Morphosis: v. 3: Buildings and Projects Book

The winners of numerous awards and the subject of exhibitions from Tokyp to Berlin, Morphosis is one of the most influential American architecture firms of the last two decades. In the latest volume of their work, "Morphosis Buildings and Projects, Volume 3: 1993-1997," the firm's avant-garde approach to design is illustrated with computer-generated images in a hypertextual presentation that runs continuously from cover to cover. Founding partner Thom Mayne's essays explore Morphosis's philosophy of architecture as an abstract concept, despite its physical existence. "We find it necessary to consider everything we produce, and everything in this book, to be a project," Mayne explains. "Regardless of how much concrete has been poured and the presence of (exhilarated?) inhabitants, we find ourselves reluctant to give up the investigations undertaken in each project, reluctant to surrender the optimism, and unwilling to erase the traces of our productive impetus." Mayne continues his essay by speaking of the "Consistencies (Glue)" that hold Morphosis's ideology together, including, "Not Getting Lost," Imperfections," and "Talking Back," all of which illustrate the firm's unique approach to working out radical solutions to the standard problems of architecture. This volume features many works-in-progress, recording Morphosis's approach from the beginnings to the middles to the ends of various projects, including the FJC Communications building in Burbank, California, the Sun Towers in Seoul, the A.S.E. Visitors' Center in Taipei, and the American Business Center in Berlin. "Morphosis Buildings and Projects, Volume 3: 1993-1997" has increased dramatically in size and content since the book was first announced. Now that it has morphed into a true tome, this monograph is a must for fans of forward-looking architecture around the world.Read More