Villa Mairea Noormarkku Finland 1937 39

Space, light and material: from the meditative ambiance of a chapel or synagogue to the colourful, organic forms of fashion boutiques, the design of an interior space - composed of lighting, the surfaces, textures and colours of materials, finishing and features - creates atmosphere and lends specific character. The growing willingness on the part of designers in recent years to experiment with colours, materials and spatial concepts is demonstrated in the range and diversity of international examples presented in this, the third volume in the series "In Detail". All plans and drawings of interiors and furnishings have been carefully researched and drawn by the staff of DETAIL. Three introductory essays by expert authors are followed by 28 exemplary case-studies by such names as Alvaro Siza, Future Systems, Dominique Perrault, and Herzog & de Meuron.

With near-mythical forests of birch and pine, the Nordic and Baltic countries boast a rich tradition of religious wood carving that is in many ways emblematic of their cultures. Sacred to the Touch examines the spiritual and intellectual projects of six twentieth- and twenty-first-century artists who have adapted and revitalized this tradition. Through interviews and analyses, folklorist Thomas A. DuBois explores the notions of continuity with the past that these artists seek to express through their art, examining the forest church of late Finnish artist Eva Ryynänen, the carvings of Norwegian Americans Phillip Odden and Else Bigton that decorate a planned replica of a stave church in Southern California, the medieval Catholic-rooted work of Lutheran Sister Lydia Mariadotter (Swedish), the grave markers and roadside figures of Algimantas Sakalauskas (Lithuanian), and the merging of Lutheran and pre-Christian traditions by Lars Levi Sunna (Sámi). With color photographs and detailed descriptions, Sacred to the Touch reveals the interplay of tradition with personal and communal identity that characterize modern religious carving in Northern Europe.

Analyzing a range of ideas from biological, evolutionary and anthropological theories to a variety of feminist, psychoanalytic, poststructuralist and constructivist discourses, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the problematics of gender and power in architectural and urban design. Topics range from conceptions of postulated matriarchal architecture in Old Europe to contemporary technologies of control; from the mechanisms of gaze to architectural performatives; from the under-representation of women in the planning profession to the integration of gender issues to the curriculum. The particular strengths of the book lie in its inclusiveness and critical analysis. It is not a partisan defence of feminism or any other theory, but a critical introduction to the issues relating to gender. Moreover, the conclusions reach beyond a narrow gender studies perspective to social and ethical considerations that are unavoidable in any responsible architectural or urbanistic practice. With its broad range and balanced analysis of different theories, the book is suitable as an overview of gender studies in architecture and useful for any designer who is concerned with the social effects of the built environment.

"Villa Mairea was built in 1937-1939 in Noormarkku as a modern residence for Maire and Harry Gullichsen, who were ardent lovers and promoters of art and architecture. ... With its focus on the interiors of the villa, this book deals with the furnishings, works of art and design objects, as well as the underlying ideology of beauty for the everyday"--Dust jacket.

This is a unique and comprehensive study of the entire span of Finnish architecture in the 20th century. Using comparative critical analysis, the author weaves Aalto's contribution into his overview of the evolution of modern Finnish architecture and includes the work of a range of lesser published figures. It will be of considerable interest to architects, art historians and all those interested in modern Finnish architecture.

This book proposes alternative interpretations of broadly-debated concepts within architectural modernity. Bringing into view the work of lesser-known architects from across the globe, alongside previously unexplored aspects of mainstream masters of the Modern, Rethinking Modernity puts forward a compelling case for the range and diversity of architectural projects encompassed by this term. Exploring themes such as the use of colour, materials, ornament, local traditions and identities, Rethinking Modernity challenges readers to build a better understanding of a crucial moment in architectural history, and of design trends shaping the present-day production of the built environment. Complementing the RIBA Publishing titles Redefining Brutalism and Revisiting Postmodernism, this book sits within a series of books aiming to explore new interpretations of well-loved architectural movements, richly illustrated with rarely-seen archive photography and lesser-known projects.