A must-have book for lovers of concrete architecture and Brutalism, this volume pulls readers into a fascinating architectural journey that spans 100 years.
From Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Luis Barragán to the late Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando, the book Concrete Architecture: The Ultimate Collection features some of the most incredible, influential and iconic examples of concrete buildings created over the past 100 years. Authored by Phaidon editors and Los Angeles-based architecture writers Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, this volume is essential reading for any fan of brutalism and concrete architecture.
The 300 buildings date from the early 20th century to the present day, providing a detailed context of the emergence of different styles over time. Created by some of the world’s leading visionaries, the concrete buildings showcase the immeasurable talent of modern masters and iconic architects as well as the ingenuity and unencumbered creativity of rising stars in the world of contemporary architecture. Each building has its own page and is also accompanied by a text that describes the project’s context, concept, and features in beautiful detail.
The world’s most dramatic and notable concrete architecture designs.
Examples include works by Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Frank Lloyd Wright, I. M. Pei, Louis Kahn, Tadao Ando, Herzog and de Meuron, Steven Holl, and Zaha Hadid, among many others. Additionally, the volume highlights the shining talent of contemporary architects such as Elemental, Grafton Architects, and Pezo von Elrichshausen. The sculptural, monolithic and majestic buildings are all spectacular, showcasing a creative use of concrete in a mesmerizing visual feast that will no doubt delight any lovers of Brutalist architecture.
Apart from going through the different architectural styles of the past 100 years, the book also features projects completed all over the world. While they share the same building material, these concrete buildings could not be more different from each other. And that applies both to their aesthetics and their function. For example, readers can admire and find out more about architectural designs like the blade-like Satellite Towers created by Luis Barragán and Mathias Goeritz in 1957 in Mexico City; the Timmelsjoch Experience Pass Museum that Werner Tscholl designed in 2010 as a cantilevered structure inspired by the mountains of South Tyrol; or the pilgrimage church of Mary, Queen of Peace, built in 1968 Neviges, Germany by architect Gottfried Böhm.
Furthermore, readers can also delve into the history of concrete architecture thanks to a beautifully written essay that explores more than one thousand years of architectural innovation. Phaidon will launch Concrete Architecture: The Ultimate Collection in May 2024. Photographs © Phaidon Press Ltd.
