If you’re building up a library of design tomes, three magisterial publications by Phaidon that trace the evolving examination of Brutalist Architecture are a must.

THIS BRUTAL WORLD by Peter Chadwick

About seven years ago, new books began popping up, re-evaluating one of the most divisive architectural movements of the 20th century: Brutalism. Leading the charge was 2016’s This Brutal World – a global survey that featured a collection of buildings from all around the world, representing just how widespread the movement was. But also, perhaps fuelled by Instagrammers posting dramatic black-and-white images of forgotten masterpieces of the movement, it had the effect of stopping us in our tracks. Was that what Brutalism really was? Beautiful?

Brutalism is usually associated with the hulking grey concrete monoliths of failed social housing projects in the UK, and totalitarian regimes looking for a way to portray themselves as both powerful and progressive. (The fact that a lot of it was overbearing and oppressive didn’t do any harm to their cause.) As these social and political failures have faded from living memory, it has gradually become possible to see them afresh.

ATLAS OF BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE by Peter Chadwick

Chadwick’s startling revelation of the multifaceted global character of the movement, plus its powerful prompt to rethink our attitude, was followed by Phaidon’s massive Atlas of Brutalist Architecture in 2018. It gathered more than 850 buildings around the globe by nearly 800 architects. Other books of the time included titles like Redefining Brutalism and SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey.

The impulse driving this wave of literature was perhaps something like a sense of responsibility to document and preserve their legacy – hence the massive scope of Atlas. Brutalism was still very much reviled, and many of the era’s concrete monoliths were bashed down without a second thought, but there was a growing sense that something was being lost.

THE BRUTALISTS: Brutalism’s Best Architects by Owen Hopkins

Now, a third wave is about to hit the shelves, led by another beautifully produced Phaidon survey. It’s different in that its focus is on the architects, although it has the requisite black-and-white photographs of their buildings. It also looks to be less broadly representative. Hopkins’s definition of Brutalism is looser than most: “a classic ‘late style’, sitting somewhere between Modernism’s high point and its final unravelling in what became Postmodernism”. And he focuses on just how individual, idiosyncratic and expressive many of these buildings were. This book represents Brutalism less as a monolithic movement itself (a favourite word used to describe its buildings) and more as “a polyphony of voices and approaches”.

These successive books show a growing awareness that whatever its eventual failings, Brutalism was originally underpinned by good intentions. Guided by the new possibilities offered by concrete construction, it was an optimistic movement charged with a sense that architecture could be central to creating a better world. Brutalist architects, though often hubristic, were driven by hope. This awareness, along with the new take in The Brutalists, can’t help but resonate with the present moment’s idealism and individualism. It’s food for thought as we consider our own architectural ambitions… and hubris.

All books can be found at phaidon.com.

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With spring in the air, it’s time to get inspired – and what better way to do so than by getting lost in the pages of one of these beautiful architecture, design, interiors, cookery and craft books?

ARCHITIZER: THE WORLD’S BEST ARCHITECTURE 2020 Edited by Phaidon

Founded in 2009, the Architizer website showcases remarkable built-environment projects from around the world, and celebrates them via its annual A+Awards, which honour each year’s extraordinary architecture.

The winners are chosen by more than 400 international luminaries in fields such as publishing, product design and technology, and are also voted for by the public. The awards are then celebrated in a fully illustrated book – and this is the resulting compendium for 2020, which includes projects ranging from a huge airport to tiny weekend homes.

Phaidon | R1325

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DESIGN SECRETS By Kit Kemp

suggests ways to celebrate raw materials and curate collections that will add something unique to your space. Packed with practical tips on subjects such as “How to use art to tell a story” and “How to dress shelves”, Design Secrets is one of those books that does what it says on the cover. It’s a masterclass in interiors from someone at the top of her game.

Abrams | R555

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A CAPE TABLE By Vergelegen

Well-known for the beauty of its Somerset West setting as well as its exceptional cuisine, Vergelegen is very much the star of this book of gorgeous photographs and food. Featuring recipes by chefs Michael Bridgeman and Roger Hindley (who head up the Stables family restaurant and produce the estate’s elegant summer picnic fare), and Michael Cooke (executive chef of the award-winning Camphors signature restaurant), this one will delight all fans of the estate.

Quivertree Publications | R450

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KAFFE FASSETT IN THE STUDIO By Kaffe Fassett

Craft design legend Kaffe Fassett is as much a master of colour as he is brilliant at needlework, quilting and knitting, and this beautifully photographed book is a window into his pattern-packed world. It features new quilting and knitting patterns and needlepoint projects, as well as a never previously seen behind-the-scenes look at Fassett’s private home in London. Pure inspiration for the crafter in your life, Kaffe Fassett In The Studio will make a wonderful gift.

