Books: House of Concepts: Design Academy Eindhoven

House of Concepts presents the legendary Design Academy Eindhoven, the Netherlands’ leading institution for developing design talent that has produced a veritable who’s who of the country’s creative scene. The book not only features the school’s graduates and their work, but also gives insight into the conceptual design for which the Netherlands is famous. The exciting visual content is complemented by extensive interviews with renowned alumni such as Jurgen Bey, Richard Hutten, Joris Laarman and Judith de Grauw as well as Jeroen and Joep Verhoeven.

House of Concepts: Design Academy Eindhoven, Edited by Louise Schouwenberg, Gert Staal, Joost Grootens
Buy it here: Amazon

Books: Airworld. Design and Architecture for Air Travel

For nearly a century now the airline industry has been an important player in the field of architecture and design. For many architects and designers it is an honour to design something for this branch of industry, from stewardess’s (and stewards) uniforms to signposting, from a terminal to services and cutlery. Airworld gives a good picture of the history of air travel, with a focus on the developments that design and architecture have undergone.

This is the first time that this theme has been illuminated so widely from the perspective of architecture and design. The exhibition Airworld. Design and Architecture for Air Travel is organized by the Vitra Design Museum. The Stedelijk has added posters from its own collection and objects that are typical for Dutch design.

Airworld. Design and Architecture for Air Travel, Exhibition at Stedelijk Museum
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Books: Hidden World of Dutch Design

Dutch designers are currently creating quite a stir on the international scene. What is the secret of their success? In How They Work photographer Inga Powilleit and stylist Tatjana Quax examine the working methods of seventeen designers, as well as the typically Dutch approach which has made them world-famous: a fanatical attitude towards work, a healthy lack of respect for convention, and a determination to go their own way. How They Work consists of portraits of the very top of the Dutch design world, which offer readers an honest and revealing look behind the scenes.

How They Work — The Hidden World of Dutch Design, by Inga Powilleit, Tatjana Quax,
224 pages, hardcover. Publisher: 010

Books: Lightness — Renaissance of Minimum Energy Structures

Recreating lightness with the synergy of different materials is the main theme of this book. It deals with smart combinations of fibres and plastics, with creating efficient shapes and freezing textiles. Lightness contains many examples, good as well as bad. They can be found in industrial design, architecture, bridge constructions, sports equipment and vehicle technology. Among them are a small airplane, a cooling trailer, a bicycle and even a flexible beer container. It will be difficult not to be inspired by what you will read and see.

Every now and again an unexpected publication arrives like a fresh breeze amid the dense and tediously repetitive undergrowth of architectural titles, an inspired piece of publishing capable perhaps of sparking some new discussion around a familiar subject.
- Ingerid Helsing Almaas in Architectural Review

Lightness — The Inevitable Renaissance of Minimum Energy Structures, by Adriaan Beukers, Edited by Ed van Hinte, English with Dutch summary, 192 pages.
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Books: Projekt Vitra. 1957-2007

Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of the family company Vitra, describes the aim of this book in the following way: “We talk about this as a project, because for all those involved it is much more important than simply business. …The Vitra Design Museum with its collections, archives and miniatures is just as much part of the project as the classics of the twentieth century and the interior collages which we have developed in recent years. …we also simultaneously move forwards and backwards in time. We preserve the heritage of our classics in new editions, exhibitions and publications, but we are also actively involved in contemporary design. And we are no less interested in ergonomics, ecology, logistics and quality assurance than we are in the anthropology of everyday living.”

Projekt Vitra. 1957-2007, Edited by Cornel Windlin, Rolf Fehlbaum.

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Books: Phaidon Design Classics

It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail. From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before.

“A guide to better living through design.” - Aaron Betsky, Designer.

“The ultimate tool kit to decode the modern world. Hugely thorough, and just the right side of quirky.” - Deyan Sudjic, Curator and Critic

“…very big, very yellow and very heavy.” - Terrance Conran, Designer

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) (Design Classics)
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Beautiful Evidence by Edward Tufte

In Beautiful Evidence, Edward Tufte explores how to best display evidence looking at: mapped pictures; sparklines; links and causal arrows; words, numbers and pictures together; the fundamental principles of analytical design; corruption of evidence; and more. 

Buy it here: Amazon

Other Tufte Books:

• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition by Edward R. Tufte, 1983. The source for learning about displaying information. An excellent book for anyone who must use data to make decisions, convince others and educate others.
• Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative by Edward R. Tufte, 1997. Visual Explanations centers on dynamic data – information that changes over time. It is Tufte’s 3rd book. Another excellent book.
• Envisioning Information by Edward R. Tufte, 1990. “The most design-oriented of Edward Tufte’s books, Envisioning Information shows maps, charts, scientific presentations, diagrams, computer interfaces, statistical graphics and tables, stereo photographs, guidebooks, courtroom exhibits, timetables…”

Books: Furnish

Furnish, Furniture and Interior Design for the 21st Century
Furnish presents furniture and rooms that are redefining our current understanding of furnishings and interior design. The book documents and puts into context recent work by designers, artists and architects who are creating and using furniture in pioneering ways. The experimental objects and spaces documented in Furnish are not only a sure indicator of the trends that will be influencing interiors for the next few years, but they also serve as innovative examples of interdisciplinary design work that are inspiring for anyone working creatively.

Buy it here: Furnish: Furniture and Interior Design for the 21st Century

Monograph: Jaime Hayon

Spanish designer and artist Jaime Hayon will be one of the most influential designers in the years to come, and this is the first monograph to present the full spectrum of his work. Ranging from clear and harmonious to playfully extravagant, all of the included examples of interiors, furniture, tableware and decorative ceramics attest to his inimitable grasp of form, style and colour. In addition to celebrated collaborations with clients such as Camper, Swarovski and Bisazza, Jaime Hayon Works contains previously unreleased personal sketches, illustrations and productions of new projects that will make its world premiere debut at the annual Milan Furniture Fair.

Buy it here: Jaime Hayon Works

Books: Domus Collection

The quintessential works of Modernism

Founded in 1928 by the great Milanese architect Gio Ponti, the magazine’s central agenda has always remained that of creating a privileged insight toward identifying the style of a particular age, from Art Deco, Modern Movement, Functionalism and Postwar to Pop, Post-Modernism and Late Modern. Beautifully designed and comprehensively documented, page after page domus presents some of the most exciting design and architecture projects from around the world.
This twelve-volume reprint features selected highlights from the years 1928 to 1999. These texts have been written by many of the magazine’s renowned past editors: Mario Bellini, François Burkhardt, Cesare Maria Casati, Stefano Casciani, Germano Celant, Manolo De Giorgi, Fulvio Irace, Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani, Alessandro Mendini, Lisa Licitra Ponti, Ettore Sottsass Jr., Luigi Spinelli, and Deyan Sudjic.

Domus collection is a major publishing achievement and an important must-have for all design and architecture teaching institutions, practicing architects, designers, collectors, students, and anyone who loves design.

Wallpaper* Best Book Award

Buy it here: Domus 1928-1999. Vols. 1-12