Arch Daily: Top Books on Architecture
Thursday September 13th 2018 by Peter Thomas Lang
Honoured to have the book i co-authored with William Menking included in the top 20 essential books in Architecture.
Architecture, while a profession that is very visibly and tangibly realized, has deep wells of research, thought, and theory that are unseen on the surface of a structure. What urges architects to design the way they do? What are their motivations, their affiliations, their interests? For practitioners and students alike, books on architecture offer invaluable context to the profession, be it practical, inspirational, academic, or otherwise. So, for those of you looking to expand your bookshelf (or confirm your own tastes), we have gathered a broad list of 116 architectural books that we consider of interest to those in the field.
In compiling this list, we sought out titles from different backgrounds with the aim of revealing divergent cultural contexts. From essays to monographs, urban theory to graphic novels, each of the following either engage directly with or flirt on the edges of architecture.
The books on this list were chosen by each of our editors, and are categorized loosely by type. Within their categorization, they are organized alphabetically. Read on to see the books we consider valuable to anyone interested in architecture.
The Essential Reads
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction / Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein
Every design challenge represents a problem to be solved. In this book, Christopher Alexander proposes a cataloging of the types of problems (or design challenges) and analyzes what lies behind each situation, describing it in its essence and proposing a standard solution. – Recommended by Eduardo Souza
The Architecture of the City / Aldo Rossi
The obligatory world-acclaimed book that proposes a critical reflection on the value of the collective memory in the architecture (of the city). – Recommended by Fabian Dejtiar
Athmospheres / Peter Zumthor
Peter Zumthor shortly highlights the importance of the sensations in the construction of ‘Athmospheres’, to create a good place for the development of people. – Recommended by Fabian Dejtiar
Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture / Robert Venturi
A “gentle manifesto for a non-straightforward architecture,” Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture expresses in the most compelling and original terms the postmodern rebellion against the purism of modernism. – Recommended by Diego Hernández
Conversations with Students (Architecture at Rice) / Louis Kahn
Inspiring text based on conversations lead by Louis Kahn in different workshops. – Recommended by Martita Vial della Maggiora
Experiencing Architecture / Eiler Rasmussen
Classic book with a very sensitive atmosphere about promising architecture and design. – Recommended by Martita Vial della Maggiora
The Eyes of the Skin / Juhani Pallasmaa
This book a quick, delightful, and inspiring read – and entirely essential as we continue on the asymptote towards entirely digital practice in architecture. Pallasmaa encourages architects to see the world around them not just with sight but with touch, sound, even smell! – Recommended by Katherine Allen
The Image of the City / Kevin Lynch
In this 1960s classic, Kevin Lynch presents studies of how cities are perceived and imagined and shows how his findings can impact the building and rebuilding of cities. – Recommended by Becky Quintal
In Praise of Shadows / Junichiro Tanizaki
Explains the beauty of oriental architecture through their perception of light and shadows in their art and architectural traditions. – Recommended by Martita Vial della Maggiora
Learning from Las Vegas / Denise Scott Brown, Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour
Seminal work for the history of architecture, the authors analyze the Las Vegas’ strip to better comprehend the common and ordinary architecture, rather than the iconic buildings proclaimed by modernism. – Recommended by Romullo Baratto
Mutations / Rem Koolhaas, Stefano Boeri, Sanford Kwinter, Nadia Tazi, Hans Ulrich Obrist
Mutations’ reflects on the transformations that urban accelerating processes inflict on our environment, and on the spaces in which architecture can still operate. – Recommended by Victor Delaqua
Neufert Architects’ Data / Ernst Neufert, Peter Neufert
It presents appropriate standard measures and design tips. Very useful book for all architects. – Recommended by Eduardo Souza
The Poetics of Space / Gaston Bachelard
Really beautifully written book on the poetics of space within the home. It explores the philosophy of space and how it relates to memories and dreams. – Recommended by Yiling Shen
The Seven Lamps of Architecture / John Ruskin
