WORDS Alma Viviers and Tracy Greenwood
In celebration of World Book Day, here are a few of our favourite latest releases on architecture, design, interior design, cuisine and architectural conservation; all of which would make a great addition to your collection.
1. What if…? The Architecture and Design of David Rockwell by David Rockwell, Justin Davidson, Elizabeth Diller, John Guare and Jack O’Brien (Metropolis)
What if…? is a survey of recent work by David Rockwell, an architect who has redefined the discipline. Driven by the question of what could be, Rockwell has spent 30 years honing a practice that operates at the point at which theatre, craft and design converge.
The love of theatre has been a primary influence in Rockwell’s work. He has designed about 20 productions, on and off Broadway. “Ultimately, my work in the theatre offers a kind of laboratory for exploration,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to collaborate intensely with other artists in real time in a way that’s hard to replicate in architecture. The theatre is a microcosm of storytelling, and we use that to advance our craft in other arenas.”
Rockwell was also the first architect to be involved in stage design for the Academy Awards. He created a pop-up theatre for a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference, the first dedicated to the presentation format.
Off the stage, he has enlisted Tony Award-winning choreographer and director Jerry Mitchell to collaborate on a study of airport terminal circulation patterns for his design of the JetBlue terminal at JFK International. He also brings the energy of the stage as a storytelling medium to other spaces for transient use, such as restaurants and hotels.
Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for New York Magazine Justin Davidson aptly captures Rockwell’s ability to use spatial design to create intense encounters with the imagination: “Walking into a David Rockwell interior is like biting into a late summer tomato: a sweet, bright shock to the palate, followed by a recollection that rolls around the mind for months.”
R350, amazon.com
Interior Design Review Vol. 18 by Andrew Martin (teNeues)
Prepare to be dazzled by sumptuous interiors from across the globe in Andrew Martin’s latest offering.
Martin, who is also responsible for organising the International Interior Designer of the Year Award, pulls together fresh works that have won over the judges in an edition that highlights the breadth of design-thinking in the world of interiors.
Featuring, among others, Russian interior designer Oleg Klodt’s urban chic decor, the over-the-top contemporary work of Wan FuChen and Aleksandra Laska, the sleek contemporary interiors of Italian Stefano Dorato, and the modern classics created by Mary Douglas Drysdale of the United States, this tome offers an up-to-date survey of the top public and private interiors.
Published by teNeues, a company that has been in the business of publishing beautifully illustrated books on photography, design, lifestyle and travel for 83 years, the volume is richly illustrated with more than 1 000 colour photographs to seduce professional designers, decorators and design lovers alike.
About R550, amazon.com
Architectural Conservation in South Africa since 1994: 100+ Projects edited by Albrecht Herholdt (Dot Matrix)
Inspired by and intended as a companion to Ora Joubert’s Architecture in a Democratic South Africa 10 years + 100 Buildings, this tome (and it is a tome, weighing in at close to 3 kg) traces the development of the theory and practice of conservation architecture in South Africa since 1994.
Showcasing the work of 65 practices and 112 projects of varying scope – from the restoration of the Castle of Good Hope to the conservation of modest houses at a Moravian mission station – the book is filled with detailed maps, plans, line drawings, photographs and critiques. It offers an in-depth study of what has been achieved by architects and other building-industry professionals over the past 20 years.
A potentially significant teaching resource, the book covers a range of topics, including heritage legislation, competitions, restorations and reconstructions. It’s a rich archive of all things related to architectural heritage conservation.
R650, Dot Matrix Publications
Cooking in the Photographer’s House by Lynn and Obie Oberholzer (Jacana)
Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal instilled in Lynn Oberholzer a love of simply prepared, fresh food. And after 44 years of marriage to photographer Obie, she decided to commit their favourite kitchen excursions to paper. The result is a delightful book filled with personal anecdotes and whispered tips picked up during Lynn and Obie’s lifelong culinary journey.
“When you’ve been married to a photographer for 44 years, you tend to see things through his eyes,” Lynn says. “Colour and design affect you, no matter where you are but especially in the kitchen, where I often call Obie to relish the colours on the chopping board or the beauty of a perfect cheesecake.”
A riot of hearty ingredients and rustic dishes ensues in this tome, which doffs a hat to culinary favourites from across the globe as well as some distinctly South African flavours. We fancy the bobotie, ostrich mince frikkadels and whole-wheat poppy-seed rusks in particular.
A visual and culinary feast, this book makes you want to call up your friends for an impromptu gathering, head into the kitchen and celebrate life.
R280, kalahari.com
Fantastic Cities by Steve McDonald
This unique colouring book designed for adults features detailed and realistic aerial and architectural views of real cities by artist Steve McDonald. With well-known cities such as New York, Paris, London, Istanbul and Tokyo on the pages, Fantastic Cities has nearly 60 different illustrations for architecture lovers to colour in. The complexity of the line drawings is perfect for a de-stressing colouring session.
About R300 (pre-order), amazon.com
