Atelier Bow-Wow: A Primer
Edited by Laurent Stalder, Cornelia Escher, Megumi Komura, Meruro Washida
Published by Verlag Walther König, 2013
Hardcover, 249 pages, 30.8 x 23.2 x 2.6 cm, English
ISBN-10: 3863353021
Ever since its foundation in 1992, Atelier Bow-Wow has been — through both its built work and research on contemporary Japanese urbanism — one of the most interesting and inspiring architectural offices in Japan. With a strictly chronological order, this book outlines each project or topic in one-to-four pages. The short but extremely precise texts are accompanied by beautiful drawings, diagrams and pictures. It presents a mixture of projects and ideas — from the design of Atelier Bow-Wow’s own studio space to the Guggenheim Lab, and from thoughts on flatness, windows, and pet architecture to manga, origami, and metabolism. Since all texts are written by the editors, the only thing missing is Atelier Bow-Wow’s own voice. A Primer remains an indirect description of their occupations – but it’s entertaining and educational, introducing you to “Oku,” “Iki-iki,” or “Sotei gai” on the fly. (fh)
ADD Metaphysics
Editor: Jenna Sutela
Text editor: Leah Whitman-Salkin
Published by Aalto University
117 Pages, Softcover, English
ISBN: 978-952-60-4954-0
This book of essays and homework-type assignments is a primer for designers to get meta. Editor Jenna Sutela brings together five premium metaphysicians in this publication by Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory (ADD). With texts by Jane Bennett, Vera Bühlmann, Graham Harman, Ines Weizman, and Andrew Witt, the compendium picks up on a central thread of contemporary philosophy: the so-called “object-oriented” turn. If philosophers are fixated on objects right now, designers always have been — it’s high time for some explicit crossover. Through ontological study of human-object relationships, ADD Metaphysics is the ultimate induction for designers and philosophers to enter the metaphysical zone between/beyond theory and praxis. As the book’s subtitle puts it: “Let the material not confine.” This is socially-relevant design education for today. (ew)
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