“Know what you have to do and do it,” said John Ruskin – words which neatly sum the contents of this book. Ruskin’s writing describes lamps as characteristics that any piece of architecture must have in order to be considered this real architecture – in turn, the principles he deems necessary for architecture to be considered art. – Recommended by Martita Vial della Maggiora
Superstudio: Life without objects / Peter Lang
This book exposes the work of one of the most famous architecture groups for the radicalization and criticism of utopias. – Recommended by Monica Arellano
Ten Canonical Buildings: 1950-2000/ Peter Eisenman
Based on interesting diagrams and drawings, Peter Eisenman provides evidence of how some renowned architects of the 20th century changed our way of thinking. – Recommended by Fabian Dejtiar
Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 – 1995 / Kate Nesbitt (org)
A collection of the most important and seminal essays in the field of architecture published between 1965 and 1995. – Recommended by Romullo Baratto
Theory and Design in the First Machine Age / Reyner Banham
Banham’s response to the second industrial revolution. – Recommended by Diego Hernández
Universal Principles of Design / William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
This book explains the disciplines of designing anything (from a house to a coffee cup). – Recommended by Dima Stouhi
The Works: Anatomy of the City / Kate Ascher
After years in architecture school, you may understand how a building is put together – but how much do you actually understand about the processes that make that building function in the first place? Kate Ascher reviews the systems that manage traffic, water, heat, electricity, and much more, tying architecture not just to an image of the urban environment, but to the actual workings of the city. – Recommended by Collin Abdallah
Yona Friedman: The Dilution Of Architecture / Yona Friedman
Yona Friedman takes up the work of groups such as Archigram to propose cities that propose new ways of inhabiting cities. – Recommended by Monica Arellano
- AD-Lab NABA: critical methods in visual thinking and creative research. — 06.07.2024
- NABA: Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Roma. The New Academy of Arts, Rome. — 08.03.2024
- Lo Sguardo di Dante/ The Mimetic Observer at the Barberini — 14.11.2023
- The Mimetic Observer: A visual reading on Dante’s Divine Comedy. — 17.04.2023
- the SUM TOTAL NEWSLETTER: — 18.11.2022
- Dante’s Gaze/ Lo Sguardo di Dante — 17.09.2021
- Platform Austria: Venice Biennale — 15.09.2021
- Listen/ Lyssna Färgfabriken Konsthall Stockholm — 07.09.2021
- — 16.01.2021
- new publication: The Figure of Knowledge Conditioning Architectural Theory, 1960s – 1990s — 26.10.2020
- Mutadis Mutandis, Venice, Studio Giardini. Oct. 16, 2020 — 24.10.2020
- Now on Vimeo: Urgent Pedagogies: Concluding Panel — 06.10.2020
- WordCast # 1 @Ararat Peter Lang talks to Lorenzo Romito — 30.04.2020
- Fargfabriken, Skellefteå, Virserum: Lysnna, Listen — 24.04.2020
- Coming Soon in Rome: IED History as Theory and Practice: Urban Studies and Environmental Design — 30.03.2020
- Architect’s Newspaper: Gio Ponti gets a loving retrospective at the MAXXI — 04.03.2020
- Architect’s Newspaper: Adolfo Natalini’s Final Vanishing Act — 27.01.2020
- R-lab Zagreb: Collapse on Hold, at the Pogon. — 25.12.2019
- Architecture of Migration, Conference- Riga Latvia. — 01.11.2019
- Skissernas Museum: Hinterlands+ 19/09/19 — 23.09.2019
- Peter T. Lang and Salvatore Scibona with Luca Molinari WORLD CITY: NEW YORK — 13.09.2019
- Architect’s Newspaper: Reflecting on Cristiano Toraldo di Francia — 16.08.2019
- R-Lab Archive: Where to find links to every R-Lab course — 22.03.2019
- Italian Design Day 2019: Critical Utopias, Superstudio and the City — 16.03.2019
- from the Archive: Downtown Austin’s Arthouse: 25 October 2012 — 02.11.2018
- Frieze: Everything and Everywhere is a School, review — 30.10.2018
- Arch Daily: Top Books on Architecture — 13.09.2018
- Chart Art Fair Design: Luggage Fitness — 13.09.2018
- Manifesta 12 is the real deal. Architect’s Newspaper — 26.07.2018
- How the 1980 Venice Biennale transformed architectural discourse REVIEW — 23.05.2018
- Stalker Naked Archive Lottery the Exhibition ETH Zurich — 01.03.2018
- Beyond Change Questioning the role of design in times of global transformations Swiss Design Network Summit, March 8–10, 2018 — 07.02.2018
- book presentation at the Museo Pecci: “Neoavanguardie e controcultura a Firenze” — 23.12.2017
- Architect’s Newspaper review: In Florence, an unprecedented gathering at “Radical Utopias” — 18.11.2017
- DeSingel Antwerp: Drawing Ambience — 24.10.2017
- Radicals Marathon/Maratona Radicals 23/10/17 — 13.10.2017
- Pelin Tan: talk on Autonomous Infrastructure, @ Konsthall C — 07.10.2017