Abrams | R669

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ZANZIBAR By Aline Coquelle

Consisting of a cluster of Indian Ocean islands that have long been a place where cultures converge, collide and cross-pollinate, Zanzibar is a showcase of Omani architecture, Portuguese and British heritage, and Swahili tradition. The unique spirit of this special place has been captured in this colourful book of original photographs and text by Parisian photographer Aline Coquelle.

Rizzoli | R1400

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PATENTED: 1,000 DESIGN PATENTS By Thomas Rinaldi

A remarkable collection of creativity, Patented is an essential reference guide to a century of design. Including original patent documents throughout, it features everything from everyday objects to instantly recognisable designer pieces, and celebrates the creative genius of inventors, innovators and dreamers around the world. Both a great reference book and fun to browse, it includes patents by many famous names alongside designs for tape dispensers, food processors, drink bottles and more.

Phaidon | R885

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Looking for more books? Here are our favourite new coffee table books.

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Our favourite new architecture, design and art tomes include a photographic monograph that chronicles Berlin’s iconic Tegel airport, and an ideas-packed book of contemporary gardens around the world.

Living in Nature: Contemporary Houses in the Natural World Edited by Phaidon

Phaidon | R678

Featuring 50 architect-designed houses that all demonstrate a special relationship with the natural world, Living In Nature’s pages showcase contemporary homes chosen for their combination of unique design and stunning location. The houses are shown in photographs of both exteriors and interiors that display the unique connection each has with its surroundings.

Buy it

Postcards from Home: Creativity in a Time of Crisis By the editors of Vogue

Rizzoli | R648

As the world went into lockdown in March 2020, Vogue asked some of its collaborators – including Virgil Abloh, Cindy Sherman and Tracee Ellis Ross – to create images that reflected their new reality. The intimate portraits and personal essays were shared in the June/July 2020 issue, and have now been brought together in a book – a lasting testament to the power of creativity in a time of uncertainty.

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Flughafen Tegel By Felix Brüggemann & Robert Rieger

Pool Publishing | R520

In the 1960s, when West Berlin needed an international airport, the top option was an airfield “in the Tegel district”, writes Sophie Lovell in her essay in Flughafen Tegel. “The airstrip was constructed mostly by hand in 1948, in just 90 days, by tens of thousands of Berliners, half of whom were women.” In 2020, Tegel was due to permanently close when lockdown hastened its end – but its sudden emptiness offered photographers Robert Rieger and Felix Brüggemann an opportunity to document its singular architecture in this visual feast of a book.

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Hidden Karoo By Patricia Kramer & Alain Proust

Penguin Random House | R391

The Karoo can be an acquired taste – until its off-kilter beauty and the quirky warmth of its residents take hold. This new book offers a current snapshot of the region, with glimpses of seldom-seen villages, farms and churches. Featuring evocative words and beautiful pictures, Hidden Karoo will be a favourite with all fans of this unique part of our country.

Buy it

How to Become a Successful Artist By Magnus Resch

Phaidon | R464

Written by a leading specialist in the global art trade, and aimed at artists of all levels, this book explores how artists can have a career in the field they love. It answers many practical questions, from “How do I find gallery representation?” to “What’s the best Instagram strategy?”, and is filled with case studies drawn from interviews with artists, dealers and curators.

Buy it

The Gardens of Eden Edited by Gestalten & Abbye Churchill

Gestalten | R764

Introducing its reader to 23 imaginative garden projects, The Gardens Of Eden showcases contemporary garden culture around the world. Abbye Churchill – previously the editorial director of influential gardening magazine Wilder Quarterly – skilfully offers useful information on working with native plants and ways to design greener corners in urban areas.

Buy it

Looking for more local buys? Here are 12 more coffee table books to add to your collection.

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We’ve never felt the pull of wide-open spaces and bone-dry landscapes more strongly than right now. Recreate that sense of endless possibility with a minimal, earthy interior style inspired by the desert.

1. Made from kooboo cane and leather, and large enough to take an afternoon snooze in, this new sleeping pod/cosy nest by Cape Town-based designer Porky Hefer is the perfect addition to any hideaway. Pictured: Mud Dauber Sleeping Pod I by Porky Hefer (edition of two), POA, Southern Guild.

2. These mid-century classic chairs were conceived by Danish designer Børge Mogensen, and combine all-natural materials with thoughtful detailing. They’re still in production today at Danish manufacturers Fredericia Furniture. Find designs with a similar feel in SA at Weylandts and Homewood.

