tion
of A
n A
rchi
tect
+ V
ictim
s]
M
arco
Fra
scar
i [M
onst
ers
of A
rchi
tect
ure
+ El
even
Exe
rcis
es in
the
Art
of A
rchi
tect
ural
Dra
win
g]Ju
stin
Bro
wn
R
em K
oolh
aas
[Del
iriou
s N
ew Y
ork
+ SM
LXL
+ El
emen
ts]
Leon
Krie
r [H
ouse
s, P
alac
es, C
ities
]
R
odrig
o Pe
rez
de A
rche
[Urb
an T
rans
form
atio
ns a
nd th
e A
rchi
tect
ure
of A
dditi
ons]
Paul
Viri
lio [B
unke
r Arc
haeo
logy
]
M
iche
l Ser
res
[Par
asite
+ G
enes
is]
Lind
sey
Ols
on
Ita
lo C
alvi
no [I
nvis
ible
Citi
es]
Aug
ustin
Mcl
augh
lin
Jam
es T
urre
ll [T
he O
ther
Hor
izon
by
Mic
hael
Rot
ondi
, Dan
iel B
irnba
um, &
Pau
l Viri
lio]
Wal
ter D
e M
aria
[Lig
htni
ng F
ield
]
R
ober
t Sm
ithso
n [T
he C
olle
cted
Writ
ings
edi
ted
by J
ack
Flam
]
G
ordo
n M
atta
-Cla
rk [W
orks
and
Col
lect
ed W
ritin
gs e
dite
d by
Glo
ria M
oure
]D
omin
ic B
linde
rt
Ric
hard
Ser
ra [W
ritin
gs/In
terv
iew
s]D
anie
lle L
ee
A
dolf
Loos
[Orn
amen
t and
Crim
e]
A
lber
to P
érez
-Góm
ez [A
rchi
tect
ure
and
the
Cris
is o
f Mod
ern
Scie
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Book: INVISIBLE CITIESItalo calvino
Cover:Grace Sundberg Nicholas Shircliff
Book: DELIRIOUS NEW YORKRem Koolhaas
Cover:Heather BoergerSophia LaMere
Book: S, M, L, XLRem KoolhaasBruce Mau
Cover:Amanda HillMary Biegert
Book: ORNAMENT AND CRIMEAdolph Loos
Cover:Anne Argenziano
Book: ORIGINSLebbeus Woods
Cover:Sam GoodmanMatt Leake
Book: TOWARDS A NEW ARCHITECTURELe Corbusier
Cover:Olivia Whipple Johnny Sidmore
Photographer of selected book covers:Meghan Duda
28Books and Book Covers inArchitectural Theory
History/Theory – The Ethical Imperative
This project puts architectural theory into practice by asking second year architecture students to make a book cover for a contemporary theory book. The idea is to visu-alize written essays and architectural thought by having architecture students design, plan and build a book cover selected from a list of sixty books. From a pedagogical point of view it was important to create a seminar where each student has the opportunity to explore, express, and conclude by physical means while reading and learning. Connecting reason and knowledge with formal expression is the fundamental challenge for this assignment.
Reading an architectural theory and making a book cover that reflects on the content of the book engages and inspires architecture students that often become a passive listener or observant in theory seminars. The instructor gave only ten lectures throughout the semester. This allows more time for other assignments, such as the book cover project, making it possible to foster a deeper explo-ration of knowledge and critical thinking for the emerging architect.
More than a decade ago I discovered a book cover assign-ment created by associate professor Margarita McGrath. She developed this idea while teaching a professional practice seminar at the School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech. In the last four years I have slightly altered the pedagogical principles of her concept. The assignment was in part influenced by three books reflecting on a simi-lar didactic approach. In the book ‘The Thinking Hand’ Juhani Pallasmaa has written extensively about haptic and tactile properties. Those are the primary pedagogical objectives for the book cover assignment, but the assign-ment was also influenced by questioning how to visualize fundamental observations in science such as the theory of quantum mechanics as discussed by Tor Nørretranders in the book ‘Indivisibility’. Furthermore, I was inspired by Marco Frascari referencing Robin Evans and his observa-tion that “architects do not build, but merely draw” in the book ‘Eleven Exercises in the art of architectural drawing’ with the excellent subtitle ‘Slow food for the architect’s imagination’.
The field of architectural theory is challenged by new emerging technologies and research itself has shifted. Libraries are physical rooms with knowledge being acces-sible horizontally. Books are ordered by categories and therefore presented in a certain order. When doing research online, architecture students embrace a world that is vertical. The order of knowledge is by subject and accessible one at a time, presented similar to a deck of cards or to stacked newspapers. There is no taxonomy. This limits research when one seeks to compare knowl-edge. From a scholarly point of view the online knowledge can be extremely powerful when one knows what subject to seek out, but how does the 2nd year architecture students navigate this approach? It would be interesting to completely redevelop a seminar like architectural theory and embrace the horizontal and vertical approach at the same time. The book cover assignment could be devel-oped towards a more virtual approach if technology could make computers more haptic. We need architects that are integrative thinkers when designing - that embrace knowl-edge, skills, and craftsmanship at the same time.
Regin Schwaen, MAA Associate Professor of ArchitectureDepartment of Architecture & Landscape ArchitectureNorth Dakota State University
Extract of texts written by 2nd year architecture students presenting book covers and the content they represent in the 2017 architectural theory seminar:
Amanda Hill and Mary Biegert
S, M, L, XL was created by Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau. This six-pound book is filled with organized pieces of work from architecture, art, and different writings. The small, medium, large and extra-large is the way the main chapters of the book are devised. Something of this nature was not a common way to look at these masterpieces, making it stand out amongst the other architecture books. He uses S, M, L, XL as an analogy of how we buy and make clothes to fit each person based on their size, and how that can be applied to architecture. Rem Koolhaas made sure to only include buildings that he found interesting and important. For the cover of our book we wanted to incorporate the title using various shirt tags, to represent this interesting way of organization. Underneath the shirt tags is a collage of comics and works by Rem Koolhaas, allowing for a preview of what is inside the book.
Anne Argenziano
Ornament and Crime is an anthology of thirty-six essays written by Adolph Loos that range in subject from plumb-ing to fashion. Loos supports people doing their own thing, but appreciates the functional. Ornamentation, to him, is a crime. My book cover reflects these opinions that Loos had. It is functional and free of ornament. The first essay I read from the anthology was “Men’s Fashion,” and it gave me the idea of “clothing” the book. I chose to use an artifi-cial leather because it is sturdy and does not ask for embel-lishment. It acts as protection without adding too much bulk or drawing attention.