- the Skissernas Museum: The Fake, The False and the Fraudulent: coding and uncoding public monuments in contested spaces — 07.10.2017
- Triple I: Investigating Interdisciplinary Informality, 3-4 Oct. 2017 — 07.10.2017
- “Anti Modus Operandi – radical strategies for social engagement in architecture and design in the 60’s and 70’s Italy” — 23.08.2017
- Domus Academy: Prototyping Ideas — 20.08.2017
- IN 2017 CHART DESIGN WILL PRESENT A CURATED PROGRAMME ENTITLED WHAT IT IS, WHEN IT IS NOT — 20.08.2017
- Interdisciplinary urban dialogue-Workshop Varberg, Sweden — 23.07.2017
- Rowe Rome: City of Good Intentions, 21-23 /6/2017 — 23.06.2017
- The Architecture of Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Iconographic Resistance to Balkanisation — 11.04.2017
- Carlo Caldini, co-founder of Gruppo 9999, passes away — 20.03.2017
- Architectures, Natures & Data: The Politics of Environments Conference Tallinn — 14.03.2017
- KTH talk: S – SPACE THE EXPERIMENTAL CLASSROOM. 1970 – 1971 — 01.03.2017
- The Last Avant-Garde, radical design in Italy 1966-1986 — 27.02.2017
- Proof Aliens Exist in Rotterdam! — 21.02.2017
- Theory’s History Challenges in the historiography of architectural knowledge — 05.02.2017
- Proof Aliens Exist and other Projects about the Future — 09.01.2017
- The Society of Interiors, AADR Publishers — 30.11.2016
- Urban Day December 6 — 29.11.2016
- RADICAL ENCOUNTERS 12/11/2016 MAXXI — 11.11.2016
- International Lectures Series Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts — 04.10.2016
- Walkabout “Mandrionesca” Promiscuous interferences for Roma Poesia, Wednesday Sept 14 — 12.09.2016
- Stalker: Ground Walk, Vilnius — 21.06.2016
- Book Launch, at the Acquario, Casa dell’architettura: Rome Nome Plurale di Citta’ — 15.06.2016
- Under Siege: Stories from Kurdistan in Rome/ 30 May, 17:00 — 29.05.2016
- R-Lab Reification: at Alpha and Beta Ville — 24.05.2016
- Stockholm University: Curating Architecture — 04.05.2016
- Mashup: the Birth of Modern Culture/ Vancouver Art Gallery — 22.02.2016
- Pedagogies of Space @Index — 12.02.2016
- Tank: “Bubbles” Magazine Launch, London. — 10.02.2016
- Studio Roma: Attraverso Le Istituzioni, Roma a Nudo — 30.01.2016
- BAC & BAK: THE MISSING EUROPE: BALTIC AND BALKAN — 30.01.2016
- Superstudio: the Continuous Room- Konstfack — 27.01.2016
- VICEVERSA Magazine No. 3, December 2105 — 23.12.2015
- REVIEW> SUPERSTUDIO’S LOST OFFSPRING A new exhibition explores the legacy of Superstudio in unexpected places. — 22.12.2015
- Code-X redux, Mardin Artuklu Mimarlik — 08.12.2015
- Code-X: Architecture, Utopia, Revolution: @Aarhus — 27.11.2015
- Italian Radical Education in the Age of Dissent, Warsaw — 21.10.2015
- Super Superstudio: PAC, Milan — 11.10.2015
- R-Lab, Architecture Design Media: new course at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm — 08.07.2015
- TALK SHOW “Display on Display” Tensta Konsthall April 15, 2015 — 27.04.2015
- Just out: Materia Arquitectura Magazine edited by Nicolás Stutzin — 20.03.2015
- 3 x Superstudio: Jolly 2 Pistoia 1966, Trigon Graz 1969, Mana Art Rome 1971 — 02.03.2015
- Frederick Kiesler: Visions at Work Annotated by Céline Condorelli and Six Student Groups — 08.02.2015
- Research Week at the Royal Institute of Art — 28.01.2015
- Rem Koolhaas’ Biennale: or How the Tempest Swept Venice A/N BLOG — 20.10.2014
- Colonialismo e Identità Nazionale L’Oltremare tra Fascismo e Repubblica Seminario Nazionale SISSCo — 25.09.2014
- Art in Translation: the border complex. Reykjavik 18-20 September — 16.09.2014
- TallkottTalk: 29 August 2014: Stockholm: Alienlands: the New Communities — 30.08.2014
- JAE Reviews Exhibit Review: Forms of Freedom: African Independence and Nordic Models at the Venice Biennale — 15.07.2014
- radical pedagogies/ 14 biennale architecture Venice/ — 14.06.2014
- Biennale Urbana/ Swiss Pavilion/ ETH / Stalker Walking School — 11.06.2014
- Urban Re-Mix: the Final Review 27 May/ Exhibition Inauguration-28 May — 22.05.2014
- Haunted by Shadows of the Future: Horizons, Jam Session! — 27.03.2014
- Private Conversations in Public Places #1. — 09.03.2014
- MAKE YOUR OWN COMFORT ZONES — 28.01.2014
- Urban Re Mix: the WORKSHOP: Haunted by Shadows of the Future-Artefacts — 23.01.2014
- organising discourse Open Lecture at the Konstfack (Svarta havet) — 13.01.2014
- Architecture on Film: Italy – The New Domestic Landscape, MoMA, 1972 + Q&A with Gaetano Pesce and Peter Lang Thurs 28 November 2013, 7pm — 30.12.2013
- Gizmo magazine interview with Luca Molinari on Environments Counter Environments — 11.12.2013
- Environment and Counter Environment the INLD films screening at the Barbican — 29.11.2013
- Esra Akcan reviews Environments and Counter Environments in JAE — 23.11.2013
- Kungl. Konsthögskolans forskningsvecka Royal Institute of Art’s Research Week 21—24 oktober/October 2013 — 16.10.2013
- the Normalcy Project: Talk Show video — 07.10.2013