3. Casa Pask is theatre designer Scott Pask’s getaway home in Tucson, Arizona. Renovated by architect Graydon Yearick in the early 2010s, the house combines features of the area’s adobe-style buildings with a pared-back sensibility that makes it a perfect desert retreat. To recreate its interior look, combine textured, bag-plastered white walls with natural finishes and accents in black and brick red – to see more of the house, check out Living in the Desert (Phaidon, R885), in which it is featured. Packed with inspiration and featuring the sort of breathtaking visuals we all expect from design and art publishers Phaidon, Living in the Desert is the ideal coffee-table book to pore over while hunkered down in your very own desert hideaway.

4. Rugs are essential in a desert-inspired space, creating a luxurious feel underfoot while adding subtle elements of colour and texture. Pictured: Typhoon rug in Thunder, R12 000, HAUS.

5. Combine scatters with graphic patterns to create accents. Rough-textured, printed deep orange Turk cushion cover by Sixth Floor, R359, Superbalist and white-on-black twill appliqué scatter, R895, Weylandts.

6. Every desert retreat needs an artwork to inspire contemplation and a connection with the natural world, and this exquisite terracotta clay piece by acclaimed ceramicist Andile Dyalvane does just that. Pictured: Intshatshoba (Maize Stalk Flower), (one-off ), Southern Guild.

7. Add a few baskets for simple storage of firewood, throws, blankets or swimming towels. Pictured: Open Weave baskets, from R595 each, Weylandts.

8. Blending sleek lines with a textured woven seat and back, this laidback lounge chair will add an element of casual chic to any space. Pictured: Edison lounge chair, R7 995, Weylandts.

10. Texture and colour combine to evocative effect in this asymmetrical pure new wool rug by Charlotte Lancelot for Spanish manufacturers GAN. Pictured: Canevas Geo rug by Charlotte Lancelot for GAN, R39 500, Limeline.

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From a sleek, locally designed two-seater bench and a Phaidon book about powerhouse Rihanna to pressed flower stickers and wooden LEGO, these are the top VISI Picks of the Week Series – Week 307.

1. Fluted Bench by Pedersen + Lennard

Taking inspiration from the Pedersen + Lennard Fluted Chair, the Fluted Bench demonstrates the same clean lines with a mild steel structure and hardwood lengthened seat. There is enough space for two people to sit comfortably with lower back support.

Images courtesy of pedersenlennard.co.za

2. Wooden LEGO

LEGO has partnered with Creative Agency Room Copenhagen to pay homage to the classic wooden LEGO, first seen in 1978. The 5:1 scale collector’s edition is made from light oak with yellow plastic hands, as seen on current LEGO figures.

Images via designboom.com

3. Rihanna: Fenty X Phaidon

Superstar Rihanna’s visual autobiography, published by Phaidon, documents her life in the form of photographs, featuring her journey as a performer, artist, designer and entrepreneur. The 504-page hardback book also highlights a variety of unpublished pictures. The limited-edition book comes complete with a custom stand called “This Sh*t Is Heavy”, designed in collaboration with The Haas Brothers.

Image credit: uk.phaidon.com

4. Miles Chair by OKHA

Local design studio OKHA has released the Miles armchair, an evolved version of an earlier classic. Inspired by architecture, the armchair still embodies the basics of the original version with enhanced visual dynamics. “I’m massively inspired by architecture,” says designer Adam Court. “There is a genre of architecture that is at its core highly sculptural, where the structure is rooted in the expressivity of form… so you can say in a broader context that sculpture is a major influence. I love how pure form, line and contour possess such emotive force.

Image credit: Niel Vosloo, courtesy of OKHA

5. Appree Flower Stickers

Established in 2008, Seoul-based brand Appree creates realistic stickers of 15 different pressed flowers and leaves, perfect for gift wrapping, journals, scrapbooks, snail mail and cards.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3tqYbIFHbv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3rFpYzFKb7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B23iiAJgL3a/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2yY7e6AVsV/

Images via @appree_offical on Instagram

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 307 on picks of the week 350.

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The 280 artworks featured in Phaidon’s new book, Reading Art: Art For Book Lovers by critic and art writer David Trigg, all have one thing in common – they celebrate the relationship between art and books.

From Van Gogh and Fragonard to Whistler, across the 352-page book you’ll find paintings, installations, sculptures, frescoes and statues from throughout history that put books at the forefront.

Londinensi subterraneis: Circulus linea, Phil Shaw, 2012, archival print, 34 × 97 cm (13 ⅜ × 31 ⅛ in). Picture credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Feeling Like Reading the Next Volume, from the series ‘Landscapes and Beauties’, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, before 1861 (Edo period), coloured print, dimensions unknown, Tokyo National Museum. Image credit: Tokyo National Museum.

Young Girl Reading, Jean–Honoré Fragonard, c.1769, oil on canvas, 81.1 × 64.8 cm (31 ⅞ × 25 ½ in), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. Picture credit: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.

Reading Art: Art For Book Lovers retails for approximately R660.

For more information, visit uk.phaidon.com.

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Architecture for pets is becoming serious business as design heavyweights turn their hand to pet furniture and products.

Phaidon has released a book entitled Pet-Tecture: Designs for Pets, which includes designs by the likes of Sou Fujimoto, Kengo Kuma and MAD Architects, is an irresistible read for design-conscious pet lovers.

Suite, Chiavari for FORMA Italia. Picture credit: Joe Kesrouani (page 62)

Pet House Series, Natural Slow (page 40)

Flip through it and you’ll find trees for cats, concrete dog homes, luxury fish tanks, chicken coops and even a dog-shaped cat scratcher. Birds, rabbits, horses, mice and guinea pigs are catered for, too.

Pet-Tecture: Designs for Pets retails for approximately R400.

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The editors at Phaidon, together with design experts, have put together a 656-page book dedicated to showcasing the world’s most influential and iconic chair designs, from Thomas Heatherwick creations to elephant-inspired seats.

Spun Chair, 2010, Thomas Heatherwick; Magis (2010 to present). Image credit: Magis.

Chair: 500 Designs That Matter takes the reader on a journey through history, looking back at 500 chair designs by date of manufacture.

“This book contains 500 chairs that we consider really matter,” says the Phaidon team in the book’s introduction. “They may have achieved their place in our collection because of their innovative design, the groundbreaking material or technology used in their production, or for their unusual shape, colour or texture.”

Table, Bench, Chair, 2009, Industrial Facility, Kim Colin, Sam Hecht; Established & Sons (2009 to present). Image credit: Industrial Facility/ Peter Guenzel.

The book is available locally at selected bookstores nationwide, including Exclusive Books.

For more information, visit uk.phaidon.com.

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COMPILED BY Lindi Brownell Meiring

The Nanoarchitecture tome features an impressive collection of 300 small spaces, from cabins to tree houses – here are 10 of our favourite “little buildings”.

Sphere Houses

Architect / Designer: Free Spirit Spheres

Location: Vancouver Island, Canada

What: These treehouses form part of a private hotel.

Takasugi-an (A Tea House Built Too High)

Architect / Designer: Terunobu Fujimori

Location: Nagano Prefecture, Japan

What: Architect Terunobu Fujimori built this tea house for himself, a space smaller than 3m², in between two chestnut trees.

Antoine

Architect / Designer: Bureau A

Location: Verbier, Switzerland

What: This wooden cabin with its rocky facade is designed to house one person.

Manifest Destiny!

Architect / Designer: Mark Reigelman and Jenny Chapman

Location: San Francisco, USA

What: This tiny 3.5-metre tall cabin, a collaborative project between architect Mark Reigelman and artist Jenny Chapman, sits 12 metres above the street on the facade of the Hotel Des Arts.

Glass House

Architect / Designer: Santambrogiomilano

Location: Milan, Italy

What: This three-storey house aims to connect the occupants to nature in the least intrusive way possible.

Read Nest

Architect / Designer: Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter

Location: Northern Zealand, Denmark

What: This 9.8m² space was built as a holiday abode in which to read and relax.

The Shadow House

Architect / Designer: Michael Jantzen

Location: Missouri, USA

What: This installation is based on actual recorded shadows from a traditional cottage.

The Vigil

Architect / Designer: OH!SOM Architectes

Location: Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, France

What: This space is used as a watchtower over the surrounding forest during the summer months.

Jeffry’s House

Architect / Designer: Emily Mannion and Thomas O’Brien

Location: County Donegal, Republic of Ireland

What: Made to be used – whether to climb on or simply take in the views – this flax thatch, larch and timber pavilion is collaboration between artist Emily Mannion and architect Thomas O’Brien.

Mirrored Tree House

Architect / Designer: Tham and Videgård Arkitektur

Location: Harads, Sweden

What: You’ll find a double bed, bathroom and lounge in this mirrored box, which forms part of an eco-hotel complex.

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Here at VISI we love Phaidon Publishers’ sumptuous titles, so we’re super excited about the imminent arrival of rock-star chef Massimo Bottura’s first book, a celebration of the celebrated Italian restaurant of which he is the chef-patron, Osteria Francescana in Modena.

Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef is divided into four chapters, each of which focuses on a different period in the restaurant’s history. There are 50 recipes, each with a personal motivation from Massimo, an ingredients list and helpful tips.

Osteria Francescana is arguably Italy’s finest restaurant and at its helm Massimo – dubbed the Jimmy Hendrix of Italian chefs ­– has received no less than three Michelin stars for his reinterpretation of contemporary art in the creation of innovative dishes that are a play on Italy’s culinary traditions. This distinctive approach is also one of the reasons Osteria Francescana occupies a place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

The book will be available worldwide from 20 July 2016.

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